Is Swype still available? Anyone try Ultra Keyboard?

[wayrad]

I became sufficiently annoyed with the Swype disable/reenable ritual every morning (and by the fact that our ultimate reward will apparently be to eventually have to purchase a new phone to get the final version) to start looking at other apps. Didn't care for SlideIt somehow, liked Shapewriter a bit better, but UltraKeyboard looks like the one I'll be sticking with. It took a while to configure it but once I did, I think it worked as well for me as Swype did. In particular, I had to shorten the time required for double letters to be recognized by quite a bit. Now it seems to respond to the same motion used for Swype; it keeps my finger on the key just long enough.

 

[CatB]

PIM? Don't get me started (I'm in another thread on the lack of good calendar/contacts/tasks in android). Pocket Informant was great on my Dell x51v, and is supposed to be out soon for android, but it will not be free (or even cheap).

yeah, I miss PI,too! Android version not coming out until end of 2010, I think.

No, not cheap, but worth every penny! That app can do anything...nothing short of amazing!

 

[CatB]

Well. That method for multiple letters is not intuitive nor is it fast. With SWYPE one simply goes over the letter multiple times and then you have it. Also in Ultra the apostrophe is very annoying. I like how SWYPE just has it as another key on the keyboard. All you have to do is swipe past it.

I also don't like the dialog for the suggested words. It gets in my way. With SWYPE you can set the time that it takes to select the first word. I have it set to 0.

Does anyone know where the underscore is (_) in Ultra? I can't seem to find it!

 

[wayrad]

Does anyone know where the underscore is (_) in Ultra? I can't seem to find it!

Long press on the "z" key.

 

[CatB]

Long press on the "z" key.

Nope, just the "@" comes up when I long press the "z" key.

 

[wayrad]

Nope, just the "@" comes up when I long press the "z" key.

On the Ultra version I'm using, the @ character is on the S key. Do you have "show secondary characters" enabled in Settings/Keys?

 

[Deleted User]

Been using swype since about April but installed Ultra and so far really like it as a swype alternative.

 

[toddski]

Well. That method for multiple letters is not intuitive nor is it fast. With SWYPE one simply goes over the letter multiple times and then you have it. Also in Ultra the apostrophe is very annoying. I like how SWYPE just has it as another key on the keyboard. All you have to do is swipe past it.

I also don't like the dialog for the suggested words. It gets in my way. With SWYPE you can set the time that it takes to select the first word. I have it set to 0.

If you really wanted to have apostrophe on it's own key then you can just use the full keyboard rather than the compact QWERTY. You could also do the swypeing over the same key this way. Failing that you can change how long you need to hold over a key for it to accept multiple letters (in milliseconds).
As for the second point, I suppose you could ask for it to be a feature, although I can't say it bothers me that much.

In general the suggestions do need to be improved, I'm pretty sure he is working on that as well as better speech-to-text.

Oh well, to each their own. All I know is I've used multiple paid/free keyboards and I'm happy with ultra keyboard

 

[CatB]

On the Ultra version I'm using, the @ character is on the S key. Do you have "show secondary characters" enabled in Settings/Keys?

Yes, under Settings> Keys, Secondary Characters is checked.

On my "S" key, there is the "?" character. Why would they be different?

 

[wayrad]

Yes, under Settings> Keys, Secondary Characters is checked.

On my "S" key, there is the "?" character. Why would they be different?

Wow, that's weird! I'm using the full keyboard, stock skin, and I haven't changed the language settings which I think default to English. Maybe your setup is different? I am running the full version now, but it seems to be the same as the trial version I had when I posted yesterday. Oh, and I've got a rooted Incredible on 2.2.

 

[CatB]

Wow, that's weird! I'm using the full keyboard, stock skin, and I haven't changed the language settings which I think default to English. Maybe your setup is different? I am running the full version now, but it seems to be the same as the trial version I had when I posted yesterday. Oh, and I've got a rooted Incredible on 2.2.

Well, as far as i know, I am using the full version (had the trial then bought the full). I am using an Incredible also, running 2.2, not rooted though.

I did email the developer..hoping I will get a reply back.

 

[wayrad]

Well, as far as i know, I am using the full version (had the trial then bought the full). I am using an Incredible also, running 2.2, not rooted though.

I did email the developer..hoping I will get a reply back.

I think you must be using the compact keyboard - mine has the @ symbol on the ZX key and the ? symbol on the AS key. There is indeed no underscore character on the compact keyboard.

 

[yvonnecoleman]

Are you from "Six"burg?? (Pittsburgh) Looks like you're a steelers fan.

 

[CatB]

I think you must be using the compact keyboard - mine has the @ symbol on the ZX key and the ? symbol on the AS key. There is indeed no underscore character on the compact keyboard.

Bingo! That is it. I think the compact keyboard is much more user-friendly, easier on the eyes. So, guess if i need to do an underscore, I can flip to landscape mode long enough to bring up the full keyboard and key it in.

Oh well...

 

[buffettgirl]

dunno. I just can't seem to make ultra understand what I'm typing. I find I waste more time correcting what has been inserted. I did not have that trouble with swype.

 

[sookster54]

I like Swype, worked great on the Moto Quench and I may buy it when it's officially released. For now I like Smart Keyboard pro and I've been playing with SlideIT which is similar to Swype in a way and has potential.

 

[CXXV]

SlideIT is nice. However, it has some recognition problems. I slide w o n t and it brings up w r o n g....

There doesn't seem to be a way to force an apostrophe. This appears to be the biggest issue with all these SWYPE competitors.

 

[MisterMixelpix]

Hm. Testing Ultra out. It ain't bad so far...

 

[Davian]

Does anyone know where the underscore is (_) in Ultra? I can't seem to find it!

for the compact keyboard layout, press [?123] > [ALT]

Same for the landscape layout, but it's also on the [z] key.

--

+ 1 for the Ultra keyboard. The compact keyboard layouts are too cramped for the others, much like an iph*ne.

It was also quick and easy to change the colour scheme to white on black for high contrast and power savings on the SAMOLED display.

Swype is nice but it seems slow (or I am slower using it) in comparison. Instead of predicting it constantly says 'did you mean...?" Either I can't spell or I can't see the keys behind my big fingers.

Ultra is also very similar to Touchpal, my favourite WinMo kb.

 

[MisterMixelpix]

UK has a few problems:

1) I heavily dislike the "compacted" keyboard. Hate it with a passion. Spatially it's barely any different, but it creates lots of confusion.

2) The method to select multiple letters sucks. Holding < looping

3) I miss the "swype" button.

 

[RazzleFnDazzle]

Ultra keyboard has amazing options but I used swype beta (the new beta version if swype doesn't work for reason despite having a value account) and I need the swype Like functionality. I found ultra keyboard in this mode to fail horribly at getting the correct word fot me. slide it was really accurate though. So despite I like ultra's setup way better I feel it lacks typing capabilities for me personally.

 

[wayrad]

Holding < looping

Looping works great for me on UK if the loop isn't huge and the time required to recognize it is set low enough. I honestly doubt whether Swype is really doing anything different except for presetting the time to suit most people using the "loop" method.

 

[MisterMixelpix]

That's what I mean. The loop motion is great. Uk's hold takes too long.

 

[Oditius]

I am seriously thinking of going back to my Touch Pro 2. At least I have a working version of Swype. If I can't find a way to get Swype, then back to WinMobile I will go. I have emailed them, and whatever link I clicked on, but I don't get answers. I know there is a swype for android because my friends Samsung Epic has it on her phone and that is the way it came out of the box. I like the android, but I had to give up Pocket Quicken and now Swype.

 

[CatB]

I am seriously thinking of going back to my Touch Pro 2. At least I have a working version of Swype. If I can't find a way to get Swype, then back to WinMobile I will go. I have emailed them, and whatever link I clicked on, but I don't get answers. I know there is a swype for android because my friends Samsung Epic has it on her phone and that is the way it came out of the box. I like the android, but I had to give up Pocket Quicken and now Swype.

REALLY??????? I had a Touch Pro 2 right before this and I am now laughing that I was ever impressed by that thing! You would take 100 steps back just because of one or two programs?

I have never used Swype but honestly, until the next Beta comes out, Ultra Keyboard won't suffice?

I would go back to the stock keyboard before I ever went back to a TP2!