Wizard Keyboard

[Guest xspyda]

Just a quick and simple question ...

How many of you are actually finding the keyboard of the Wizard useful? I know it's a QWERTY keyboard but it seems to be very awkwardly laid out to me (if that makes sense).

I am finding that I am using alternative text input as opposed to using the keyboard where at all possible.

Is it just me? After all, the keyboard is one of the main selling points of the Wizard so this kind of defeats the object!

[Guest MitchellO]

I use it for 99% of my text enter. I find it great.

If you don't use it, you should go for something like the new XDA Atom.

[Guest bennish]

i don't know how i managed without it, to be honest. it's just quick as. sure it may seem awkward, but how many ppl looked at t9 and went 'wow how simple!' - it always takes a little time.

[Guest TomaHawk]

I use it for 99% of my text enter. I find it great.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It is awesome for texts and making notes and basically any text input at all.

totally worth having.

i have to watch my self now though cos i have started writing like 300 character texts.

[Guest steve_smith]

I find it great for writing emails :)

If you leave the input mode set to "on screen keyboard" (probably the wrong phrases, but hopefully you know what I mean), it also usefully pop's up a little box containing the word it thinks you're typing. Halfway through a word, a quick cursor down followed by enter, and it'll auto-complete for you.

Like someone else said, I don't know how I used my phone for typing emails before (although I had got pretty profficient at T9 on my C500).

Now I'm getting used to my Vario (over my old C500), I'm beginning to love it. Especially the 40Mb of data T-Mobile give you on web'n'walk :D Most of the issues I have with it now are down to ActiveSync funnies... but I've just installed 4.1 so maybe that'll sort those problems out.

Steve.

[Guest xspyda]

Ok, I am going to TRY and persevere with it and use it more and more. Hopefully, I will get used to it that way.

I am much faster at texting on the C500 and it's extremely tempting to say that I will revert to the C500 for everyday use - but I really do want to get on with the Wizard, so I am trying!

Symbols are tricky - I seem to be getting in tangle when trying to punctuate sentences in emails etc but I am sure it will come ... I hope!

From what yoiu all say, it seems it is just me!

[Guest Peppermint Hippo]

Its not just you! :) I'm struggling with it as well and much prefer using stylus input. I guess i need to practice with it a bit more. As i've said before in other posts, it always nice to have the choice on what way to enter text :D

[Guest stevo_knuckles]

It was probably the main reason why I changed from my m500. I must admit it has taken a bit to get used to but now I'm happily tapping away on it. Still make the odd mistakes as I do have large fingers but it's getting used more and more.

Definitely worth changing for.

Edited November 20, 2005 by stevo_knuckles

[Guest radiator]

I did find the keyboard a bit awkward for the first few txts/emails I sent...I guess it's cos the keys are all parallel with each other (rather than being staggered as they are on a computer keyboard).

Used to it now though - can bash out txts in no time :-)

[Guest xspyda]

Used to it now though - can bash out txts in no time :-)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Faster than you could with T9?

I am getting used to it a little now but it's still faster by 'traditional' methods ... for the moment at least!

[Guest radiator]

Faster than you could with T9?

I am getting used to it a little now but it's still faster by 'traditional' methods ... for the moment at least!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'd say I'm as fast on the keyboard as I am with T9...

[Guest jiffk]

The keyboard is far superior to t9 or stylus ... try typing on the move or in amoving vehical with stylus

you just have to take a little time to get used to it (i've had it for 1/2 a week and now i'm loving it)

symbol input on t9 always took forever (depending on phone) now there all assigned to keys ... much better

[Guest radiator]

One thing I have noticed is that the keyboard backlight can make the keys quite difficult to see in medium light conditions...

In the dark it's fantastic though.

[Guest MitchellO]

Yep, its only good in darkness. I am pretty used to the kb now so its not too hard, but at first in medium light the keyboard was really hard to see.

[Guest adchaffey]

I wasn't too sure on the keyboard before I bought my vario. Thought it was a bit of a waste of space to be honest, but now it's here it's a good feature. In all honesty I don't use it that much, been using the stylus and letter recognition mostly, but I think that's mainly due to the novelty of it! I have used the keyboard a few times and found it pretty good.

[Guest spacemonkey]

The keyboard is absolutely fantastic, I can do most functions on the phone without having to get the stylus out which suits me down to the ground. Best example of how the keyboard is far superior, try using the stylus for ANYTHING while on a bus... it's damn near impossible.

The only slight downside of keyboard compared to t9 is you can't really use it one hand. The other slight niggle for me is the numbers, worst being the O key which is 9, I'm always pressing it when I want 0. Numbers in a fn keypad layout like you have on a laptop would have probably been preferable for me. Also, symbols wise, where's the \

All in all I am totally happy with this device though, it's just small enough to not be a pain and the functionality is fantastic.

[Guest MitchellO]

I use it allllllll the time.

[Guest Rob.P]

Don't know how I'd live without it now, plus it still never fails to impress people (including myself)

[Guest DancingMatt]

The keyboard is absolutely fantastic, I can do most functions on the phone without having to get the stylus out which suits me down to the ground.  Best example of how the keyboard is far superior, try using the stylus for ANYTHING while on a bus... it's damn near impossible.

The only slight downside of keyboard compared to t9 is you can't really use it one hand.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah, I was wondering that. Does anyone find it easier to use one-handed with the keyboard or with the touchscreen? The major reason I never got the Magician was because I couldn't get on with using the touchscreen exclusively for one-handed texting, saving appointments, etc.

For example, can you slide out the keyboard and control the whole device with it and its arrow keys?

[Guest Monolithix [MVP]]

I'm loving the keyboard, i find myself using the slide out mode more then normal (even though i find portrait more "natural" after using Smartphones for so long!), purely because you can control the entire device stylus-free :)

Spacemonkey - to get the \ you need to used the symbol button on the spacebar. Its a bit tricky but ok once you get used to it.

For eg, to get a backslash tap:

- Function blob

- Down arrow

- Function blob

- Symbol (spacebar)

Another tip (edit - already been posted i now see :D) - double tap function blob to stick in function mode, double tap again to come back out (same with shift to stay in caps lock). Watch out though as there is no on-screen indicator you're still in function mode!

Also spacemonkey - which Wizard flavour do you have?

[Guest spacemonkey]

I have the qtek 9100

Thanks for the tip re symbol key, didn't quite know what that one was about, didn't find it in the docs... stylus free operation rocks.

There's a reg hack that makes it show a symbol on the bar at the bottom when you are in shift or symbol mode, :

After creating the registry entry called EnableIndicator at \HKCU\ControlPanel\Keybd and assigning the DWORD value of 1 to it , then soft-resetting my device, an indicator appeared next to the keyboard icon on the bottom of the screen! Tapping the Shift key showed a "C" while tapping the Dot key showed a dot! Very cool!

,Nov 21 2005, 22:04]I'm loving the keyboard, i find myself using the slide out mode more then normal (even though i find portrait more "natural" after using Smartphones for so long!), purely because you can control the entire device stylus-free :)

Spacemonkey - to get the \ you need to used the symbol button on the spacebar.  Its a bit tricky but ok once you get used to it.

For eg, to get a backslash tap:

- Function blob

- Down arrow

- Function blob

- Symbol (spacebar)

Another tip (edit - already been posted i now see :D) - double tap function blob to stick in function mode, double tap again to come back out (same with shift to stay in caps lock).  Watch out though as there is no on-screen indicator you're still in function mode!

Also spacemonkey - which Wizard flavour do you have?

Edited November 22, 2005 by spacemonkey

[Guest adchaffey]

There's a reg hack that makes it show a symbol on the bar at the bottom when you are in shift or symbol mode, I'll edit it into this post when I find it again.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah that would be useful, I can't seem to find it but remember reading it!