Keyboard Fight!
Let’s rumble. You ready tough guy? I’ll start:
SwiftKey for Android is the best soft keyboard of all time. The damn thing predicts the next word you’d otherwise have to type based on statistics baby, statistics, and it gets better the more you use it.
Anyone who disagrees with me on that clearly either doesn’t know what he’s talking about or watched too many Swype commercials with the guy winning a world record for typing some nonsense probably both customized for Swype and to fit snugly into a 30 second TV spot. Look punk, SwiftKey kicks your soft keyboard’s ass to the point of inflicting massive butthurt on both your keyboard and you.
Now if you do disagree, kindly share, if you dare, with me and others reading this what soft keyboard app for any mobile platform is the best and why. Or if you’re a hard keyboard hold-out, try to convince us why it’s worth having a thicker and heavier phone.
Doug Simmons
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About The Author
Doug Simmons
Biographical info.. hmm. I have a history of not being able to strike the balance between what is "safe" to put into these forms and what is, in my mind at least, funny. Can't do it.
If you use a phone more than you use your computer, then a hard keyboard is the best. I used to use my phone more than I used my computer when I had my touch pro 2 but since I got my HD2 typing has been a pain on the keyboard and I use my laptop a lot more now.
I will say this though, I have android on my HD2 too and i feel like the android soft keyboard software is a lot better than what i have on WM. I am not talking about swype but the normal keyboard software. I like the android version better.
I tend to use my phone a lot for email, taking notes, and such. The physical keyboard is just easier on my fat fingers than the on-screen keyboard. I’m willing to carry a slightly thicker phone in order to have the convenience of a physical keyboard until I really find myself using the onscreen keyboard comfortably. So far, that’s been a problem for me.
I like weight. It’s a sign of reliability. And if I lose the argument I can always hit you with it. 🙂
I installed SwiftKey on my wife’s Aria because she complained so much about their soft keyboard. I told her it just takes some getting used, but that didn’t appease her. I admit, the stock keyboard was a little touchy to me also. After installing SwiftKey she likes it much better. It seems like the damn thing can read your mind! Also, I went for the paid version (only 99 cents at the time) because I had heard the free one annoyed the hell out of you to upgrade…
I’m still a big fan of swype — I commented on this when Doug was first asking about the n1.
IIRC we were both die hard physical keyboard holdouts. A GOOD softkey setup will change anyone’s mind on that — at least, 100% of the people I know have changed their minds on it.
I used swiftkey for 3 months, and it was alright. It was the tap style keyboard I’ve ever used, I will give it that. It just didn’t predict that well for me. I guess my txting style is just a little too erratic. To be fair though, it usually alternates between formal business and wtf drunk — that would be hard for any computer to predict. I also found that I typed slowered. I would specifically tap out just the first few letters and then pause to see if it had predicted what I was typing. I find at the end of the message, so to speak, swype just is faster, for me. You won’t hear me telling anyone to not use swiftkey though, it’s a great product, and if it works for you, use it!
personally i find the stock keyboard on the aria to be pretty damn good, the auto correct works damn near every time like really, almost everytime. and the speech to text button on the aria’s keyboard… i love it, if youve got a good signal, that thing is so quick and accurate.. assuming you dont mind talking to your phone in ppublic 🙂 ive also used swype and found it too much, like brian said, i would find myself typing some, then stopping, then typing some more. all this being said… i still would preffer a physical keyboard 🙁