Best Keyboard?

[HeXiiK]

What is the best keyboard in your opinion? I have a Moto Droid X. I have Swype and Multi-Touch keyboards. I like Swype and Like the Multi-Touch keyboard, but I'm just wondering if there is a better one?

 

[Nightfall]

I have tried a few different keyboards. I actually bought Ultra Keyboard, but just didn't like how accurate it was. I then use swiftkey and was hooked. My advice would be to start trying demos of these programs. Ultra keyboard has a demo, same with swiftkey. Try swiftkey first.

 

[HeXiiK]

I have tried a few different keyboards. I actually bought Ultra Keyboard, but just didn't like how accurate it was. I then use swiftkey and was hooked. My advice would be to start trying demos of these programs. Ultra keyboard has a demo, same with swiftkey. Try swiftkey first.

Ok so you think swiftkey then?

 

[diS]

My vote goes to Swype. Love that keyboard. Can't live without it
I've tried SlideIt and those other "swype-like" keyboards but those are rubbish!

Ultrakeyboard is cool though but prefer swype.

 

[saps]

No one can tell you what keyboard to like. You will like what you like. I used Swype since day 1 on my SF. Only in the last 3 days did I even try anything else like SwiftKey and Smart Keyboard Pro. All 3 have good and bad. In the end I just need to settle on one. Swype is fun but the accuracy lacks if I try to go too fast. Smart Keyboard Pro has the best layout and its really accurate. Swiftkey is potentially the best and fastest given its predictions. However the layout/key spacing is not as good for me as SKP.
Bottom Line try things out and whatever you like best is the right choice for you.

 

[Whiskeypawz]

I have used both Swiftkey & Swype. Hated Swype, love Swiftkey. But like @saps said, You will like what you like. I have friends that love Swype & no matter how hard I've tried to convince them to try Swiftkey they are loyal Swype users. The two are different though. Swifkey is about word prediction (current word & next word) whereas Swype is another way of typing, without lifting a finger....literally! I found Swype to be very frustrating & time consuming. @Nightfall had a great suggestion. Try demos/trials of different ones, then if you don't like it you're not out anything. Swiftkey has a 2 week trial. If you don't like one, just delete it.

SwiftKey - Intelligent text prediction for Android smartphones, by TouchType Ltd.

 

[Brian Rubin]

I've tried tons of keyboards, and found it's all a matter of personal preference. The one that works best for me, Smart Keyboard Pro, might not work best for you.

 

[reinbeau]

I liked SwiftKey at first, but the word prediction got irritating, instead of better. I really like Swype, I don't find it all that inaccurate. I think one of the problems is people don't understand if they swype something wrong, then hit the spacebar, it automatically adds it to the dictionary - don't hit the spacebar, hit the backspace to get rid of the word and start again. If the word isn't in the dictionary, type it out and then type a space to add it. I've been carefully building my dictionary up with words I use all the time, things are getting better and better each time I use Swype.

 

[mobimax]

I've tried tons of keyboards, and found it's all a matter of personal preference. The one that works best for me, Smart Keyboard Pro, might not work best for you.

I like it too, SKPro

 

[rhart00]

I like it too, SKPro

Smart Keyboard Pro gets my vote too!

 

[tsandroid]

I prefer ultra keyboard over SwiftKey. SwiftKey not only requires extreme precision that defeats the purpose of swiping in the first place, but it gets common words wrong. For example when swiping SwiftKey replaces "droid" with "stupid" all the time. SwiftKey is $4 but ultra is only $3 & has a toolbar at the top with options (cut, copy, paste, themes, dictionary & more). It can be removed if you don't want it. Like SwiftKey ultra has a 30 day trial.

 

[Stuntman]

For landscape, dual-thumb typing, SwiftKey is the best. For portrait one-handed typing, Swype is the best. Overall, I prefer SwiftKey. Only if I decide to do one-handed typing, do I switch to Swype. The rest of my post will assume SwiftKey is used in landcape and Swype is used in portrait.

The reason that SwiftKey is number one for me is the speed and accuracy when using SwiftKey. I downloaded a typing test to see how fast and accurately I can type with various keyboards. SwiftKey came up one top at 22 wpm. Swype was second at 17 wpm. In comparison, my typing speed with a full sized keyboard is 66 wpm.

I tinkered around with the settings in SwiftKey. I use a split layout because my phone is quite big and it is difficult to reach the centre keys when typing in landscape mode. My preference is to have the word prediction turned on, but auto-correct is off. These settings and a slight adjustment to my typing technique allows me to type faster than any other keyboard I have used. I am a fan of physical keyboards and I must conceed that SwiftKey on a touch screen allows me to type faster and more accurately than on my old phones with physical keyboards.

I also have to alter my typing a bit when using SwiftKey to take full advantage of the text prediction without the drawbacks of auto-correct. When I finish typing a word (that is a common word), I do not hit the space bar. Instead, I look at the text prediction row. SwiftKey gives me (up to) 3 words to choose from. The centre word is the word SwiftKey thinks is the word I intend to type. I look at the centre word in the prediction row and if it is the correct word, I press it instead of pressing the space bar. In effect, I type as if the space bar is the centre word in the prediction row. I do this because it allows me to verify every word as I type. If I notice that the word is wrong, it usually means that I made some really bad errors typing that word. Then I backspace and retype.

If I type a word that is uncommon and I don't think it is in the dictionary, I would tend to slow down a bit and ensure I type it in correct. Then I check the predicted word. If it is not the correct word, I hit the space bar. Since auto-correct is off, pressing the space bar accepts the word and SwiftKey learns that this is a proper word that I am trying to type.

The text prediction is excellent. I have noticed that I do type very sloppily and make many errors. SwiftKey is able to predict the correct word almost all of the time. When I add words to the dictionary (by pressing space bar after the word), SwiftKey seems to pick up the word immediately. SwiftKey is also able to learn strings of words together. For instance I have been online commenting about a game called, "Squadron Strike". Whenever I type, "Squadron", SwiftKey suggests that "Strike" is the next word. I can type, "Squadron", press the word in the text prediction field and then "Strike" appears as the next word in the text prediction field before I need to type another character.

SwiftKey does have a feature called Flow that allows you to drag your finger across the keyboard instead of pecking at individual keys. It is OK, but it is not as good as Swype.

I recently tried Swype when it came out of beta. My experience with SwiftKey Flow allowed me to transition very easily to Swype. I used to use SwiftKey Flow when typing one-handed in portrait. I now use Swype because I find it better.

Swype is my keyboard of choice when typing in portrait. The reason is that the keys are too narrow for me to accurately peck at the keys. Dragging my finger/thumb across the keyboard is the best way for me to type in portrait. Also, this way of typing is really fun!

Keyboards have to really use heavy text prediction with this type of typing. The words, "hip" and "hop" may be traced the same way by many people, so the keyboard has to use some type of intelligence to determine the correct context. It is not perfect and I find that Swype (and SwiftKey Flow) does not predict the word as accurately as thumb typing.

Swype handles these cases very well. After you type a word, Swype lists the words that it predicted and highlights the word that it thinks is the most likely one that you meant to type. If that word is the one you want, you just type the next word. If not, you can look through the list of predicted words and select the one you want. If the word is not there, you will likely have to delete the word and then peck out the individual letters to spell the word. If that word is not in the dictionary, Swype asks you if you want to add it. I really like the ability to choose whether or not to add a word to the dictionary. Sometimes, I need to quote some jiberish which I do not want saved to my dictionary.

I liked SwiftKey at first, but the word prediction got irritating, instead of better. I really like Swype, I don't find it all that inaccurate. I think one of the problems is people don't understand if they swype something wrong, then hit the spacebar, it automatically adds it to the dictionary - don't hit the spacebar, hit the backspace to get rid of the word and start again. If the word isn't in the dictionary, type it out and then type a space to add it. I've been carefully building my dictionary up with words I use all the time, things are getting better and better each time I use Swype.

It does take some time to get used to different keyboards and to configure them the way that works for you. There are such subtle and some not so subtle differences between various keyboard.

 

[Methos1979]

I tried Swype, SwiftKey Flow and Kii and found Kii to be the best for me.

 

[tcat007]

I'd been on Kii for quite a while, but I believe I like the new Swype best. Kii is great as far as giving it the look and feel you want, but Swype just works better. I have full versions of Swype, Swiftkey and Kii, and think they're all great... but Swyping for now.

Also Swipe never seems to go over 25mb running, while Kii goes over 100mb occasionally.

 

[Methos1979]

I'd been on Kii for quite a while, but I believe I like the new Swype best. Kii is great as far as giving it the look and feel you want, but Swype just works better. I have full versions of Swype, Swiftkey and Kii, and think they're all great... but Swyping for now.

Also Swipe never seems to go over 25mb running, while Kii goes over 100mb occasionally.

Interesting that you now like Swype better. I'll have to give the upgrade another try. I still like Kii - especially it's ability to tweak the look - but I'm always up for checking out an upgraded program. I'll let you know what I find.

 

[LiveWallpapers]

I will also vouch for Swype, so you are on the right track if you have that.

IMO, that was the fastest keyboard to type with for me.

 

[Eric618]

I like Kii.

 

[Methos1979]

tcat007 - you were right, the new Swype (paid) is pretty good. And at $.99 it's a steal compared to other paid keyboards. I still like the ability to configure Kii but I've been using Swype since my post above and I find I'm needing to make less corrections than with either Kii or SwiftKey Flow. I also really like the way they lay out suggested words and I really, really like the way they do their punctuation by swiping from the key to the spacebar. I'm going to have to take some time and do a three-way test of the big three again. I guess in the end all three are really good but it's nice to see Swype (the original) make it's way back into the game!

 

[Stuntman]

I just found a nice advantage with Swype. I was at physio for an injury to my right wrist. While it was undergoing treatment, I had to use my phone in my left hand. I'm right handed and I found that I could still type messages fairly well with my left hand using the Swype keyboard.

 

[Methos1979]

tcat007 - you were right, the new Swype (paid) is pretty good. And at $.99 it's a steal compared to other paid keyboards. I still like the ability to configure Kii but I've been using Swype since my post above and I find I'm needing to make less corrections than with either Kii or SwiftKey Flow. I also really like the way they lay out suggested words and I really, really like the way they do their punctuation by swiping from the key to the spacebar. I'm going to have to take some time and do a three-way test of the big three again. I guess in the end all three are really good but it's nice to see Swype (the original) make it's way back into the game!

Now I have gone back over to Kii. I found one thing that I really missed that Swype apparently does not have is the shortcut menu. I have programmed in a fairly large list of shortcuts that I use quite a bit and once I realized Swype did not have that capability it was back to Kii for me.

I reset the Kii keyboard size to stock with no padding and I find I make less mistakes, pretty much on par with Swype. Another thing I like in Kii that Swype does not have is a dedicated arrow row. When moving around to fix mistakes I find the arrows much easier than moving the little blue edit tab.

So it's back to Kii for now. But I'll keep my eye on Swype and also SwiftKey Flow. It's about time to give that program a try again!

 

[Stuntman]

Another thing I like in Kii that Swype does not have is a dedicated arrow row. When moving around to fix mistakes I find the arrows much easier than moving the little blue edit tab.

Dedicated arrow keys is something that I like having as well. SwiftKey has them. With Swype, sometimes it takes a few tries to get the cursor where you want it.

 

[TheBritton]

I love Smart Keyboard Pro. Highly customizable and it does have arrow keys I've been using it for several years now.

 

[tcat007]

Still on Swype, but I agree, the arrow and number rows in Kii are nice. It takes a quick swipe from the "S" key to the right to get both to pop up, which I am getting use to. I did like the shortcuts, but found I can enter almost anything and add it to the dictionary, so it pops up in 2-3 key presses. Still keep getting Kii updates and will likely try it again soon. Something about the size and layout of Swype that just seems to work better with my fingers.

Now I have gone back over to Kii. I found one thing that I really missed that Swype apparently does not have is the shortcut menu. I have programmed in a fairly large list of shortcuts that I use quite a bit and once I realized Swype did not have that capability it was back to Kii for me.

I reset the Kii keyboard size to stock with no padding and I find I make less mistakes, pretty much on par with Swype. Another thing I like in Kii that Swype does not have is a dedicated arrow row. When moving around to fix mistakes I find the arrows much easier than moving the little blue edit tab.

So it's back to Kii for now. But I'll keep my eye on Swype and also SwiftKey Flow. It's about time to give that program a try again!

 

[TimoS]

Changing between keyboards is relatively easy, so I have installed two additional free keyboards. The Hacker's Keyboard by Klaus Weidner and the Kii Keyboard by Kii Dev. For me one problem with the default Samsung keyboard is the lack of cursor keys. Both the additions solve this problem. In my view the former does it a bit more conveniently and nicely than the latter.

The Kii is has more options and is more configurable of the two, with the admittedly understandable one-hour reset trick with the premium features to encourage registering. It also seems that Kii has had much acclaim from the user core. I like its option to change the key size.

Nevertheless, Hacker's Keyboard is my primary alternative keyboard choice. It has no features periodically disabled. I should add though that, at least for the time being, I do not use swiping, so that feature is currently beyond my requirements.

Both the additions have one major disadvantage compared to the Samsung keyboard, the lack of a direct access key to the clipboard. One has to go through the application one happens to be using, which I find more cumbersome and restricting. Or have I missed an option in either of them?

All the best,

 

[Spikey1109]

SwiftKey with ease. The predictions are great, accurate and very responsive, the only negative things I would say would be, is that it's annoying when you have to type a word that it doesn't recognise such as (maybe) a joke you and your friends have. In that situation you would have to type it in, then click it in the suggestion. If you just hit space, it would correct it to what it thinks it is, and since it doesn't recognise the word, it would be wrong. The second and last negative point is when you're typing things such as U.S.A. or N.E.R.D or something similiar (not that I type either or those at all). In that case you would have to type the letter and hit full stop. Then, it would automatically insert a space, which you would have to erase by hitting backspace... it's not a extremely annoying it's just a slight hassle.