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can anyone tell be if better keyboard is, well, a better keyboard than the stock one, and if you still have the microphone usage for voice typing. thanks.
I bought it from the Market yesterday. I usually used HTC's keyboard with my Magic, but its way pixelated and blurry on N1. Anyway, BK is pretty sweet, it has a lot in common with HTC's stock layout. It is very responsive and absolutely NO LAG. It is the best virtual keyboard experience other than iPhone and Hero (HTC keyboard). It's a good investment of $2.99 if you ask me.
And as far as speech, it's not like on the stock 2.1 keyboard, but there is a clunky speech input in there settings. It's not the greatest, but its there.
Hope that helps,
Cheers
Oh yeah. There's a **** load of free skins on the market. It's awesome.
For some reason, Better Keyboard is not working on my N1. It worked fine on my G1.
Is anyone else experiencing a problem with this app on their G1?
Edit: I'm a donkey, had to long-press and select "input method"
well, I decided to buy it love it, but really miss that nice speach input on the N1. don't know if I can give it up. we'll see I guess.
hurrycaine3000 said:
well, I decided to buy it love it, but really miss that nice speach input on the N1. don't know if I can give it up. we'll see I guess.
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Yeah, if I used the voice input a lot more, I think I'd care more... but I seldomly use it, to be honest.
But I like better keyboard a lot. The skins are nice and I like the compact qwerty layout.
quick question, does the speech input function require an internet connection?
Yes it requires an internet connection, current hand held devices don't have the processing horse power to do voice recognition.
btw Shapewriter = awesome for N1, (swype clone) and it's free! No microphone button however
I know...its probably been around forever dummy...
But I hammer data into this thing like its a laptop....and NO keyboard has done the trick like my Iphone's which is the standard.... Til this baby!
Very happy.
Thank you Smart Keyboard Pro developers.
hi rockky,
i dont think this is the better way for you to talk about keyboard, there were thread about keyboard.. you may continue there... others able to follow up... no need a new thread. thanks
That seems to be about one keyboard in particular.
rockky said:
I know...its probably been around forever dummy...
But I hammer data into this thing like its a laptop....and NO keyboard has done the trick like my Iphone's which is the standard.... Til this baby!
Very happy.
Thank you Smart Keyboard Pro developers.
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Click to collapse
@rocky
........never mind me
whats the difference between this and the stock keyboard?
There's 4 different ones but the Iphone one has spaces surrounding all letters making it way easier to deliniate letters visually and hit them physically.
I'm using Swiftkey alpha limited version.
It predicts your next word rather than correcting it. And you choose one of 3 boxes on top instead of pressing space. So after typing a couple of letters, the word you want is usually up there.
where did you find swiftkey?
/me demands a swiftkey apk.
the default nexus one keyboard does suck monkey rocks.... I've been looking for a keyboard, but I just tried the DESIRE ROM and the HTC keyboard ROCKS! The ROM is just not quite ready for prime time though...
dang swift key is pretty badass
Really wish someone had a swiftkey apk to throw to the great people at xda devs.
PISSANDVINEGAR said:
Really wish someone had a swiftkey apk to throw to the great people at xda devs.
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A quick google for "swiftkey apk" will get you a copy!
Just tried it out and its pretty good!
I also love Smart Keyboard Pro.. I keep switching between SKP, HTC and Swiftkey!
Smart Keyboard has greatly improved its word correction algorithm. It is still not on par with HTC_IME's but I would say it is almost comparable to the stock one. I prefer Smart Keyboard for the multitouch capabilities. I type faster and it just feels more natural. I know the HTC_IME is not multitouch, is Swiftkey? I signed up for the beta trial but as of yet have not received notice.
Swiftkey is hands down the best N1 keyboard.
Lanze said:
Swiftkey is hands down the best N1 keyboard.
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Better then swype??
nenco said:
Better then swype??
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Testing now. I will let you know.
http://uploaded.to/file/dw8l0u
swift key gave me better results than Smart pro.
They both suck ass simply because theyve failed to include a good voice to text icon.
I like smart keyboard a lot, I just wish it had voice to text. I'd assume it's just a simple API call, and you're done, no? Not like you need to code the entire service.
I can type incredibly fast with it, which I cannot do on the stock keyboard. That is enough for me to use it.
Have to say that Smart KB is really great. Works very well with Germany qwertz layout and types better than stock or htc.
I still think Swype is #1 keyboard.
http://www.swypeinc.com/
Since it has become hard to find a good working version of Swype (Legally of course), I've been looking around at other keyboards that are similar to Swype, or even completely different, but are still better then the default keyboard.
When I did use swype, I actually only used the swyping feature 50% of the time, so that believe it or not is a feature I won't really miss too much. The big deal with Swype, and the reason why I still keep swype on my android is the design of the keyboard. I find it much easier to type on it at a fast pace without actually messing up. I always screw up with the default one.
Anyone have any recommendations for swype replacements?
Edit: I want this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6eKm1gUnTE
If you like the keyboard design, you might want to consider using HTC IME mod, you can customize button size and spacing. All in all, the default keyboard is much better than you think, because of the many options.
I still use swype though, it's just too sexy.
OK, so a small update for people in the same boat as me...
I downloaded and tested several new keyboard.
SlideIT, Better Keyboard, Smart Keyboard, and Ultra Keyboard...
IMO Ultra Keyboard is the winner BY FAR! It's pretty cheap, and IMO i like it alot better then swype. It has some amazing features, like camera mode, where it will show the view from your camera while your walking and texting so you dont run into anything, it also has swyping, which works just as well as swype. Tons of other features too!
DeMiNe0 said:
OK, so a small update for people in the same boat as me...
I downloaded and tested several new keyboard.
SlideIT, Better Keyboard, Smart Keyboard, and Ultra Keyboard...
IMO Ultra Keyboard is the winner BY FAR! It's pretty cheap, and IMO i like it alot better then swype. It has some amazing features, like camera mode, where it will show the view from your camera while your walking and texting so you dont run into anything, it also has swyping, which works just as well as swype. Tons of other features too!
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Interesting. I've never heard of Ultra Keyboard. I'll have to check that out.
Sounds interesting, gonna give it a try
Sent from my Behold II using XDA App
Shapewriter.
I've been using ultra keyboard for a few months now. The customization is really second to none. It's built in vocabulary/dictionary is very in depth as well. You're going to have to spend some time fine tuning sensitivity and such. The built in mic and translator is very useful as well.
I am currently using the Droid multi-touch keyboard and it works good for me
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
Ultra Keyboard a monster. I think imma go back and play with it again a little more now that I have my rom and kernel on lock.
That keyboard lets you limit the number of suggestions and you can even move the suggestion bar wherever you want. I even think you can "swype" with it. They did some work with that keyboard. Good buy. That and Smart Keyboard Pro and IME Mod. Those are the keyboards right there.
I'm honestly liking Ultra Keyboard more than Swype right now for a few reasons:
1. Adding and removing words from the dictionary is extremely simple and actually WORKS (I could never remove anything from the Swype dictionary; I swear I told it to delete "wil" 20 times).
2. I don't get a pop-up every 5th word telling me that the word I typed was "hidden" by another word like with the latest Swype beta.
3. Different pop-up menu means I can quickly select the word that I want if it wasn't detected without pressing a button to open the word choices menu.
So far the only thing that Swype has over Ultra is being able to swype from the exclamation point/question mark to the space bar to insert one or the other.
I had the black and red themed swype and it was by far the best keyboard I've ever used. It even seemed to swype better than the beta. I'm currently using swype. A friend logged into his gmail on my phone and got me the latest version. I feel for you though, when I lost my b/r swype I quit typing all together for a week, nothing can compare.
Sent from my Evo using XDA App
willy900wonka said:
Shapewriter.
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I have to second this. I have had swype for a while and gave shape writer a shot since the newer version of swype wasn't as good as the old. I'll tell you what I like far and away more than swype with one exception. I haven't figured out how to type a _ Small price to pay for a much better experience.
mgene63 said:
I have to second this. I have had swype for a while and gave shape writer a shot since the newer version of swype wasn't as good as the old. I'll tell you what I like far and away more than swype with one exception. I haven't figured out how to type a _ Small price to pay for a much better experience.
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I remember that when using Shapewriter! It's like they just totally forgot about the underscore.
mgene63 said:
I have to second this. I have had swype for a while and gave shape writer a shot since the newer version of swype wasn't as good as the old. I'll tell you what I like far and away more than swype with one exception. I haven't figured out how to type a _ Small price to pay for a much better experience.
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Press the "@" and it is there in the suggestion bar. I had to search for a bit myself. But I agree with oyu. I've used SWYPE and find Shapewriter to be much better.
i liked shapewriter. havn't been able to get it to work right since they sold.
swype is nice, but they seem to be playing some kinda stoopid game. either put the app on the market for us or retract it and sell it to a manufacturer or provider.
thank you for the heads up on UltraKeyboard. i look forward to trying it out. the idea of the camera-view is a nice idea.
DeMiNe0 said:
OK, so a small update for people in the same boat as me...
I downloaded and tested several new keyboard.
SlideIT, Better Keyboard, Smart Keyboard, and Ultra Keyboard...
IMO Ultra Keyboard is the winner BY FAR! It's pretty cheap, and IMO i like it alot better then swype. It has some amazing features, like camera mode, where it will show the view from your camera while your walking and texting so you dont run into anything, it also has swyping, which works just as well as swype. Tons of other features too!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dude, thanks for this. Just downloaded Ultra Keyboard and I love it! I was down in the "Swype-beta-expired blues" and now I'm up and rockin' again .
definitely like ultra keyboard better than swype thus far. any good tips for ultra keyboard?
I have a love-hate relationship with swype. I love to use it, but only when it works. I am in th beta program, but unfortunately the software decides to stop working all the time, and the only remedy is to switch to the stock keyboard (which is a great keyboard... until you try swype, which makes it seem like an archaic means of typing) and switch back to swype. This is extremely annoying, the newest beta is riddled with problems like this (including bugs and issues with dictionary words). I'm going to try ultra keyboard, see how that fares for me. Maybe I'll go back to swype when a new update comes out.
ultrakeyboard is nice. it'd be helpful if they allowed a 3 or 5 days to muss with it. so many options!
Ultra Keyboard for sure! I have also used it for several months. I liked Swype but didn't like that it doens't have a microphone. The microphone for Ultra is soooo good - it gives you severla options for what you said in case it "captured" it wrong (which it rarely does). Plus it is fully customizable.
Ultra + Handcent = daBomb!
have nexus s with modaco r2 at the mo but will be switching to cm7 once more stable. but was wondering what is the best non stock keyboard to use? as find that the stock is not as responsive as one on my nexus 1
stevo1006 said:
have nexus s with modaco r2 at the mo but will be switching to cm7 once more stable. but was wondering what is the best non stock keyboard to use? as find that the stock is not as responsive as one on my nexus 1
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you are crazy to think that the stock Gingerbread keyboard isnt as responsive *glare*
the HTC keyboard is pretty good, and if you can get into the beta, the swype keyboard is great too
This. The stock keyboard is amazing.
slowz3r said:
you are crazy to think that the stock Gingerbread keyboard isnt as responsive *glare*
the HTC keyboard is pretty good, and if you can get into the beta, the swype keyboard is great too
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Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
tominater12 said:
This. The stock keyboard is amazing.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
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I'm also very happy with the stock GingerBread keyboard, and ease of language change
it's not as smooth as SWYPE, for fast typing, but i could get used to it
SWYPE is much more natural, but changing language is not so easy as the GB stock keyboard
Im using the Swiftkey one more and more now. Used Swype but it didnt really do it for me. The stock gingerbread keyboard is quite nice but the keys are too tiny ( I dont even have big fingers)
Using Swype here, as I had gotten used to it on the Epic (when I had it), and love it!
KidCold said:
Im using the Swiftkey one more and more now. Used Swype but it didnt really do it for me. The stock gingerbread keyboard is quite nice but the keys are too tiny ( I dont even have big fingers)
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just flip the phone horizontally (that's what i do)
yes i find it tiny as well, that is why it's a bit tricky to type fast
but with SWYPE, i don't need to flip the phone, i was able to type real fast even when the phone is in vertical portrait mode
I have to say, the keyboard and typing is one of the few sore spots I have for the Android experience. While the new stock keyboard is much improved over previous iterations, it can still be a bit slow and unresponsive, often missing certain presses; and its auto-correction just isn't as clever as it should be. Another issue I have, particularly with the Nexus S, is that other times, the screen is too sensitive, it seems. Has anyone tried this yet: you can hover your finger slightly off the screen, and it'll register as a press. This might be contributing to hitting wrong keys and spelling errors when my thumbs glaze over the keyboard while typing fast. It's very frustrating. The biggest culprit of this problem seems to occur when I'm trying to type "I'm"... it almost always results in "km" instead. Other examples are when letters get registered twice, like tthis or like thiss. However, it's prone to missing space bar presses, resulting too often in words likethis.
Unfortunately, Google decided to not provide any customizable dictionary or custom auto-correct features. This is baffling to me and where Google's attempt to copy the Apple keyboard goes too far. Speaking of Apple, I say this without any intention of starting immature flame wars, but the iPhone - and even the iPod touch - keyboards are far more smooth, responsive, and reliable. Anyone who has typed extensively on both platforms will know what I mean. I can type with utmost confidence on an iPhone (that's not to say it's perfect). I cannot say I type confidently with my Nexus. And forget about including sound or haptic feedback; these things seem to slow the typing experience down, where it'll miss even more key presses.
Everyone's typing methods and speeds are different, so everyone will have different typing experiences, but for me, it continues to be a sore spot. Which leads me to my next question: when is Blindtype going to be implemented? Anyone heard any new news on it?
Anyway, to answer the OP's question: I am currently trialing Swiftkey. It can be impressive at times, and it's often very intuitive, but I find it's actually slower than typing out on a regular keyboard because I'm too busy making sure it chooses the right words. Then again, it might still be "learning." We'll see when the 31-day trial is over.
Prior to this, I was using Smart Keyboard Pro, which isn't as responsive and quick as stock Android, but it has tons of customizable features which make up for it (for example, I can custom the auto-correction to always change "km" to "I'm"). This is what I'll go back to if I pass on purchasing Swiftkey.
PS. I have Swype as well, and it's fun, but not practical in my opinion.
The best keyboard for me is NO KEYBOARD. For short stuff, like text or emails or a short forum message, you really should give voice input a go for a few days and see how much easier it is than anything else.
Swiftkey my favorite keyboard at the moment, but another fine one and my primary keyboard before I heard of SwiftKey is Better Keyboard (not sure there's a free trial on it), but there's a free public beta going on right now.
I started a poll on sms preference, but I wanted to start one on keyboard too. I personally use Swift Key x. I've tried the other ones (mainly swype style key boards) and I just realize at the end of the day, I can type faster with two thumbs than dragging one. What keyboard do you guys use and what theme?
EDIT:
I use AOSP when CM7 comes out. At the end that one is my favorite.
I tried a bunch of different keyboards before settling on Smart Keyboard Pro. I just wanted a simple keyboard (no swiping, fancy predictive text that tries to guess what I'm typing, etc.) that could be themed and remove the period. That damn period was bugging me and Smart Keyboard had the option to remove it. I also like the Honeycomb theme I'm using for it.
At the moment i use SwiftKey X and i'm happy with it so far.
I use the stock one and have never tried another one. Now that I wanna try something different, I will wait a little bit to see the result of this poll.
I like the way swift key auto corrects, it does it well. Something about smart keyboard pro annoyed me. I can't remember what. I think it was something about typing smilies
Swift Key X all day in the blue neon look. Excellent sizing to the keys, great look, and great features such as the fact that if you use spacebar to automatically fill out the predicted word and then want to put punctuation, it will automatically put that punctuation up against the last word even though the cursor was spaced out one space past the last word (that was probably confusing lol).
Thumb Keyboard
Thumb Keyboard rocks! I have tried several keyboards and by far this one is the best. Granted, no swipe, but then again I'm not a big fan of the swype (I have put in the effort and am still faster with a standard qwerty). After I loaded the free version of this keyboard and trying it, I was instantly sold. It is SO easy to get used to, and the portrait mode is a one hand wonder!
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.beansoft.keyboardplus&feature=search_result
I've used SwiftKey X since the first beta... I love it.
Sent from my HTC-Z710a using XDA App
Swift key x for now I liked the stock sense keyboard but my rom erased it
You're right I love smart keyboard pro. It's like soap keyboard but just a Tad more customizeable
phalanx said:
Thumb Keyboard rocks! I have tried several keyboards and by far this one is the best. Granted, no swipe, but then again I'm not a big fan of the swype (I have put in the effort and am still faster with a standard qwerty). After I loaded the free version of this keyboard and trying it, I was instantly sold. It is SO easy to get used to, and the portrait mode is a one hand wonder!
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.beansoft.keyboardplus&feature=search_result
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Absolutely thumb keyboard is the best if you have issues with hitting the "." Button when trying to hit the spacebar, on the stock keyboard and basically every other market keyboard the spacebar is way to small, I miss my genuine swype, but nothing else compares to thumb keyboard with the blue nuance theme....
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using XDA Premium App
Stock keypad works more than fine for me...
phalanx said:
Thumb Keyboard rocks! I have tried several keyboards and by far this one is the best. Granted, no swipe, but then again I'm not a big fan of the swype (I have put in the effort and am still faster with a standard qwerty). After I loaded the free version of this keyboard and trying it, I was instantly sold. It is SO easy to get used to, and the portrait mode is a one hand wonder!
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.beansoft.keyboardplus&feature=search_result
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That actually looks very interesting. I missed this one, gonna give it a shot now.
I used better keyboard since my original mytouch 3g and it worked great for me. But I have to say that since I downloaded the Swype beta keyboard from www.swype.com I have fallen in love with it. This keyboard is not just quick and easy to use but it is also 100% FREE! I honestly feel that if you give this keyboard a try for a week that you will not new disappointed.
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G rocking Coredroid v2.1
I'm happy with stock Sense keyboard. I like the auto-complete of things like gmail etc...
I like Hacker's keyboard. I type fast in them and their interface is cool.
Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e using Tapatalk
I haven't used the stock since the update, but before the update the stock keyboard was absolute schite.
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G rocking Coredroid v2.1
Ive gotten so used to multitouch and the speed of gingerbread keyboard and i cant use any other keyboard without getting frustrated with how slow they are
the_scotsman said:
I'm happy with stock Sense keyboard. I like the auto-complete of things like gmail etc...
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Swype does that as well, Also, why is SWYPE Beta not a choice in the poll? That's what I use and it's RAD
Swype beta I was including as swype.