PDA sales are flattening, and have been for some time, but it doesn't mean that the sector's dead. Smartphones have their place and are increasing in sales in Australia, but they can't always offer the power or flexibility of a good PDA.

The one catch with a PDA (and smartphone), however, is the limited input options. Writing recognition is good, but there's a very steep learning curve to mastering the techniques. PDA keyboards are a much easier and familiar option, but usually they're tiny, fiddly affairs and not the easiest to type on.

Enter the Sitecom IrDA Keyboard Switch -- an extremely simple solution to the problem. This is a tiny KVM-like switch that allows you to use your PC's existing PS/2 keyboard with any infra-red enabled PDA by pressing a button on the side. The box sits between your PC and keyboard and acts as an extension to the keyboard's PS/2 cable.

The IrDA is a very simple product that works with Windows CE (Pocket PC 200, 2002 and 2003) and Palm OS 5+, and it makes typing in data much, much easier. The only real catches with the IrDA Switch is that your standard 101 keyboard is not exactly portable, and that the unit uses three AAA batteries when in PDA mode. They last a long time, but it's something to look out for if you're a heavy PDA user (a low-battery warning LED comes on to give you plenty of time to get fresh batteries though).

It's definitely a simple answer to a frustrating problem, and while USB keyboard support would have been a nice inclusion, the IrDA Keyboard Switch certainly takes the aggravation out of tapping on a soft keyboard with a stylus or grappling with writing recognition.