P800 doesn't have T9

[Guest Bazz]

The P800 doesn't have T9!

Read in a couple of reviews that it doesn't. Unforgiveable in my opinion - even if it does have hand writing recognition.

Also don't like the idea of a stylus - if I want one I'll buy a PDA. Phones shouldn't need one.

It also looks clunky in my opinion.

All in all I don't think it's gonna be the wonder phone that's gonna kick the SPV's butt as every said my the SPV was first launched.

Need to wait until it comes out but I think I'm gonna prefer the SPV. Of course I could be ever so slightly biased...

Let the fight begin!

Barry

[Guest Funkyberry]

Hi there...

I seem to remember that when I told my friends that the Orange SPV used a Microsoft operating system, I got the same reaction as people are giving to the news that Ericsson aren't putting T9 onto the P800...

This infact makes quite a lot of sense. To use the T9, you will have to put the flip up, and enter using the keypad - that or using the on screen keyboard/keypad which you can prod with the stylus. But lets just remember that when you put up the flip, or use the onscreen keyboard/keypad, you shrink down the available screen.

With the P800, you get handwriting recognition.. This means the whole screen is able to be used, and rather than just prodding at keys, people can practice the long lost art of forming letters with the use of a writing impliment.

Pants you may say, well I wasn't quite sure how fast it was until I saw this video: http://www.esato.com/reviews/p800pictures/sms.wmv

There it looks very fast!

I think you'll find, that after a few months of use, T9 will look quite slow compared to entering data as fast as you can write, without loosing any of the screen to a keyboard or keypad.

-funkyberry-

[Guest Thruk]

...but some of us have been using T9 for years. Well, a couple of years at least.

What else are your thumbs for? (I still haven't got my Palm V up to recognising my flavour of palmwriting...)

[Guest ajb3000]

I have to say that not having T9 does make me think I did the right thing in getting my SPV. T9 is almost a requirement for mobile phones these days, and somepeople (like me) would much prefer to use a keypad then handwriting recognition. Plus the fact that using the keys is far more conveniant, and easier than getting the pen out and writing what you want to say.

[Guest Bazz]

Yeah it does look very fast, but still not convinced. I use to have a Handspring PDA and found the hand recognition cool at first (hadn't seen it before), but after a while I got bored of it and pined for a keyboard.

I still prefer at least the option of using a keyboard. I just plain don't like the idea of a stylus on a phone...

Barry

[Guest spacemonkey]

It's a presonal preference issue really... But I think realistically if they had included T9 then most uses would still not use it as I imagine using the keys on the flip for a lot of key wouldn't be fun... I don't thing you're gonna get the responsiveness you'd like from a normal keypad from the flip.

At the end of the day yes they could have included it so that you at least had the option, but it's a licensed technology so not without cost.

Really the P800 is a product aimed at the same market as goes for the full Pocket PC with phone attached, or Palm OS with phone attached type devices and they've repackaged that to make it more phone like. But it's big and it's a PDA. Personally I'm happy with the SPV but I know a number of people who would much prefer a device like the P800.