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Contributor Elliot Ronen is a Windows administrator by day, an Apple nerd by night, and at all times a Nokia/S60 addict. He is a compulsive networker, and love putting people together. You can follow him on Twitter.

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Nokia E71 With Wireless Keyboard – A Student’s Best Friend

February 3rd, 2009 • Elliot Ronen • Filed Under •

When I decided to go back to school at night, I knew I’d be taking on a long commute and I wouldn’t want to lug my Macbook Pro the entire way. In undergrad I used an ancient HP Jornada and a fold out keyboard to take all my notes. Having just acquired a Nokia E71, I thought, “Surely I can use my smartphone to take all my notes in class instead of a computer.”

And after a bit of research, I was right. To take all my notes in class all I need is my Nokia E71 on my desk and an Apple Bluetooth keyboard on my lap. As an added bonus, it’s completely doable using only software that comes preinstalled on the E71.

So why use a smartphone instead of a laptop in class? There are a myriad of reasons: my Nokia E71 has 3G data where I get reception and Wifi for those underground classrooms where I don’t, the battery life on my Nokia beats the pants off the battery life of my Macbook Pro and I don’t have this huge glowing screen between me and my professor.

Setup

Hooking an Apple Bluetooth keyboard up to your E71 is easy thanks to the Wireless Keyboard application. From the Menu screen, go to Office: Wlss. keybd. Select Options: Find Keyboard. If your handset’s Bluetooth isn’t already on, the program will prompt you to turn it on before it starts scanning.

Once the Nokia E71 starts scanning for keyboards, press the power button on the keyboard. Here’s the only tricky part of the whole process: after the two devices see each other, the handset will ask you to input a code on the keyboard. At this point, just type any four digits on the Apple keyboard followed by the Enter key (for example, in my pairing I typed ‘1111′, then Enter). Your phone will now ask for you to enter the same code. Do so and that’s it! Your E71 and your Apple Bluetooth keyboard are now paired. Open up QuickOffice, create a new document and you’re good to go for hours of note taking.

Usage

Once you’re done with class, you can either save the document to a microSD card in your phone. Once you get back to your computer, pop the card into a card reader to transfer the files over, or use Bluetooth to transfer them wirelessly.

A paired Bluetooth keyboard not only allows you type at full speed on your smartphone, it actually allows you to control your entire phone right from the keyboard. The arrow keys act like the D-pad, with the Enter key being Select. The two Command keys on either side of the space bar act like the two soft keys to open menus. Throw in the full email and web browsing experience we E-series owners are used to and it really becomes less of a mobile phone and more of a tiny computer.

And on those rare occasions when the keyboard runs out of batteries during a class (it’s only happened to me once), the easiest solution (besides carrying spare batteries) is to open up the voice recorder application and record the entire class to be transcribed later.

What about you?

I’ve only tried this with my Nokia E71, but there’s no reason it shouldn’t work with other Nokia phones, at least. Does anybody else use a Bluetooth keyboard with their device in class?

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Mike

Nice to see you doing this... though your post is nearly a year old at this point. I've been using the Apple keyboard on the Nokia e61, but professionally instead of as a student. Same result, same reasons. It works great.

John

Sweet setup!

I'm trying to do the same, but I've had some issues, was wondering if you could help:

1) Does the "ctrl" key work for you? Say in QuickOffice? The reason why I'm asking is that I want to be able to delete words quickly using "Ctrl + Backspace". Unfortunately it didn't work when I tried this on a friend's E71

2) I prefer to use Bullets in Quickoffice, and have different indentation to take notes (one point, sub-point etc). I couldn't get the bullet to indent using "Tab" key. Could you suggest a workaround? I really do need a multiple-layer format!

Would appreciate any feedback, thanks!

opcon

"ctrl + shift (the up arrow button) + cursor left or right"
this will highlight a whole word, for quick deletion.
or hold the "shift" button, and cursor up, to highlight a whole line.
E61 was better, it had a separate Ctrl key.

Mike H

Nice one, the information is very useful but did you get anywhere with the keyboard mapping, the Pound sign (£) is SHIFT+Right ALT+4 and the Euro sign (€) is Right ALT+5. Can the keyboard be re-mapped to English style?

tjejoy

I bought this keyboard. Overall it has been fantastic. I saved AUD 600.00 on buying a netbook and I was able to take notes at a seminar for a week without problems. Everyone around me with a laptop was struggling to find a power point as the couldn't last a day by my E71 kept going and going.

MINOR PROBLEMS
The only problems I have had with it are when I have either paired the
keyboard to something else or paired my phone to something else. Normally I just had to try a few times and then it worked but the last time I couldn't get the keyboard to re-pair with my phone until I turned it off and on again.

A couple of times it has behaved as though I had a key held down. I just
had to disconnect the keyboard and reconnect it.

There are some things the keyboard won't do that you still need the phone for. Such as when you save a file in QuickOffice to modify the file name you have to use the main button on the keyboard.

The other thing I would recommend is that if you get one don't allow
automatic connections. It's easy for one of the keys on the keyboard to be held down when it's in a bag or something.

OVERALL FANTASTIC

These are only minor problems and in general I have found it to be
excellent. I'm still on the original batteries. I really like it when someone calls and I have the keyboard connected; I can answer the call and put them on load speaker from the keyboard.

FYI: Here's a link to a site on how to make a stand for your mobile out of cardboard
http://sites.google.com/site/mobilephonecardboa...

POSTIEGIRL

THANKS, WAS THNKING ABOUT THIS MYSELF, BUT PURELY FOR EYESIGHT PURPOSES....., SO I AM NOW LOOKING FOR A WIRELESS KEYBOARD...IS THE APPLE THE ONLY ONE THATS COMPATIBLE?

Mike H

To POSTIEGIRL: The official keyboard for the Nokia E71 is the SU-8W. I seem to be only able to find these on Ebay, the Nokia website doesn't seem to ever have any

dass

Nice post

Becky

hey when transferring pictures etc to my wireless laptop from my e71, how do i do that? i thought it was as simpl as switching my bluetooth on, to find my windows vista laptop. i can't find my usb cord; hence why i am so desperate to transfer my files!!
please help!
Becky91

Mark Guim

You might need to pair the two devices together first. There should be an option on the E71 that let's you select which bluetooth device to transfer to.

Franck Sinanian

Hi Elliot,

Nice article,

I followed your example and after buying a E71, paired it with my apple wireless keyboard. Works well apart from a little detail : it seems to believe it is a Qwerty keyboard instead of an AZERTY.

Any idea how I can change this ?

Franck, Sinanian
Paris, France

Emmanuel

@Vince,

Wow! Thank you so very much... Am so downloading this right now...

Damn! Nokia is really innovative, am really enjoying my 5800, for me it beats the iphone. The only thing i miss on d iphone is those crazy apps, they are fun sometimes. I just hope nokia bring more offers to the US.
Thanks again Vince.

mark rafael sasutona

Elliot, your cellphone model is very cool!! I hope I can use it!! It's one of the best. it's function are very useful not only to businessman but also to students!!!

Jussi

Couple of tips for students:

-you can send your notes from the device directly to Google Docs;
- E71 should come with Nokia Multiscanner preinstalled (or you can download it from the Nokia site) - when reading for an exam, why make hand written notes, when you can scan the relevant passages with yr device as text (and email it to Google Docs)...
have fun!

Elliot Ronen

@Jussi, this is great advice! I'm going to try this out in class tonight.

Dan

The apple BT keyboard works fine with the older Nokia E61 also. Just download the wireless app from Nokia's website. It's the app that comes with the Nokia BT keyboard.

Vince

There's no keyboard app for the 5800 as of 2/21; I tried the 5700/N82 version, the phone told me it wasn't compatible but still let me install it, and... it didn't work. I sure hope they release a driver for the 5800, instead of coming out with a new keyboard to buy. I bet Nokia doesn't like people using their software to use other bluetooth keyboards, so they'll probably make it proprietary. And they changed charger tips too!

Vince

Update; I did get the 5800 to work after all with the Wireless Keyboard App for the N82/5700, with the Nokia as well as the Apple wireless keyboard. I was omitting a crucial step; after pairing you have to go to the Wireless Keyboard app, and then go to the Option, "FIND KEYBOARD" before you can actually start typing with any paired bluetooth keyboard.

And another note, the Nokia keyboard is well made, and great for travel as it folds in half very small and is pretty durable when folded, but the Apple is also well made, and is much better for typing anything of length, as the Nokia is very tiny with the keys all scrunched together, kind of a pain actually.

So it definitely works with the 5800, even if Nokia won't "officially" admit it. Also since I bought the Nokia keyboard, it has dropped in price from around $100 to around $60 last time I checked, damn!

ctchrono

I just got the Nokia keyboard, used, for my E71. I'm a touch typist, and it's actually easier for me to type with my 2 fingers on the phone than that little Nokia folding thing. I'm not an Apple user, but I love the look of that keyboard. Will that be better for me to type on? I may get it just to look at it. LOL

Vince

@ctchrono, please see my above post, the Apple keyboard is much better to type on, no contest

ctchrono

@Vince, yes, it's SO much easier to type on than the Nokia. I noticed the tab button on the Apple doesn't do anything though with my E71. But what a nice keyboard! The build quality is right up there with the phone's! (except for that bottom part on the front of the phone that LOOKS like the stainless frame, but it just plated plastic (I know...I chipped it when I hit the phone against something....that was disappointing!)

Keith

No one answered my question, so I got one anyways. It's fantastic to type on! Guess I'll be selling the Nokia keyboard now.

Emmanuel

Wow, Nokia rocks... i hv just preordered a nokia 5800 xpressmusic to replace my crappy old iphone 3G... will the bluetooth keyboard work on it...

I would hv gone with the e71 but i wanted a touchscreen so dat xplains my 5800 choice...

Please eliot would it work on 5800... huh would it???

Vince

@Emmanuel,

Vince here again with an update; I did get the 5800 to work after all with the Wireless Keyboard App for the N82/5700, with the Nokia as well as the Apple wireless keyboard. I was omitting a crucial step; after pairing you have to go to the Wireless Keyboard app, and then go to the Option, "FIND KEYBOARD" before you can actually start typing with any paired bluetooth keyboard.

And another note, the Nokia keyboard is well made, and great for travel as it folds in half very small and is pretty durable when folded, but the Apple is also well made, and is much better for typing anything of length, as the Nokia is very tiny with the keys all scrunched together, kind of a pain actually.

So it definitely works with the 5800, even if Nokia won't "officially" admit it. Also since I bought the Nokia keyboard, it has dropped in price from around $100 to around $60 last time I checked, damn!

Elliot Ronen

@Emmanuel, Only time will tell for the 5800! According to Nokia USA's spec sheet for the 5800 (http://www.nokiausa.com/A41271075) the Wireless Keyboard app doesn't come factory installed. The app comes installed on E-series devices, but is available for others such as the N-series as a download from Nokia's website, so one for the 5800 may show up soon (if the existing N-series one doesn't already work; maybe someone with an N-series device can test it out for me).