Keyboard or no keyboard (again)

**akhi216** · 05-06-2012, 08:06 AM

Definitely keyboard...

http://www.phonearena.com/news/Googl...liders_id29625

Let's see the touchscreen only fanatics brush that off...

It funny how some people with bloated, gelatinous egos feel that what's fine for them should be standard for everyone. Android is all about having a choice, particularly the choice not to do things how Mr. Jobs (RIP) felt that they should be done.

Did you really think that Google was just gonna leave keyboard lovers out in the cold just to cater to the egos of people who happened to buy a touchscreen only phone?

Dying breed? Not a chance.

**TC_Mits** · 05-06-2012, 09:42 AM

Before this gets out of hand -- again, I'd like to suggest that both sides of the debate are 'right' -- for their own purposes. The only thing that would be 'wrong' would be to suggest that a physical QWERTY is best for everybody or that virtual keyboards are all anyone ever needs.

People who use a keyboard with one finger and /or look at the keys or at their hand when typing will do just fine on a virtual keyboard. Swype may even be faster for those folks than a physical QWERTY.

Typists who watch the display "and let their fingers do the walking" on the keys must have physical keys with discrete palpable edges to do so. If you touch-type, then you know that tools like Swype and word completion mostly just slow you down. Vibrate feedback is useless for blindly locating the correct positon of the key among it's neighbors before you press.

This issue continues to usurp entire threads to no good end. And it's simply because these two different styles of typing approach the keyboard differently.

Neither physical nor virtual keyboards are inherently superior in all situations. Rather each is best suited to the needs of a particular type of user.

Perspective instantiates reality.
[From DX by HoFo app.]

**GSMinCT** · 05-06-2012, 09:43 AM

Originally Posted by akhi216

Definitely keyboard...

http://www.phonearena.com/news/Googl...liders_id29625

Let's see the touchscreen only fanatics brush that off...

It funny how some people with bloated, gelatinous egos feel that what's fine for them should be standard for everyone. Android is all about having a choice, particularly the choice not to do things how Mr. Jobs (RIP) felt that they should be done.

Did you really think that Google was just gonna leave keyboard lovers out in the cold just to cater to the egos of people who happened to buy a touchscreen only phone?

Dying breed? Not a chance.

I highly doubt that we'd see a Nexus slider.

As much as I used to love the 'boards, I realize their time has come, and virtual boards are, for the most part, just as good. There may be a DROID 5, but even in that case, it would not be the Nexus series, as those are for development and pushing the bleeding edge.

**TC_Mits** · 05-06-2012, 10:00 AM

Originally Posted by GSMinCT

...
As much as I used to love the 'boards... virtual boards are, for the most part, just as good. ...

Wrong. See my post just above yours;.

Perspective instantiates reality.
[From DX by HoFo app.]

**Sam73065** · 05-06-2012, 10:12 AM

Originally Posted by TC_Mits

Before this gets out of hand -- again, I'd like to suggest that both sides of the debate are 'right' -- for their own purposes. The only thing that would be 'wrong' would be to suggest that a physical QWERTY is best for everybody or that virtual keyboards are all anyone ever needs.

People who uses a keyboard with one finger and /or look at the keys or at their hand when typing will do just fine on a virtual keyboard. Swype may even be faster for those folks than a physical QWERTY.

Typists who watch the display "and let their fingers do the walking" on the keys must have physical keys with discrete palpable edges to do so. If you touch-type, you know that tools like Swype and word completion mostly just slow you down. Vibrate feedback is useless for blindly locating the correct positon of the key among it's neighbors before you press.

This issue continues to usurp entire threads to no good end. And it's simply because these two different styles of typing approach the keyboard differently.

Neither physical nor virtual keyboards are inherently superior in all situations. Rather each is best suited to the needs of a particular type of user.

Perspective instantiates reality.
[From DX by HoFo app.]

I would only add that even the needs of individual users can change based on their momentary situation. However the market has been overwhelmed by virtual keyboards and the demand for a physical keyboard has not been deafening enough that the manufacturers feel the need to provide physical keyboards except for the occasional phone. I think some of that is simply due to the lack of physical keyboards, leaving many users having never experienced the advantages of a physical keyboard. In other words some ppl just don't know any better, having never been exposed to it. It's probably also more expensive and creates a much bulkier phone by providing a keyboard. But I'd love to get a new phone with an excellent keyboard and 4.5-5 inch screen. You also have to overcome those who feel they know best how we should use our phones and what's best for us. It's the same ppl that believe somebody is stupid for wanting a smartphone without a data plan, that insist a virtual keyboard is equal to a physical keyboard and in any case, you really just don't need a physical keyboard, no matter what you think. After all they're smarter than you and know better what you need and should want. So for now we're slaves to what the carriers dictate.

**akhi216** · 05-06-2012, 11:29 AM

Originally Posted by GSMinCT

I highly doubt that we'd see a Nexus slider.

Google would not file for a patent for a slider phone for nothing. What phone/device would Google oversee the development of that isn't a Nexus caliber device?

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using HowardForums

**akhi216** · 05-06-2012, 11:45 AM

Disregard, double post.

**TC_Mits** · 05-06-2012, 12:35 PM

Originally Posted by akhi216

...
Let's see the touchscreen only fanatics brush that off...

.

Originally Posted by GSMinCT

I highly doubt that we'd see a Nexus slider.
...

Seeing is believing. Lol.

Perspective instantiates reality.
[From DX by HoFo app.]

**mch** · 05-06-2012, 04:11 PM

So right now I am carrying an iPhone 4 on Verizon and a Samsung Captivate Glide on an AT&T MVNO. Which one gets used more for texting, tweeting, IM, etc.? It is no contest, I just naturally reach for the phone with the physical keyboard.

**jarrett178** · 05-06-2012, 04:48 PM

While I don't have a droid or a smartphone for that matter I was looking at them before I decided on the Extravert. I dont think I could get use to typing on just a touchscreen alone. Even now I hate typing on my Extravert's touchscreen.

I tried typing on a friend's touch only droid and I made so many mistakes and it took 10 minutes to type a sentence. I like the feel of actually touching the buttons.

Although having Droid Maxx with a battery that can last more than 12 hours sounds nice. My phone's battery is so bad I have to keep a wall charger with me at all times.

**akhi216** · 05-06-2012, 04:51 PM

Originally Posted by mch

So right now I am carrying an iPhone 4 on Verizon and a Samsung Captivate Glide on an AT&T MVNO. Which one gets used more for texting, tweeting, IM, etc.? It is no contest, I just naturally reach for the phone with the physical keyboard.

For a minute there I thought you were gonna say the iPhone lol.

*facepalm retracted*

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using HowardForums

**ben7337** · 05-06-2012, 05:00 PM

As many people have said before, there is no right answer. Physical keyboards are great, you can type faster on them, they are guaranteed to have fewer typos due to the touchscreen either not registering a touch or not getting the right button. Overall I'd say touchscreens can't keep up with me. Physical keyboards can. However aside from that physical keyboards make it easier to type long messages. I had a thunderbolt for a week. multiple times that week friends wanted me to explain something complicated and I just had to say it was too hard to explain in texting. This is something they had said to me before, but I had never understood it. Now I can see why sms messages stay so short. Touchscreens limit input. Physical keyboards make typing longer messages extremely easy.

Anyway overall a decent touchscreen keyboard with proper autocorrect that learns your typing habits can often do a pretty decent job and I'm certain I can impress my friends with typing speed on both types of keyboard.

Oh and a 4.3"-4.8" Slider keyboard phone on verizon would be amazing. My next phone is most likely going to have to be touchscreen only, but if a slider in that size range came out, it'd win in a heartbeat, even if the dreaded motorola lockdown champion made it. Though ideally it would come in the next nexus with an hd super amoled+ screen since the GSIII didn't get that.

**TC_Mits** · 05-06-2012, 07:38 PM

You may not have to wait for the cryptomaster. The Gnote for all its flat expanse is quite slim in the 3d dimension. And now that HTC is copycatting, it's more than plausible, if still less than likely, that one or the other could clip on a keyboard.

Also, Google(!) just fast-tracked 3 new keyboard patents. Google does the Nexus phones. "Ideal" situation ?

Perspective instantiates reality.
[From DX by HoFo app.]

**Steveanderson13** · 05-06-2012, 07:57 PM

Originally Posted by ben7337

Now I can see why sms messages stay so short. Touchscreens limit input. Physical keyboards make typing longer messages extremely easy.

Ben, I think you hit on it and I'm finding my experience matches that. Length of message may be determining factor. Heavier writers probably stick to laptops, etc. I notice I tire of writing on this screen. I mean its works well but the longer it gets, the worse it gets.

So now I'm using the voice. Damn that worked well. Is left out the drama. That should be, not drama. Unintelligible ? It even added punctuation . You speak punctuation . I am adding spaces manually.