Swype sucks.

[Adamx]

I don't really know how people use it. I watched all the youtube vids of people who are supposedly completely noobs to the IDEA of swiping, and how they pick it up and type fast, and it's so far from reality it's not even funny.

I find that when I have to hold my finger down, a lot of the keyboard is obscured. There's no screen calibration that just adjusts the entire touch screen, and mine seems inaccurate. I don't know why there isn't calibration, so we can possibly blame that to a small degree, but typing works much better in any case.

What happens is I put my finger down on the right key, but if I have to move down or down-left or right, it's hard to see what I'm going for. And in portrait the keys are somewhat thin, so stopping on the right key is something that requires care, which requires a massive speed reduction.

I found the prediction useless and inaccurate, and avoided it whenever possible.

But by far the thing that prevents me from adopting it was going the wrong direction and it ruining a word. When single finger hunting, I don't instinctively know what direction to go. Attempts to go anywhere near as fast as my dual thumbs landscape can go simply resulted in complete system failure.

If someone is fed a sentence where the prediction is known to fill in half of the letters for them, and there are no proper nouns, they might go a decent speed, but I am very doubtful that during practical typing it is anywhere near as fast as landscape two thumb typing.

But for all that like it great, but if I want anything more than just expressing my opinion, it might be an end to the unwarranted hype behind the swype. It sort of turns typing into a minigame and it's creative, but it's likely not the fastest (guiness != fact, it's entertainment guys).

 

[8-Bit-Soldier]

I have to agree on this. I couldn't ever get the hang of it.

 

[nightfishing]

The key (for me at least) to take advantage of swype is to stop trying to be "accurate" with your swiping and concentrate on rhythm and speed. If you let it do it's thing, the predictive text is very good. If you try to look at the keys and hit them with your finger it will slow you down (and/or drive you nuts).

 

[(G)]

The other thing is, if you know the keyboard well (from typing) you'll instinctively know which direction to head towards. If you're a hunt-and-pecker (no offense ) it'll be much harder to get the hang of it.

 

[Squiggy]

I prefer Swype to typing single letters, although I admit it took some practice. To say it sucks seems to be your way of saying you're not familiar enough with a keyboard to make Swype work efficiently for you. No big deal.

It actually does not suck. It's very anti-suck as a matter of fact

 

[MJM128]

Swype isn't a keyboard for people that don't know...well...their keyboard. If the location of the keys aren't second nature for you, then swype probably isn't for you.

 

[trigger]

The other day I sent out a few texts while I was on my bike, one handed, and barely looking at the screen. Granted, not super safe(I was all alone on a bike path so I wasn't endangering any one but myself).

The point being that once you know your keyboard layout, you really barley need to look at the screen once you start with a reference point. And I agree that you have to stop worrying about being accurate, as long as you're close it knows what you're swyping.

Swype doesn't suck.

 

[jimdroid]

Swype user sets Guinness World Record for texting speed

 

[Ngo93]

If you knew the keyboard a little bit better then I bet you'd change your mind completely

 

[marcelob]

Swype isn't a keyboard for people that don't know...well...their keyboard. If the location of the keys aren't second nature for you, then swype probably isn't for you.

This.

I've been using Swype for only 3 days or so and I'm already LOVING it. I have no issues that the OP experienced because I am very familiar with the key layout, not to mention you don't have to be perfect when it comes to "landing" on the key you want.

With practice makes perfect, and Swype requires some practice for sure (just like first using a mouse, or using an Xbox controller, etc)

 

[sunthas]

I installed, then removed it. I find typing with thumbs in qwerty landscape or XT9 for portrait to be faster. What I really want is new keyboard layouts that optimize rather than slow you down. XT9 is nice due to multiple characters on one key.

 

[excpro]

i took 1 hour to master this! ahaha its great actually..but just need some getting used to. all the best in using it

 

[hrbib21]

I prefer Swype to typing single letters, although I admit it took some practice. To say it sucks seems to be your way of saying you're not familiar enough with a keyboard to make Swype work efficiently for you. No big deal.

It actually does not suck. It's very anti-suck as a matter of fact

Subjective response. I also think it sucks and I used it quite extensively, weeks actually, before I deleted it. Honestly, who isn't "familiar enough with a keyboard" nowadays? Maybe someone's grandfather but that's about it.

Swype actually works just fine for me, I just simply don't like it. User preference is all that matters.

 

[Squiggy]

Subjective response..

...which is what started the thread. There can be nothing but subjective responses, right? Different key strokes for different folks.

 

[Ngo93]

Honestly, who isn't "familiar enough with a keyboard" nowadays? Maybe someone's grandfather but that's about it.

well apparently the OP

 

[Rubik76]

SLANDEROUS!!!

Hey, different strokes for different folks. Last I heard, people were still buying iPhones too. It almost sounds like my personal opinion shouldn't determine everyone else's decisions all by itself. That's just messed up!

 

[jeffdlb]

What I really want is new keyboard layouts that optimize rather than slow you down.

Fitaly for Android would be nice.
The Fitaly One-Finger Keyboard

 

[Adamx]

well apparently the OP

I can actually type absurdly fast on a regular kb.

 

[Ngo93]

I can actually type absurdly fast on a regular kb.

Hm, that's weird. You should be doing just fine on Swype. Oh well, to each his own I guess.

 

[kayst]

I'm actually a pretty fast touch typist but am having a little trouble going the right direction too. I think it's because when normal typing, I'm not having to think about where the letters are - my fingers just know - sense memory. In fact, I'm not even really spelling out the letters in my head - the words just seem to flow out.

My index finger however, really only knows where the j key is, so when swyping I have to think about each letter, spell out the word letter-by-letter in my head, and think about where each one is on the keyboard, and it slows me down.

 

[paimon.soror]

I have been using swype for a few days now, and I am very familiar with the layout of the keyboard but it still took my brain a few to get adjusted to using one finger to glide across the whole keyboard. A few days later and I am absolutely loving it. Sometimes i find myself going word by word just to ensure that i get the right words out depending on who i am talking to, but either way it is far more efficient and faster than picking for me

 

[carperkm]

I'm sure if you give it a few days and an open mind you'll get used to it. I realised how good this can be when I had to tyoe the word 'wherever'. Give it a go and you might agree. My advice would be to stop trying to be too accurate after you've hit the right starting letter. Also think about this, who'd have thought that millions of people would ever be able to master the usual mobile phone system, ie for a, b or c press 2, for d, e or f press 3...You'd have been laughed out of the boardroom for suggesting that once upon a time.

 

[MisterMixelpix]

I'm a touch typer (about 115wpm at a clip when I get going), and I don't like Swype in the slightest. So knowing the keyboard really isn't a factor.

 

[tonyb81]

I can actually type absurdly fast on a regular kb.

If that's the case, no offense, your problem with swype is most likely user error. I don't understand how someone can type "absurdly fast" but have a problem finding words when typing with one finger *in your words* When single finger hunting, I don't instinctively know what direction to go.

 

[|mpulse]

I've been using Swype for about two weeks now and have two funny stories regarding it...

1. My friend was having issues with his iPhone and he handed it over to me to troubleshoot... I shit you not, I felt extremely handy capped having to use the iPhone's keyboard, like just the entire thought of using that keyboard drove me crazy!

2. I was eating lunch yesterday with one hand and needed to type something up on my laptop with the other... All I kept visualizing was the Swype keyboard on my laptop and was bummed I had to (slowly) type things out the old school way.

I seriously love Swype. For those of you that are finding it difficult but also don't like the stock keyboard I recommend you check out the Sense UI's HTC keyboard, I really liked that one for the short time I used it.