Help What "touch screen" keyboard do you use on the D2?

[sghere]

Just wondering what keyboard (other than the slide out keyboard) you use on the D2.

Been using the stock lately, but it seems to be a little too sensitive for my typing speed, and I find myself constantly fixing what I've typed.

Is there one for people that type fast and is a little more tolerant (larger keys I guess) when in landscape? Or is there a way to "train" the keyboard like you can with voice?

Thanks
Shayne

P.S. Swype is NOT an option.

 

[Redflea]

First, you're (IMHO) crazy not to give Swype a chance - use it for a week or so and see if you want to go back to pecking at keys.

Second, (and this is the helpful part) the best keyboards that I've seen aside from Swype are Touchpal and HTC (ported - if you google around you should be able to find a version to load on the D2). Touchpal wasn't available publicly for a long time, not sure if that's changed.

There is also Better Keyboard in the market (or used to be) but I found not much "better" about it back when I tried it some months ago.

There may be others more recent that are out, but since I've found Swype I've stopped looking - perfect for me.

Here's one web site's list: Top 5 Android Keyboard Apps: Mobile

Oh - there is another "hot" keyboard that is in development, BlindType, but it isn't available yet.

 

[Dragoro]

I cant stand swype myself. It would work much better if you could see the keys under your fingers as you were sliding. I guess its weird cause I can type on a real keyboard around 70 wpm without looking but on the phone I gotta see what Im hitting.

 

[Redflea]

The thing you need to do w/Swype is "use the force"....

Well, actually, you just need to use it for a bit - your fingers quickly adapt to the process, it requires much less accuracy than typing letter by letter.

But you have to invest a few days in it to give your fingers/brain a chance to "get it."

BlindType looks like it will provide a lot of the benefits of swype in a non-swype typing mode - that will likely work well for people who want to see the key they hit before they hit it. The thing I like about swype is that I don't have to look at the keyboard very much at all when I use it...

 

[infil]

give it a day or 2 and you'll never go back from swype. I am lost w/o it now lol. First few days on my eris w/ it were kinda rough but yeah....swype rules.

 

[cableguynoe]

give it a day or 2 and you'll never go back from swype. I am lost w/o it now lol. First few days on my eris w/ it were kinda rough but yeah....swype rules.

There's people out there with Eris' and D1's wishing they had Swype.
Some people just dont appreciate what they have

 

[WoodiE55]

I use Swype and love it. I can peck if I want to your just use swype in all it's beauty... love it!

 

[jpetersen5]

One thing I dont like about Swype is that I am very used to double spacing for period and that doesn't seem to work in Swype...Also when I enter '$50' or something like that from the number pad, I've found that I need to do hunt and peck method as the swype doesnt work for symbols, but even when I do hunt and peck, it comes out like '$ 50' So i still need to go back and fix it.

Are there settings to make this a little better that I may have missed?

 

[Chaznsc]

There's people out there with Eris' and D1's wishing they had Swype.
Some people just dont appreciate what they have

Thats subjective.....once they get it they might not think its so great. Im not a fan at this time.

 

[funkadesi]

I just dictate using my voice

but yes, in other cases I have set swype keyboard to be default "touch-screen" keyboard for normal words, and if I am typing something fancy ill TAP on the keyboard so its a Win-Win situation.

 

[Droid2Newb]

I bought the Droid 2 specifically for the "real" keyboard. If I wanted to use the touchscreen, I would have gone with the Droid X.

 

[cableguynoe]

One thing I dont like about Swype is that I am very used to double spacing for period and that doesn't seem to work in Swype...?

Try swyping from the period to the space. Same thing the other way for the comma.

Also when I enter '$50' or something like that from the number pad, I've found that I need to do hunt and peck method as the swype doesnt work for symbols, but even when I do hunt and peck, it comes out like '$ 50' So i still need to go back and fix it.

Swype doesnt work for symbols or numbers.
But try hitting the Symbols button, Then long press the same button (now 123 ABC button). That brings up a nicer keypad.
If you do a lot of numbers, then i can see that being frustrating.
But if it's once in a while, it should do the trick

 

[cableguynoe]

I bought the Droid 2 specifically for the "real" keyboard. If I wanted to use the touchscreen, I would have gone with the Droid X.

Welcome to the forum.

I also like using the keyboard when i can get my 2 hands on the phone.
But when I'm holding my beer on my left hand, and my D2 on my right, swype is right for me

 

[jpetersen5]

Try swyping from the period to the space. Same thing the other way for the comma.


Swype doesnt work for symbols or numbers.
But try hitting the Symbols button, Then long press the same button (now 123 ABC button). That brings up a nicer keypad.
If you do a lot of numbers, then i can see that being frustrating.
But if it's once in a while, it should do the trick

That seems to work well for period, space...

As for the numbers/symbols, the only real problem I have is when I want $50. Even this way you suggested, when you enter $, it automatically puts a space after it...Does the same thing if you just do a long press on the ABC keyboard.

Thanks for the help!

 

[Droid2Newb]

Welcome to the forum.

I also like using the keyboard when i can get my 2 hands on the phone.
But when I'm holding my beer on my left hand, and my D2 on my right, swype is right for me

Ever see the Burger King commercials?


I've got these tiny hands. And ....

LOL! Sorry. Couldn't resist.

 

[doomedromance]

I used swype for a while but went back to the HTC IME off XDA
I use a modified version which can be custom made here.

I just like all the modifications and customizations you can do, and I like the keyboard layout better.

 

[Redflea]

That seems to work well for period, space...

As for the numbers/symbols, the only real problem I have is when I want $50. Even this way you suggested, when you enter $, it automatically puts a space after it...Does the same thing if you just do a long press on the ABC keyboard.

Thanks for the help!

I just used swype to type $50.

Hit the symbol button to go to the symbol/number keyboard and tapped $ 5 0 and it comes on $50. No problem.

Did it in an email and in a text reply. Not sure why it won't work for you...

 

[kidon]

Once I got use to it.. Swype FTW

 

[TozyJay]

I like using Swype if I'm just typing one or two words, otherwise I prefer the regular keyboard. Swype doesn't always capitalize how I would like and it's a pain to have to stop and select the right word out of the menu whenever it isn't right. More power to you if it works for you though - to each his own!

 

[jpetersen5]

I just used swype to type $50.

Hit the symbol button to go to the symbol/number keyboard and tapped $ 5 0 and it comes on $50. No problem.

Did it in an email and in a text reply. Not sure why it won't work for you...

That's weird...When I do that, it places the '$' first, then I tap 5 and 0 and the list shows 50. I select that and it comes up '$ 50'.

Do you have Swype set to automatically enter a space after words? I do, maybe that's why its doing that..

 

[infil]

There's people out there with Eris' and D1's wishing they had Swype.
Some people just dont appreciate what they have

lol i registered for the beta..had it on both my eris and d1 before d2 came to be mine