Anyone trying the 8pen keyboard? (now FREE) - Android Apps and Games

New keyboard at: http://www.the8pen.com/index.html
I'm a keyboard geek, so I'll be trying it for a couple of weeks to see how it feels. If nothing else, looks kind of fun, but I have to say that my original hunch is that the learning curve is just too high for most people. The big question is how speedy an expert can be on the keyboard.
I've also written a couple notes to the team (no reply yet) with some early thoughts.
My biggest problem is the layout. I agree that a strictly alphabetical one wouldn't make most sense, but their layout seems ... well, I sure can't see the logic behind it. I've asked that how hard it would be to program it so we could make our own layouts (and for fun I made one that makes a lot more sense to me).
So anyone giving this a shot? After one day of use, it's slow going, but the delay is figuring out where letters are. If you know where the letters are (like I tried to type "This is a test" a bunch of times in a row) then it seems this can be a very speedy input method. Very much reminds me of shorthand or cursive writing on a keyboard!

Installed and uninstalled, I couldn't get through the tutorial without problems...
but maybe i'm just 'slow'

I wanna try it... but I dont want to spend a dollar on it if I dont like it... The DEV should have put a trial version on the market first...

w00tn3ss said:
I wanna try it... but I dont want to spend a dollar on it if I dont like it... The DEV should have put a trial version on the market first...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can uninstall it and get a refund within 24 hours...
I tried it, hated it... uninstalled it

For the haters - I'm curious as to what you didn't like. Was it the learning curve? One look at a screen grab would confirm to me to expect to put in at least 2 weeks or regular use to get a feel for the keyboard.
I'm not sold on it yet, but I feel that 1 day isn't enough to pass or fail it. I'd still really like to see an expert with a couple months practice go at it (ie, if the experienced person isn't very fast then don't bother trying to learn).
App kinda reminds me of MessageEase - might be good but the learning curve is just so bad - you have to tough it out for a while to see if the payoff is worth it.
Oh - if the letters were in a different location would it matter to you?

polstein said:
For the haters - I'm curious as to what you didn't like. Was it the learning curve? One look at a screen grab would confirm to me to expect to put in at least 2 weeks or regular use to get a feel for the keyboard.
I'm not sold on it yet, but I feel that 1 day isn't enough to pass or fail it. I'd still really like to see an expert with a couple months practice go at it (ie, if the experienced person isn't very fast then don't bother trying to learn).
App kinda reminds me of MessageEase - might be good but the learning curve is just so bad - you have to tough it out for a while to see if the payoff is worth it.
Oh - if the letters were in a different location would it matter to you?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just couldnt be bothered to learn where the letters were and I felt like the program did not like waiting around for me to locate them... this is just like swype really but with swype you dont have to learn where the letters are...

yeah its pretty weird and difficult prefer swype or shape writer

Interesting, but I note they have no real user typing in the demo....

looks weird hahaha i dont even wanna try it

Its kinda hard because you need to memorize all the letters position. After that it can be really good. You wont need to look at the phone as we now must do.
I didn't try it for very long but the idea seams good. Will be hard to make it work because its so different from keyboard :\
Also, it needs other languages integration or i wont be able to use it as good as it is supposed. Because the letters aren't at the "perfect" position for Portuguese and because it also has a dictionary that is not working since it doesnt have portuguese.
If you can get used to it you probably wont be able to return to a regular keyboard :\
this just my opinion

8Pen usage
So going on about hour 4 of having 8Pen on the fascinate and so far my biggest complaint is my finger sticks on the screen during long words.
All in all the letter layout is growing on me the more I learn it the faster I have been able to go. I did increase the diameter of the center circle\starting point and it actually increased my speed.
I wish I could move the backspace to the right side but overall the button layout works pretty well for me. It definitely has a learning curve, practicing certain words I am as fast as swype. Just like with swype i have found errors with long words or typos. The predictive text is not as as good but that is something I may have to tweak in the settings (of which there are a lot). I am going to continue to use it at least for a few more days.
With my thumb I can actually type (albeit slower) without looking for some letters now which means one handed usage is possible.

cool idea, but i think you need to memorize all the letters in the 4 sectors. that's will take some time for people to get use to

Don't condone warez on xda

It's a dollar. Jeez.
As for the app itself, I could see this being a great boon for people who want to be able to type without staring at the keyboard. It appears intended for no-look typing, since the only actual spatial abilities you need are to hit the center area and move in 45/90/270/360 degree angles.

kr8r said:
So going on about hour 4 of having 8Pen on the fascinate and so far my biggest complaint is my finger sticks on the screen during long words.
All in all the letter layout is growing on me the more I learn it the faster I have been able to go. I did increase the diameter of the center circle\starting point and it actually increased my speed.
I wish I could move the backspace to the right side but overall the button layout works pretty well for me. It definitely has a learning curve, practicing certain words I am as fast as swype. Just like with swype i have found errors with long words or typos. The predictive text is not as as good but that is something I may have to tweak in the settings (of which there are a lot). I am going to continue to use it at least for a few more days.
With my thumb I can actually type (albeit slower) without looking for some letters now which means one handed usage is possible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll try the larger circle, but I actually practicing making as small of a circle as possible for better speed. Maybe I have it backwards.
I just re-watched their video, and they were saying their layout was based on figure 8 motions (as to why they put certain letters somewhere). I would rather have a longer learning curve IF it meant that I would reap the rewards of a more efficient layout later. Hope they knew what they were doing.
I also did a test where I took short sentences like "This is a test" and just did it over & over till I had it memorized. Then I compared typing it in 8pen vs Swype vs Ultra Keyboard and I have to say... it was pretty darn smooth and natural on the 8pen method. I'm kind of looking forward to getting to a point where I know where all the letters are just so I can really give this keyboard a more realistic test on day to day usage.
Also looking forward to being able to just have the 'dot/circle' and nothing else and confusing people watching me. When I get to that point, I might request a smaller vertical height to have less of the screen covered by the keyboard.
Finally, I have auto-correction & suggestion turned on, but I'm a bit confused on using the suggestions. I see if I type a few letters that my target word turns yellow - and if I lift up on the screen it will auto-complete.
BUT if I want to pick a different word in the suggestions I'm not sure how I'm supposed to go get it. If I lift up, it picks the yellow word. So I'm kind of drawing a straight line up, then lifting my finger then picking the alternate suggested word.
(BTW, with suggested words, they would need to eventually add custom dictionaries, make more common words the default, etc)
Have not tried 1 thumb typing, but will give it a shot. I can say that when I have the phone in my car mount (and I get better), this would be a great keyboard for entering quick things (short sms/map search) since you don't have to worry about hitting specific keys dead on. (no typing while driving, guys!)
Finally, I added a couple gestures for my 2 emails (a ^ and an upside down one) and that works very well. I forgot how useful gestures can be. In the video I saw them do a circle gesture, lines - I'll need to make a list of good gestures & figure out what I use a lot.

its basically an awful idea. To learn a shape just to trace 1 letter... is like writing one letter... except a symbol for a letter.
The gestures are were it can get somewhat useful but I just dont think it adds enough to the keyboard to make it efficient. Even adding gestures is so similar to swype ..
I just cant comprehend how this has any benefits as far as speed goes compared to a swype enabled keyboard.

I kinda like it. I'll admit it will probably take a good bit of getting used to, but then so did typing on a regular keyboard.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App

trillonometry said:
its basically an awful idea. To learn a shape just to trace 1 letter... is like writing one letter... except a symbol for a letter.
The gestures are were it can get somewhat useful but I just dont think it adds enough to the keyboard to make it efficient. Even adding gestures is so similar to swype ..
I just cant comprehend how this has any benefits as far as speed goes compared to a swype enabled keyboard.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
even in swype you need to look to the keyboard. with this app you dont need to look as long you know the combination. i dont think is "an awful idea" as you say :\

warez info removed
and i tried it for a good amount of time how ever it still doesnt compare to Swype or Smart keyboard.
ok i understand theres a learning curve, learning a new keyboard layout sucks when we are used to qwerty's on laptops and phones, but another this is that it will take longer swipes to get to certain characters and i just didnt find the keyboard as a whole convenient enough. but its a good attempt, and i hope to see others

trillonometry said:
its basically an awful idea. To learn a shape just to trace 1 letter... is like writing one letter... except a symbol for a letter.
The gestures are were it can get somewhat useful but I just dont think it adds enough to the keyboard to make it efficient. Even adding gestures is so similar to swype ..
I just cant comprehend how this has any benefits as far as speed goes compared to a swype enabled keyboard.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried it and actually agree. Based on the original idea of having a "unique gesture for each letter", e.g. down + left + right for the letter 'e' - then might as well scribble the actual letter as it will remove the learning curve.
Which opens the question, is there such an app (similar to the old palm phones)?

Related

Great Keyboard app idea, DEVS NEEDED!!

I keep reading the same discussions, SWYPE vs. Multitouch, Multitouch vs. IME, Shapewriter VS. SWYPE.....
How about this. I prefer to use a regular keyboard (IME, touchpal, multitouch) with two hands (or fingers) when Im in Landscape mode. When I want to send a quick reply or type a quick email (usually when Im driving, i know.. its bad) I hold the phone with one hand in Portrait mode and thats when I really like SWYPE or Shapewriter. So I would surmise that a GREAT app at this point would allow for one keyboard to be default in Portrait and the other to be default in Landscape. I currently switch back and forth and its a pain in the a$$...
Thanks for listening to my rant.
Three months and not even a reply.
infected. XxxVirusxxX makes the roms, we wear them.
Im pretty sure its already been done recently. I think I read about it a week or two ago on this site and then again on reddit.
Any ideas to what its called?
infected. XxxVirusxxX makes the roms, we wear them.
But you can type with two fingers using Swype (or any other gesture-keyboard), so I don't see what the big deal is. No one forces you to swype out words. Ultra Keyboard also has the feature to enable swype gestures in only one mode if you are that obsessed with it.
Slide hit has a slider on the keyboard to allow you to go from swipe to ABC.
it was called keyboard manager but was pretty finicky. i found that ultra keyboard works pretty damn well. swiping is def not as good as swype and multitouch isnt as good as the droid x keyboard, but it is a pretty decent comprimise.
Hence the need for an app that can either do both well or switch between both depending on orientation.
infected. XxxVirusxxX makes the roms, we wear them.
I'd expect you could set up Tasker to do it.
You can do it with ultra keyboard. Just go to settings, then tracing, and set it to portrait only. You could even make tracing switch on and off with a gesture on the spacebar. Ultra keyboard is completely customizable, it's the only keyboard I use anymore.
Sent from my Evo using XDA App
@ OP
i love typing with two hands since im on pc more than evo.
when galaxy s tabby comes ill buy it and it will be my new phone; now you can type with both hands 7", if you dont mind the size(i personally think its awesome since i never put my phone in pocket anyway). i hate samsung so will not sell my evo until i am sure the sg tab surpasses it in most, if not all aspects...
htc/android for the smartphoneWIN
samsung CAN make screens;
too bad they wont give the good stuff to competitors...htc(wink,wink)
I'm testing ultra keyboard now.
infected. XxxVirusxxX makes the roms, we wear them.
Highly customizable. Still going to take some getting used to.
infected. XxxVirusxxX makes the roms, we wear them.
I've been testing ultra keyboard, it's a decent alternative.

So... just how important ARE physical keyboards nowadays?

Nowadays, it's just so tempting to get one of the latest 'slate' phones and just settle with it. Particularly because keyboard-less phones are a lot thinner than keyboard phones and have a much better selection. Also it seems like no one is considering making a 4"+ phone with a physical keyboard (not with Android, anyway...)
But still it feels like physical keyboards have some features that can't seriously be replicated with software such as
- ability to play emulators and other games. Touch control frankly sucks. By the way, how compatible are Android games with physical keyboards? Are there times when software that should support keyboard input only supports touch screen controls?
- half the screen doesn't get obscured just to input some text.
so the choice is pretty difficult. Can I get some opinions from people who made the switch to slate phones?
Your most certainly right with the drawbacks, but those are the only ones. Now that we can hook up a wireless ps3 controller to our phones I'm not so worried about loosing hard buttons on a KB. Using swype you can actually type much faster on screen then with a phone KB now. Its certainly a different then the old styluses but I like it much more, even WM 6.5 is pretty finger friendly now. I went from a TP2 with the best KB around to an HD2 with no KB. I was worried for about 10 minutes till I tried out the HD2 screen and it being so sensetive I was in hog heaven, no more pushing buttons 3-4 times to get them to click. Just get my finger within .5mm of the screen and it detects my finger and presses the button.
completley agree Pickx.
maxpower097 said:
.... Using swype you can actually type much faster on screen then with a phone KB now. ....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Many people have claimed this but not once have I seen anyone using it to anything near what I would call "quick" and certainly not as quick as a proper keyboard. I tried Swype for a few weeks but its just not possible in my experience.
I now have a HD2 and frankly, despite all its awesomeness I still desperatley miss a proper keyboard. I use my phone frequently at work to make notes/take minutes in meetings and sadly this is simply not possible to do this accurately and quickly on a touch screen keyboard - even with Swype!
The previous phone I had, an Acer m900 was ok and had a great keyboard but it was no HD2.... if only i could plug its keyboard on to my HD2!
Oh god I suck at phone KB's and have large hands so that may be why I have so much more luck with swype then the normal touch KB or normal KB. For me swype is incedibly accurate. I only get may be 1 word wrong out of 100. In fact I hated it so much with my TP2 I didn't even text message. People would msg me and I would just call them back. Now that I'm on the HD2 I actually TXT back because its actually doable without hitting 100 wrong keys.
I´ve just switched from Rhodium to Leo and my typing speed decreased a lot, several errors touching the screen...
I decided to change because slow Rhodium processor but as soon as a good real hardware keyboard device appear with modern specs I´ll switch back again.
You can never compare typing REAL keys and the speed...
I think its gonna be different for everyone. For instance I'm a mutant and have one thumb 1 inch shorter then the other. So one thumb is long and slender, the other is fat and stubby. No matter what KB I used on a phone I always hit wrong keys with my big fat thumbs, both of em. Granted I'm 6'4 and 235 pounds. But with the touch screen swype I can just use my index finger to slide around which for me personally is much more accurate and easy them my big thumbs. Another issue I would have with real phone KB's is I would hit w button and it would type wwww_.
So now that a(n early) PSX emulator has been released and an N64 emulator is being worked on, a device with a keyboard would be great. Screw Samsung for not releasing the Epic on GSM.

CaseCrown Bluetooth Keyboard works well

I know having a bluetooth keyboard for a phone with a physical keyboard seems silly, but for long emails (and really for any typing) I find the physical keyboard to be lacking. It may be that I have small hands, but it is uncomfortable and I can never really get my rhythm with it. Anyway, I have been eyeing this keyboard for a while and finally decided to purchase it. I got the iPad version since it was Prime eligible on Amazon. I purchased it also because I am in the market for a 7" tab and wanted a keyboard of comparable size.
It's a small keyboard, about 8.5" wide. They keys are springy and have a nice feel to them. The pairing was a bit trickier than other phones I have used. I had to do the initial pairing, then select the device in the paired list and hit a key on the keyboard to activate it. It doesn't seem to pull up the on screen keyboard when in use, which was a nice surprise. I had already downloaded nullKeyboard in anticipation of that happening.
EDIT: I am not very observant. It does pull up the on screen keyboard. I don't know how I missed it!!
One downside (although minor) is that it doesn't use a standard USB end. It is something smaller than microUSB. Not a big deal, though it would have been nice not to have another cable to keep up with. I haven't used it enough to give any sort of estimate on battery life, but these sorts of things are usually pretty long lasting.
Link:
http://www.amazon.com/CaseCrown-Por...P8EE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322545047&sr=8-1
That's a good posting, thank you.
I just ordered a bluetooth keyboard before thanksgiving:
http://www.amazon.com/Verbatim-9753...LT2E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322557358&sr=8-1
I'll post a review about it when I get it.
I agree with your sentiment about having a physical keyboard.
I want to plug my phone into a TV, then sit back on a couch and play with it, leaving the phone by the TV.
This means Bluetooth keyboard, video game controller, and trackpad.
Have you seen any good trackpapds that are bluetooth? being able to use the touchscreen as a touchscreen by proxy of a trackpad seems like the right answer instead of a mouse.
Blue6IX said:
Have you seen any good trackpapds that are bluetooth? being able to use the touchscreen as a touchscreen by proxy of a trackpad seems like the right answer instead of a mouse.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is the one I have also considered:
http://www.amazon.com/Pyramid-Promini-Trackball-Bluetooth-Keyboard/dp/B004S214IS/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1322575241&sr=8-6
Many people have recommended the keyboard that has the large square trackpad beside it, like this http://www.amazon.com/Bluetooth-Keyboard-Symbian-Players-TouchPad/dp/B0042VAXKK/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1322575241&sr=8-14 but the trackpad seems too wide to be able to comfortably type of the keyboard. Seems like you'd have to hold it strange on the right side. I like the first keyboard because the trackball doesn't offset the keyboard by too much.
I've seen that mini-keyboard recommended for the Nook Color.
Thing about it for this phone, though, is it just doesn't seem much different fromthe slide-out keyboard. The trackpad is a nice bonus, but if i'm gonna use a whole new physical keyboard, something like what you got or I ordered seems more worthwhile.
Why strain on tiny little thumb-keys when you can get keys sized for fingers and type normally.
Maybe for another device it would be good - just that mini-keyboard seems like too little gain for too big a hassle. Others may feel different, just my personal thoughts without having one.
I say this, though, and when my keyboard comes in i'll be minus a trackpad, so unable to scroll on the phone and still have to keep it right in front of me - therefore only a partial victory.
I'm really glad to hear that the keyboard you have is working out well for you, I was worried that it would be a pain in the tail to make it work right.
I just got mine in.
Works fantastic, fold up and fits in my cargo pocket of my pants.
Works on two AAA batteries, and I have packs of them just laying around thankfully, though I can't imagine it goes through them fast since it has an off switch.
Pairing was simple and easy, subsequent reconnects are seamless.
I like it, happy customer. Now have a keyboard that goes with my phone that outputs to a larger monitor.
Blue6IX said:
I just got mine in.
Works fantastic, fold up and fits in my cargo pocket of my pants.
Works on two AAA batteries, and I have packs of them just laying around thankfully, though I can't imagine it goes through them fast since it has an off switch.
Pairing was simple and easy, subsequent reconnects are seamless.
I like it, happy customer. Now have a keyboard that goes with my phone that outputs to a larger monitor.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know why I didn't consider a fold up keyboard! So much more handy and easy to tote about. Thanks for the recommendation. I may just have to pick one up (I have a thing for keyboards ...)
geek_riot said:
I don't know why I didn't consider a fold up keyboard! So much more handy and easy to tote about. Thanks for the recommendation. I may just have to pick one up (I have a thing for keyboards ...)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, if you got a thing for keyboards, let me explain this one a bit more now that i've had it for a day.
It rocks. It's nice to type on, the keys are flat like a laptop. It integrates with android well, haven't had any problems in using it.
It has a little stand that pops out of the back of it, which I can use to support the phone right behind it - very handy.
It folds in half and slips in a case that fits in my cargo pocket - happy. Smaller then my Nook Color when folded, pictured below.
I attached a handful of pictures to give an idea of the size and how it looks.
On each side it has 4 little rubber feet, so when it's folded open it balances on 8 points that don't slide - perfect!
Runs on two AAA batteries, - the only thing is you have to press a recessed button for initial pairing, so you need a tool or something. ( I used a pair of tweezers).
Pictures below:
Do you think that stand would hold a 7" tablet?
Thanks!
Kim
I am quite sure that my Nook Color with the Trident case would break the stand.
It may not, but it sure wouldn't hold it right - it's pretty flimsy.
Fine for the phone, but anything beyond that is asking too much.

NON qwerty keyboards

I'd make this a poll but I probably don't even know of all the available options,
But I have just started using messagease, and though I long for 2i from snapkeys.
I do wonder if I am missing other alternatives...
The reason I am trying to find non qwerty systems is actually because I think the T9 systems used in android pale in comparison to my old K770i. I haven't paid for any keyboards but have tried just about every free one going, Are they all this bad?
If it's not just me thinking this, whats your ideal typing system?
And
Is qwerty going to die?
For me, ideal is 2i, and yes qwerty is dying...I hope anyway...time to move into the next century.
I disagree, QWERTY is NOT dying. Not even close.
MOST computer systems use a QWERTY, and it would make sense for the same keyboard to be on a phone since you're used to where the letters are etc.
So if you think qwerty is dying, then that would ultimately mean that all the keyboard standards would have to be changed as well. Some people prefer non-qwerty, but that population is incredibly small compared to who DO use QWERTY.
Also i think this is in the wrong section, no?
I wasn't thinking this is the wrong section at all, okay perhaps my dislike for qwerty might be, but asking in the general android apps sections about alternatives to keyboard apks, definitely not.
And I wouldn't expect pc's to get rid of qwerty, there have been alternatives for that for a long time now, and none have stuck it out or gained real attention. excluding the graphics designer mouse thing that I can't remember the name off...
But I was referring more to portable devices, tablets, consoles, smartphones, etc, things where real estate is at a real premium, a full keyboard, plus arrows, enter key, space key, it's too much especially when devices are getting smaller, and can now ever be worn around the wrist.
I am half expecting the next i device to be keyboard-less actually...
I didn't know about Snapkeys, I'm going to try it. I've been using MessagEase for a long time and I just love it. I type in Spanish more often than not and it's extremely good for adding accents (´) and other symbols. The best part is that it doesn't rely on word prediction, which I don't like very much.
You should try 8pen, too, it's another alternative, I used it before changing to MessagEase.

New slider coming out

This has been rumored for a while now, but this seems to be more concrete:
http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2015...android-phone-the-priv-will-launch-this-year/
BTW, this place has been completely dead for a few weeks now, and the last nightly is dated Sept 6. I tried several months back to start building my own ROM images, but before I got all the way there, someone else stepped up. Before you vanish completely, I might like to try this again, especially if someone can help me get started. I remember one file in particular that I don't know if I did correctly, perhaps it was "local.manifest", or something like that. If I can get running, with a bit of assistance, I can start putting up nightlies, if not nightly, at least at some interval.
I dunno, I kinda don't like the way the keyboard is. The keys seems too small. I'd like a keyboard in landscape mode.
Also, being by blackberry means rooting won't be as easy.
I couldn't agree more with you tpmjb about wanting a landscape keyboard phone, but i think this a big move for blackberry and warrants our support if we ever want to see another qwerty android device ever. The priv is getting allot of press and i think allot of people are excited about it. I also believe that the capacitative thingy for s6 was made because they heard about it ahead of time.
chuckiev79 said:
I couldn't agree more with you tpmjb about wanting a landscape keyboard phone, but i think this a big move for blackberry and warrants our support if we ever want to see another qwerty android device ever. The priv is getting allot of press and i think allot of people are excited about it. I also believe that the capacitative thingy for s6 was made because they heard about it ahead of time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I changed my mind, I'm buying the Blackberry Priv. I figure it will be rooted before too long, and I'll probably get used to the keyboard. Also, this phone has severe problems with GPS, which I use to get around everywhere.
At $700, very few people will be purchasing a Priv. There will be no development community for the device.
There are plenty of people that want a keyboard, but that desire will not make hundreds of additional dollars magically materialize.
Furthermore, a $700 device should have 4GB and an 810 under the hood. The Priv forces compromise with 3 gigs and an 808.
QWERTY is dead.
No designated number row.... the main reason I chose the Relay over the Glide... well, that and lack of bluetooth phone calls in jb4.1+
I've been following the blackberry for a while and the rumors of them going android, really hoping somebody comes out with a horizontal slider.
Rumors say it has dual boot os. Android and bbos10
orange808 said:
At $700, very few people will be purchasing a Priv. There will be no development community for the device.
There are plenty of people that want a keyboard, but that desire will not make hundreds of additional dollars magically materialize.
Furthermore, a $700 device should have 4GB and an 810 under the hood. The Priv forces compromise with 3 gigs and an 808.
QWERTY is dead.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you buy a Samsung Galaxy S6, you can take advantage of certain economies of massive scale. If you choose a Priv, the economies of scale aren't the same. And so you won't get the same value for money.
Still, the price of the Priv will fall over time.
Plus, I suspect that, six months or a year after its release, it'll be possible to buy a used or refurbished Priv for far less than $700. Then you can use your Priv with a deep-discount carrier — a carrier which doesn't offer handset subsidies, but which offers ultra-cheap plans.
Alternatively, if you're with a carrier which offers handset subsidies, you may be able to sign a long-term contract and buy a heavily-discounted Priv. You can then pay your carrier back over time.
Looks cool but its t9 not qwerty
http://m.gsmarena.com/samsung_w2016_highend_clamshell_gets_official_in_china-news-15129.php
orange808 said:
At $700, very few people will be purchasing a Priv. There will be no development community for the device.
There are plenty of people that want a keyboard, but that desire will not make hundreds of additional dollars magically materialize.
Furthermore, a $700 device should have 4GB and an 810 under the hood. The Priv forces compromise with 3 gigs and an 808.
QWERTY is dead.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually SD808 is atleast as good as SD810 or even better. SD810 is thorttling too much and it is not stable in every day use. Take a look at here: Thermal Throttling – Which SOC’s are the Worst Offenders.
Qwerty sliders are dying but you have to be creative. I modded my own qwerty slider from Xiaomi Mi4C and iPhone 6 bluetooth keyboard case: Qwerty Keyboard Slider [DIY]
phred14 said:
This has been rumored for a while now, but this seems to be more concrete:
http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2015...android-phone-the-priv-will-launch-this-year/
BTW, this place has been completely dead for a few weeks now, and the last nightly is dated Sept 6. I tried several months back to start building my own ROM images, but before I got all the way there, someone else stepped up. Before you vanish completely, I might like to try this again, especially if someone can help me get started. I remember one file in particular that I don't know if I did correctly, perhaps it was "local.manifest", or something like that. If I can get running, with a bit of assistance, I can start putting up nightlies, if not nightly, at least at some interval.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know why they even came out with Priv cause there was already Q5 & Q10...and on top of that most big shot Companies think people (Or everyone is a Text-Crazed Teenager) only use phones for texting and emails... ... ...those are pretty much the same and most simplistic things people will do with a phone besides Facebook... BLACKBERRY, MOTOROLA, SAMSUNG...I use my Relay at one point to replace my Computer (Dell D800 which start to run at 600MHz and 1GB RAM)...Stop with this Marketing Target business.
We the customer aren't Programmers or Teenagers, we don't need an iPhone or Phones that match with what we wear (Motorola)...we need Convenience...hence why you -blackberry- lost the market cause you keep pushing out small screen -but bigger than Nokia- phones that didn't really improve much (NO NUMROW, worst is the Sony Xperia sk17 (Mini Pro, 3") and sk16 (Pro, 3.7"), both have the exact same keyboard...3.7" and they didn't put Numrow or Okay Button). Had they had the size of a S3 or a 4" screen-phone-size with the Keyboard or not make the mistake like Symbian -Nokia E6, Touch with Buttons on Screen design for DPAD- they couldn't lose there market, but Priv is show us how Blackberry needs to let go or improve its model, not make more nostalgia (I don't know if that is right) while thinking its the big screen that everyone loves (If iPod had a Stylus instead of Touch, people would look at that like its a Color Palm Pilot...as where touch is better based how you control it).
Me when I saw Passport and Priv, I laughed my butt off, only Trenders will buy. I was even thinking Blackberry was going to actually come out with a Landscape Slider at one point and make a video with the Song "I want to know that, want to know that, will you Love me Again" playing...but snap Blackberry, Storm (My Twin Sister first Bought it, I wasn't even into Phones until 2012...born 1992 and got a Relay in 2015...made in 2012) was fail for me cause of putting 1 clicker in the Center of phone instead of 9-13 or 16-20 (Top/Mid/Bottom+Left/Center/Right to Between Center/Corner=4 or to Quarter of Size or to Fifth of Size or even put more at the bottom for the keyboard)...you guys should have built a fake plastic prototype of that feature (1 Hard Clicker to 13 Mid-Soft Clickers unless the 1 made it seem hard) cause had it not failed it would have been like iPhone 6 pressure screen...
Blackberry thinks that only 1 Phone is the Best, but Truly they Grew when you went from Pearl to Bold, etc and bold to Q5/10 (Had they made Torch like that), but Priv or Private -as I call it if it becomes Landscape Slider then Lieutenant and Colonel- is why Blackberry shouldn't design Hardware Form.
They are 100% correct about software cause I can Play PSP and Edit Word Docs on my Android and Hackers figured out a way to play all PS1 on PSP, but Sony's Devs couldn't (Embarrassing).
The only reason I have a PC is literally cause I'm doing online schooling and the website needs Internet Explorer or Google Chrome or else the interaction might slip up on a Mobile Device...other than that the only reason I bought a Vostro 14 is because it can play PS3 equivalent games (Skyrim, Saints Row, etc)...so I don't need a PC or the Lastest Android (GingerBread was my World and now JellyBean, in fact an LG Ahola has a keyboard with Prediction, where as my Relay doesn't...Relay is 4.1.2 and LG Ahola is 2.1 with 600Mhz CPU & 256MB RAM...it really depends on how you design it...even Motorola Defy Pro had it too...also Relay doesn't have a OKAY Button so if I highlight/select text (Shift+Left/Right) with Keyboard and touch to use Copy/Cut, the selected text disappears)
And funny thing today -Octo-core is 2xQuad-core CPU with 4 low & 4 high power- same thing I said ever since I got my first Phone -A Nokia 5000-6000series- I need something for note taking and I'm pretty sure that doesn't require a very fast Computer or computer at all (Cause now Tech is getting better)...if anyone is smart they stop with Big Screens and go to built-in Project-on-to-screen-like-a-flashlight or Project-to-a-screen-via-cable...cause I once saw a Phone design as Processor that goes into a Tablet...
There are so many things and ways of doing any thing, but Blackberry choose Portrait Slider...over Landscape and no alternative...when they've been using Landscape the Whole time (I know this contradicts before, but not increasing the Screen Size is what was Blackberry's Downfall)...In fact I just realize when has Portrait been used in an electronic besides Reading Text Material (Like on actual Paper) cause Televisions and Computers don't have Portrait Screens, I would use Word Doc and Landscape Shaped Window even if page is Portrait and the thing I see most people use big scr.een phones for is Videos...in Landscape...I read my Comics in Landscape (Cause Portrait is small).
Portrait is for the Quick and Easy or Simple Stuff (1-Hand)...Landscape is for 2 Handers and yet people who design for Portrait still put the things you need to Touch at the Top of the Screen...I only need Time at Top if I need to see it at the Lock Screen not when I am using the Phone.
Sorry for variety of errors of Grammar, Punctuation, Spelling, Sentence Structure, dotting my i's and crossing my t's (Joking on the last part). I didn't proofread much.
Best Keyboard was Motorola Droid 3 and LG C710 Aloha, but sadly there Hardware wasn't good.
Flash-A-Holic said:
Actually SD808 is atleast as good as SD810 or even better. SD810 is thorttling too much and it is not stable in every day use. Take a look at here: Thermal Throttling – Which SOC’s are the Worst Offenders.
Qwerty sliders are dying but you have to be creative. I modded my own qwerty slider from Xiaomi Mi4C and iPhone 6 bluetooth keyboard case: Qwerty Keyboard Slider [DIY]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hate those keys, though. That's the same bluetooth case available on every modern phone. They change the brands a million times on Amazon, but it's the same case. Price varies wildly too.
Keys are wayyyyyy too close together. It's somehow faster to type each letter on a touch screen.
TPMJB said:
I hate those keys, though. That's the same bluetooth case available on every modern phone. They change the brands a million times on Amazon, but it's the same case. Price varies wildly too.
Keys are wayyyyyy too close together. It's somehow faster to type each letter on a touch screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is not that bad. There is shaped buttons for better touch in my keyboard. I have seen different keyboard which are worse.
Flash-A-Holic said:
It is not that bad. There is shaped buttons for better touch in my keyboard. I have seen different keyboard which are worse.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh weird, where'd you get a 5 row case? I thought it was the ****ty 4 row case that's on Amazon, from the thumbnail on your video. I might just check it out
Edit: Wow, it looks exactly like my relay keyboard! I'm definitely interested! Every Amazon link I see is that awful 4 row keyboard.
...but not for $72 eee gad
http://www.ubergizmo.com/2016/12/blackberry-dtek70-mercury-leaked/
It looks like BB is about to release another QWERTY phone. But the times of slider keyboards are gone.
Guys... prepare your butts, the holy grail:
https://www.computerbase.de/2017-01/graalphone-4-in-1-notebook-smartphone-tablet-3d-kamera/
The GraalPhone!!! Next year in Europe and USA!!
Had my hopes up then...but look at the size of it! It's massive

Categories

Resources