There's no question that mini-keyboards don't permit the rapid speed of a full keyboard, but they're relatively acceptable for input devices for most people. Far superior to the one-to-four keypresses I need to get each letter to send Cell phone SMS. Still, I can tell the level of discomfort for you is fairly significant, so perhaps that's not the best route.

The scanner sounds like a definite choice, indeed.

--Chiaroscuro