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Typing in portrait VS landscape mode.

vincentp

Android Expert
Nov 11, 2009
1,640
59
Rochester, NY
I discovered something unusual today.

I've been using a lot of the physical keyboard, especially for long winded texts and e-mails. I have tried and tried to get used to the landscape on-screen keyboard to no avail. I've tried Better Keyboard (and yes, it's better), and the HTC keyboard (that unfortunately doesn't fill the screen). They both have their benefits, but I cannot accurately and consistently type out a message on any of them.

My problems:
If I type too fast, half of the letters don't register. I've tried pressing harder, using a lighter touch, neither had any affect. I can't get used to the position I need to have my thumb in to actually register clicking certain letters on the keyboard. I always think I've got it, but then I look up at what I just typed (I find myself staring at the keys I'm pressing to make sure they're the right ones) and it is complete gibberish.

Where I'm going with this, anyways, is the portrait keyboard. I used it a few times today just out of laziness, I didn't feel like turning the screen or opening up the device to use the physical. I noticed something unusual; I don't make the same mistakes on this tiny little keyboard, and I can actually type relatively quickly. My sentences weren't coming out meaningless, and I wasn't seeing unregistered presses.

So my question to you is this - has anybody else noticed similar problems? I don't really think it's a fault of the phone. I think I'm just not used to on-screen keyboards (never used one before) and thus cannot type well on it. I'm hoping that - at some point - a multi-touch enabled keyboard comes out, because I feel like some of my problems are due to hitting two keys in rapid succession, and having one or both not register. Until then, I will continue to practice with it, but I just can't figure out why I can type on the tiny portrait keyboard and not on the full landscape version.
 
i had trouble at first too. for the life of me, i just could not type properly on that touch keyboard, landscape or portrait. i didn't come from a BB. and i never really used an iphone for typing so maybe i had to get used to it, i thought. i think the problem is that its not multi-touch and therefore has a problem registering keys if you type too fast. the few times i typed on the iphone it was very accurate and easy. i tried so many times on the droid, even typing a simple short message took longer than i would like. however, after the update to 2.0.1., i no longer have any problems with it. its so easy and the key presses register much faster and more accurate than before.
 
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