Keyboards

[LandSurveyor]

I was just having a conversation with a friend yesterday. She has a Blackberry and is thinking of getting a Droid 3.

She likes the D3 because, even though she likes touchscreens, she isn't willing to give up a physical keyboard. You can put that down to wanting at least a transition from what she's comfortable with but I think it's the right choice, whether she realizes why or not.

I use a touchscreen-only device myself now so I know why.

I don't believe it's possible for anything but a huge touchscreen to come anywhere near the usability of a physical keyboard.

I'd like some tablet users to weigh in here.

In any case, haptic feedback just lets you know that you "pressed" some "key." It doesn't help you know you hit the right one at all. When I type on a full-sized computer keyboard, more often than not, I realize I typo'd before I see it on the monitor. With touchscreens, you have no way to register.

Even though they will necessarily have to be small, I would hate to see physical keyboards disappear from smartphones and, in fact, would like to see more models with improved keyboards, like a Droid Pro with a dedicated number row.

[RickAgresta]

I'm somewhat fortunate in that the way I've been entering text on my TX, MessagEase, is available for the Android phones (as well as WinMo and iPhones). There is a bit of a learning curve (as there would be if you were to switch to a Dvorak-layout kb for your desktop) for new users, but I'm very accustomed to how it works -- my only complaint is that I've lost all my Shortcut5 shortcuts from the TX, as there isn't anything comparable for Android.

EDIT: linky here

[Hook]

There is a big personal preference issue here as well as what you can or are motivated to adapt to.

I find BlackBerry keyboards unusable. I rarely type anything more on my BlackBerry than "I'll get back to you." Most often, I don't reply.

I find my Android Gingerbread touchscreen portrait keyboard quite easy to use and can type pretty well and accurately on it. I've actulally pretty much stopped using grafitti.

[questionfear]

There is a big personal preference issue here as well as what you can or are motivated to adapt to.

I find BlackBerry keyboards unusable. I rarely type anything more on my BlackBerry than "I'll get back to you." Most often, I don't reply.

I find my Android Gingerbread touchscreen portrait keyboard quite easy to use and can type pretty well and accurately on it. I've actulally pretty much stopped using grafitti.

Surprisingly, despite having used a Droid for 18 months, I'm not super attached to a physical keyboard. I go back and forth about this, but I think my next phone will be an all touchscreen. I can flip between them with ease, and find that it's often faster to just type on the screen over futzing with the slideout kb.

[Mi An]

I posted the other day on mobileread that I'd love to see a real keyboard addon for kb-less phones, as my dreams of a TP3 w/ Android dim. Instead of needing separate models for kb users, you'd remove the battery cover, clip on a keyboard battery cover that would piggyback off the device battery and communicate by physical connection, not wireless. It'd be better for manufacturers (fewer models to market) and users, who wouldn't have to replace the whole device if one little widget stopped working, and could pick from multiple keyboard designs for the same device. Imagine being able to trick out a Nexus X w/ a BB/Treo portrait slider, a 3 line landscape slider, an xperia play controller slide out, a tilting 5 liner or even something like the alias with eink keys that can accommodate many different uses (including those weirdo dvorak folks 0.o ) in the same board. One phone w/o the one-size-fits-none syndrome.

Surprisingly, despite having used a Droid for 18 months, I'm not super attached to a physical keyboard.

This does not surprise me. I've heard people rave about BB/Treo kbs and do 40wpm on them (I hate the form factor), I can imagine a user that would find the 3 line nokia n97/mini attractive (I'd never want 3 lines myself), but the droid board just strikes me as the worst of all worlds, combining the cramped nature of the portrait board with a landscape orientation that requires more finger travel without adding (and possibly even subtracting) depth and key differentiation. That was my first instinct on seeing it, and considering the way the board has evolved over the last two models, I think Motorola agrees.

Of course, like Hook says, it's a strong matter of taste and motivation as well. Some people are going to take to touchscreen boards and never desire even a well built physical keyboard, especially since the well built ones add such bulk. Others will perform better with a maddening dumbphone numberpad than I do with my ideal setup.

[LandSurveyor]

All you've said rings true. Individual preference does have a lot to do with it.

But there are a lot of variables separating our different experiences and I'm just as much a prisoner of my own perspective as anybody.

When I hear or read that people have taken a liking to touchscreens, I always wonder how much text they're entering.

I see that people adapt to touchscreens but I don't often hear that they consider them an improvement. And when I do, it's in comparison with a much less than ideal physical keyboard (because really, no small keyboard can be ideal).

Does the biggest landscape touchscreen keyboard available work better than a physical keyboard of about the same size, such as a slider? Forget for the moment the disinclination to deploy said keyboard, just concentrate on actually using it.

As far as usability is concerned, I think that for me, an oversized, portrait oriented device with a full (includes dedicated number row) keyboard, with no annoyingly misplaced keys, combined with a screen at least 3" diagonally, would work just fine. This would be about a quick to use as I can think of, especially with a keyboard/touchscreen lock button. Even my favorite, a clamshell (think LG Genesis) would take a back seat as it has to be unfolded to use.

[questionfear]

Mi An, wasn't there an LG featurephone that had that concept? You could pop different add-ons from keyboard to gamepads on it.

Honestly, for what you need, I almost think you'd be better off springing for a small BT keyboard and pairing it with a touchscreen phone when necessary. Or a 7in tablet, but it depends on how much you want to carry.

[Mi An]

Honestly, for what you need, I almost think you'd be better off springing for a small BT keyboard and pairing it with a touchscreen phone when necessary. Or a 7in tablet, but it depends on how much you want to carry.

I'd rather hold on to my TP2 than go that route. Battery life is still important to me, and I don't want two of them to attend to. Portability and access are important too. Even a clipon BT thumb-board would annoy me (for the same reason I used my manufacturer-designed magnet shades, but when I lost those, I didn't use the adjustable 3rd party clipon I bought at walmart). I am that picky. I do plan on having a tablet/keyboard combo someday, but not as a smartphone kb replacement, more as a netbook replacement. Thanks, hadn't heard of the LG thing, but I'll google for it. Maybe I can harass them into bringing the feature to android.

[Varjak]

I think LS is right. Most comments are pitched to the idea that on-screen keyboards can be 'almost as good' or 'acclimated to;' instead of described as outright better. One comment I remember from a while ago on BH was that even with a good on-screen keyboard, it obscures much of the screen real estate, even on large-screen phones. OTOH, I think Graffiti for Android might be a very good solution, if the touchscreen is sensitive and accurate.

[LandSurveyor]

I could probably use Graffiti on the Imagio, assuming such exists for a WM6.5 machine but I've become fairly adept at punching "keys" with the stylus (Imagio has resistive screen) which at least obscures less screen than my fat fingers.

Oddly enough the Imagio's screen is fairly sensitive to fingers but the "keys" are still too small.