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Swype - My Thoughts....

First off: I text A LOT, so having decent text input options is very important to me. I send upwards of 3500 sms per month
I have known of Swype for a long time now. I enthused about it when i first saw it demoed, but later found it to be less than efficient; but that was on the Windows Mobile platform. Now I might have been a little bit harsh on swype in the past but seeing the final Beta up for open testing i felt I HAD to give it another chance. This is a new operating system after all, and there has been plenty of time to iron out any flaws. So here is my take on it:
it is well designed and feels like a lot of work has gone into it BUT I just don't see how it could EVER be faster than typing with the default Froyo keyboard. For one, you can only use ONE finger, standard keyboard lets me use TWO, thereby doubling PRODuctivity (!); for two, much as Swype's predictive algorithms are GOOD, the fact that the standard keyboard shows suggestions along the top bar as you TYPE is a lot more efficient. In the event Swype gets it wrong you have to highlight the word, press the Swype button in the corner and choose the alternative word. You also hit a stumbling block when it comes to punctuations too as Swype doesn't seem to suggest possessives or other grammatical nuances. So there it is: I'll be Swyping Swype from my Android phone and forever wondering why it even exists.
What do other people think?

leoni1980 said:
What do other people think?
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I think its terrible, horrible and YUK
Kev

Swype has a learning curve. Most people who learn to use it find that they type much much faster with a single thumb than with two.
I swype probably 5 times faster than I type, now that I have gotten the hang of it. Just keep practicing. At first it is slow and sucks. Give it a chance. Now I can't imagine typing on my Nexus without it. I really hate it when I have to go terminal to do something and then have to switch to HTC or standard keyboard to get the emulator to take the input.

moved this thread to general, which is the better place for discussions like this.

So if would type with three fingers you would get triple the productivity? Sorry, but this is BS mate. Same with making mistakes. I don't know about you, but I was making mistakes way too often on HTC_IME, and had to go back as well, or choose a different word from the suggestion list (which brakes my train of thought).
At the end of the day it is all about WPM and if you can squeeze more words on a traditional soft keyboard then do it. I swype almost as fast on my phone as I type on my laptop which in my case means really fast.

I can't imagine using anything other than Swype these days. I switched to it from HTC_IME a few weeks ago and immediately felt an increase in composition speed. However, Swype's dictionary can get a little odd sometimes and there is a definite learning curve when it comes to using punctuation. However, once you get used to it, it's better.
Also, if you are having trouble with possessives, just spell out the noun. Then, drag down to the apostrophe then back to the S. Swype will automatically put the correct suffix on the noun.

Swype has a steep learning curve. But once you've mastered it, it's painful to go back to the primitive way of typing. I think Swype will ultimately become the standard of touch interface. It's perfect for tablets too, knowing that you'll always have one hand holding the tablet and only one hand available to type.

I agree, after mastering swype, it blows everything else away. Also, you are ALLOWED to make mistakes with it versus if I made a mistake on a regular keyboard, it usually screwed up the word prediction.
I say give it a try, man. I disliked it at first too tbh, but now I won't text without it.

I like swype a lot. Just got it last night. It does have word prediction if you want it.

I usually use Swype instead of my Milestone's hardware keyboard!
I would hate to have to revert to the standard software keyboard since Swype is so quick and easy to use once you've practiced a bit.

The new Swype auto-punctuates for you (eg. dont will be don't). Each to their own really, I use Swype when I need to be one handed as I have the hardware keyboard for two hand times, it is a useful setup.

Swype is the faster keyboard, but is my opinion only

when the swype beta on my phone ran out for that day i felt handicapped trying to type on the default keyboard again
once you get used to it, its amazing

Forgot to say, read up up on the tips and tricks. It will amaze you how much faster it can become even after mastering it.

It is my #1 must have, most used app by a mile! I feel awkward even trying to type on a regular keyboard now. There is definitely a learning curve but once you get used to it, it is amazing!

After I got used to swype it's way faster. According to my own speed tests (timed by a stopwatch). I can finish a 40 word paragraph roughly 6 second quicker using swype, and I can FLY using tap keyboards.
It's far more accurate for me personally. For sure had a learning curve but I'd feel naked without it now.
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This might sound odd, but one thing I do like a lot about Swype is that it is fun. I like challenging it sometimes with super-long words, and it amazes me how it recognizes the swiping patterns. Now admittedly, I'm not a "power user" who needs to text and email constantly, so I could understand why people might tire of it, but for longer emails I actually find it very useful, and I think if I had to use my phone constantly, it'd grow on me even more and become invaluable. What I do love, and this is what make Android so versatile for me, is that we get the choice. It's easy to switch from the stock keyboard to Swype in a second, and that's valuable in itself, because so many other smart phones don't allow the user that much choice.

One other thing I forgot to mention is that unlike with the stock Froyo keyboard if you type with Swype you have to put in EVERY letter, much like with the old number pad T9. Just for example, almost every word I am currently typing with the stock keyboard requires only half or less of the actual word to be tapped out before it guesses and autocompletes it with a press of the spacebar. This is how I am able to type so fast. It basically ups your word productivity by about 50% at a guess.

A while ago I did some tests and found roughly the following order for my particular fingers (greater means faster):
Swype portrait N1 > landscape iPod Touch > landscape stock Android N1 > portrait iPod Touch > portrait stock Android N1 > landscape Swype N1
In landscape Swype is truly awful... the spacing is just too awkward to make it work. But it's very handy in portrait. Currently I'm on my Milestone so it works out nicely. For my N1 it would be nice to be able to choose separate keyboard options for portrait & landscape modes.

cmstlist said:
A while ago I did some tests and found roughly the following order for my particular fingers (greater means faster):
Swype portrait N1 > landscape iPod Touch > landscape stock Android N1 > portrait iPod Touch > portrait stock Android N1 > landscape Swype N1
In landscape Swype is truly awful... the spacing is just too awkward to make it work. But it's very handy in portrait. Currently I'm on my Milestone so it works out nicely. For my N1 it would be nice to be able to choose separate keyboard options for portrait & landscape modes.
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Agreed. I really wish I could have Swype in portrait and HTC_IME in landscape.

Type Faster With SwiftKey’s Predictive Android Keyboar

Swype Beta was the very first app that I made a video demo of. Ah, it brings back memories. It was also the demo that launched with The Droid Demos in June of 2010. However, there was another Android keyboard app that was released shortly thereafter. It was called SwiftKey. Unlike, Swype, SwiftKey doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel…I mean keyboard. Rather, it brings us an even better traditional keyboard. With a sleek look that slightly resembles the HTC Sense keyboard, SwiftKey prides itself in helping you type faster without changing any habits. How? SwiftKey not only has an amazing spell correction engine, but it actually predicts what you’re going to type. That’s right, a keyboard that predicts the future. Okay, so maybe not quite, but it gets close. By analyzing your typing habits and messages, SwiftKey learns how you type and uses this data to suggest what word to type next, allowing you to quickly tap to select or hit space to select its prediction. No hassle guaranteed.
I've got a video demo, as always of SwiftKey. Check it out. Download link provided.
SwiftKey Video Demo with Download Link

I have personally found the stock Htc sense keyboard to be better than Swiftkey because the error correction is way better. I type fast enough that it would slow me down considerably to pause to read and select the word it predicts for me. When I try to type fast as would with the Sense keyboard, I get many spelling errors because of mistypes. With the sense keyboard, most words are corrected properly. Try it. Try typing without worrying if you pursed exactly the correct key. I find portrait mode works fastest as you don't have to move your fingers much. I use two thumbs.

Interesting.I like swype a lot but swiftkey sounds like it's worth a try thanks.
I've been on for the hunt for a good keyboard solution for about 3 years.swype is as close as I've come and as you can see I'm still ferrying..getting.. used to it. :/

I'm actually using SwiftKey right now. I tried Swype for a couple of weeks but found that the words that often come up aren't the words that I meant to swype and I end up going back and adjusting the words. So far I've been very satisfied with SwiftKey but I'll try out the suggestion someone mentioned above about using the stock keyboard. One thing that I would like to see though is multitouch support added to SwiftKey.

In my personal opinion, swiftkey sucks...I am like the first response, it slows me down horribly having to select words. Prediction is no good either. The best keyboard I have found for pure speed has been Smart Keyboard Pro in the market. It's multitouch, the keys are spaced nicely and prediction is accurate and fast along with ability to customize as needed.

admorris said:
In my personal opinion, swiftkey sucks...I am like the first response, it slows me down horribly having to select words. Prediction is no good either. The best keyboard I have found for pure speed has been Smart Keyboard Pro in the market. It's multitouch, the keys are spaced nicely and prediction is accurate and fast along with ability to customize as needed.
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Thats on my list of keyboards to demo

Using Swype and been using it. Tried swiftKey before and it doesn't match up to SWPYE at all..Swype its thee way to Text..
Sent from Htc Evo using XDA App

I'm liking it so far. However, the prediction on the stock HTC keyboard is still the best imo.
Sent from my FROYO'D EVO using xda app

Nothing beats droid multi touch keyboard folks. No fril solution for all your typing needs.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

The fastest keyboard on Android has to be TouchPal, the king of Windows Mobile keyboards.
If you have ever used WinMo, you should know how TouchPal murders any other WinMo keyboard out there. TouchPal Android version is no different.

admorris said:
In my personal opinion, swiftkey sucks...I am like the first response, it slows me down horribly having to select words. Prediction is no good either. The best keyboard I have found for pure speed has been Smart Keyboard Pro in the market. It's multitouch, the keys are spaced nicely and prediction is accurate and fast along with ability to customize as needed.
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As I promised, here's the demo of Smart Keyboard Pro
Smart Keyboard Pro Video Demo

The beta program is about to close but you can still get in:
SwiftKey VIP

admorris said:
In my personal opinion, swiftkey sucks...I am like the first response, it slows me down horribly having to select words. Prediction is no good either. The best keyboard I have found for pure speed has been Smart Keyboard Pro in the market. It's multitouch, the keys are spaced nicely and prediction is accurate and fast along with ability to customize as needed.
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+1 For Smart Keyboard Pro, by far the best I have used. Personally I don't use any prediction, I just seem to make less mistakes with SKP and the mistakes I do make it will autocorrect most of them. I think it is the virtual key resizing that makes it work so well.

[Q] Different keyboard?

hey guys,
i'm new to the TPT and i do like it a lot so far. root went well and bloatware is down. since there are so many apps that are device specific, i was curious if there are any different soft keyboard apps that you could recommend. on the SGS2 i am using swype, so when i switch devices, i'm somehow missing that a little.
possible to install other keys and if so, anything to recommend? maybe even something for the stylus? (i figure that either my handwriting sucks, or the detection for regular writing just sucks)
sorry for beginners questions, but i couldn't find anything about it yet ..

I tried several and settled on SwiftKey Tablet X. Works best for me.

I use Thumb Keyboard. It has a split design and has numbers and arrows. It works good with this wide fellow.

I use it on my phone, but was disappointed that it didn't translate well to tablet, for me.

I use Swype and like it a lot

I use FlexT9, it does swype as well as dictation and some other nifty stuff.

Swift Key tablet version is my favorite, not to much of a fan of Swype but thats just my personal preference. its either stock android or swift key

If you like the full keyboard like I do, i recommend the Hacker's Keyboard. Not exactly sure why its called that but it uses a full QWERTY keyboard with arrow keys. Another is the Logitech Keyboard (still in beta but I havent had any issues) that has a full QWERTY that also you can swipe across the keyboard to show another keyboard that doubles as a technical keyboard or calculator.
If you like lots of buttons, is more open to customizing (button row/column height/width adjustments), either one would work great.
Duece

rangercaptain said:
I use Thumb Keyboard. It has a split design and has numbers and arrows. It works good with this wide fellow.
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I prefer Thumb Keyboard too. I like that you can choose different themes for it. And for the most part, the themes they offer match a lot of flashable themes/roms for different devices.

Dueces99 said:
If you like the full keyboard like I do, i recommend the Hacker's Keyboard. Not exactly sure why its called that but it uses a full QWERTY keyboard with arrow keys. Another is the Logitech Keyboard (still in beta but I havent had any issues) that has a full QWERTY that also you can swipe across the keyboard to show another keyboard that doubles as a technical keyboard or calculator.
If you like lots of buttons, is more open to customizing (button row/column height/width adjustments), either one would work great.
Duece
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+1 for Hacker's Keyboard. I usually use my tablet in the folio case so I have a nice hardware keyboard. However there have been plenty of times where I have had it out of the folio and been editing a document or posting on a forum and the hackers keyboard has come in extremely handy. It would be something I was willing to spend money on, but since it is free, it's an even better deal.
Sent from my ThinkPad Tablet using xda premium

Hackers Keyboard ist the best, it is for free you can use 5 row style (numbers and letters) and you can download different languages for auto correctur.

In portrait mode I usually use Swype, which is great even at 10inch!
In landscape mode and for things like SSH/Terminal, I use Hacker's Keyboard, which feels almost like the real thing

Dueces beat me to it. HACKERS KEYBOARD for the closest simulation of a desktop keyboard (I've) found so far. Not only are the keys big and bold, perhaps more importantly they are scalable (as is the entire keyboard).
coydroid

SwiftKey Tablet X for me as I use SwiftKey 3 on my SGS3 and I just can't go back to anything else anymore...I might have to give this hacker's keyboard a crack though, thanks for the suggestion.

For those who like Swype, I strongly recommend the TouchPal keyboard. Its implementation of the swype input method is terrific.

MaxBuck said:
For those who like Swype, I strongly recommend the TouchPal keyboard. Its implementation of the swype input method is terrific.
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I was just looking for a way to get the stock swype like keyboard back after installing cm 10.
Touchpal is even better!
Sent from my ThinkPadTablet using xda app-developers app

keyboard
I use Jelly Bean keyboard Pro, has a lot of options but no swyping
---------- Post added at 11:30 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:08 AM ----------
I use Jelly Bean keyboard Pro, has a lot of options but no swyping

I use original JB 4.1.2 keyboard, it's good but when I want to use thumb the Thumb Keyboard is invaluable
Great keyboard is original ICS from Sony smartphone's but it does not work on no Sony hardware, unfortunely...

Keyboard app with auto-correct for dock typing

Hi all,
I'm typing this on my infinity with keyboard dock, and have to rely on my own typing accuracy and language grasp to avoid mistakes. As far as I'm aware, there is no auto-correct while typing on the hardware keyboard in both Asus stock keyboard (which used to have auto-correct while docked) and the stock 4.2 keyboard.
May I then ask anyone who knows of any way to enable auto-correct while tablet is docked, or knows of any keyboard with this function to share? It would benefit this inaccurate typer much. Many thanks in advance for continuing to keep this community great and helpful for all.
Regards

t3ej4y said:
Hi all,
I'm typing this on my infinity with keyboard dock, and have to rely on my own typing accuracy and language grasp to avoid mistakes. As far as I'm aware, there is no auto-correct while typing on the hardware keyboard in both Asus stock keyboard (which used to have auto-correct while docked) and the stock 4.2 keyboard.
May I then ask anyone who knows of any way to enable auto-correct while tablet is docked, or knows of any keyboard with this function to share? It would benefit this inaccurate typer much. Many thanks in advance for continuing to keep this community great and helpful for all.
Regards
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I have looked around for a long time, and have tried several apps that (purportedly) supported the keyboard dock in auto-correct mode. Alas. One did actually work sometimes, but more often than not changed my typo to something even more bothersome, or socially unacceptable.

I'm wondering why the stock Asus keyboard lost this functionality, I believe it used to be present in ICS. I think swiftkey autocorrect also used to work with the dock pre-jb. Would be nice if there was a keyboard that still supported auto-correct, the hardware keyboard, though best in class, is still rather cramped at times.

Swipe not working for symbol and numeric keys

hello, how come swipe does not work for symbolic and numeric keys?

I also found that swpie does not work when running two apps side by side. Is this a bug?

Which two apps, which one is active and what style of keyboard are you using at the time?
As for symbols, I've never done swiping when using symbols so I have no idea. My first reaction to your initial question was "Is swipe using symbols even supposed to work at all? Given that swipe is a form of predictive text input how would the keyboard predict anything if you're not spelling words since it's all symbols?"

I can't use Swpie on numeric keys as well. Why swipe needs to be predictive? I use Samsung's virtual keyboard which came with the Note Pro? I don't remember the two apps. Will let you know latter.

hajime_android said:
I can't use Swpie on numeric keys as well. Why swipe needs to be predictive? I use Samsung's virtual keyboard which came with the Note Pro? I don't remember the two apps. Will let you know latter.
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I'm going to go out on a limb here because I primarily use stock keyboards on my Nexus 4 and this tablet. It's been a few months since I've used other keyboards such as Swiftkey which also supports swipe input . . . In any event my understanding of swipe input based on the keyboards that I have used is this: the keyboard application analyzes the locations that your finger is stopping at and the directions in which your finger moves from each stopping point in order to predict the word that you are attempting to spell. The word that you are attempting to spell has to be in the dictionary of the language you have the keyboard application set to. If it isn't, the keyboard will not recognize the word and will therefore not predict it.
As an example; on both my phone and my Note Pro I have the keyboard language is set to English US. If I attempt to swipe the letters X-Y-L-E-C on the keyboard, which is just jibberish and not a real word in the english dictionary, the keyboard will not recognize this swipe pattern as a word and will attempt to predict something completely different (my tablet writes the word "clef" instead).
So what I'm saying is, how would the keyboard application know to string together a particular order of special characters?
Your answer is likely to be that it should know based upon where you pause with your fingers and you're right except that this isn't exactly how swipe was designed. Swipe is meant to allow you to minimize how long you need to pause. If you start at the letter T, swipe down rapidly to H and rapidly change direction towards E you need not stop exactly on the E key in order to have the keyboard predict the word "THE".

Thanks. I am using the stock Samsung virtual keyboard (US English) that came with the PRO 12.2. Trying to input things like muzzy996 using swipe does not work.

Yeah, it's working as intended.
What irritates me about the stock keyboard is unlike Swiftkey it does not seem to allow for addition of a word into the dictionary easily and there is no obvious way to manage the dictionary.
This is really bothersome for me because in my writing for work I often use technical terms that are not in the default dictionary and I use these terms frequently in documents or emails. The predictive nature of the keyboard does not seem to learn my frequently typed words well at all.
I've just switched back to Swiftkey and will probably try using that for a bit to see if I like it more than the stock keyboard.

Which version of SwiftKey of you use? Mine is SwiftKey Tablet 4.4.6.275. Swipe (called flow in SwiftKey) does not work. It seems that they have version 4. Worth to upgrade?

I was using version 4.4.6.275. I believe they unified versions now, I'm not using the one for tablets (which I believe is now marked as legacy in the play store). In any case I have switched back to stock. SwiftKey is buggy when multi window is used. Often times the keyboard vanishes when typing in a window. Hopefully they fix this but I'm not sure when they will, I see posts about it in their support website that are a few months old.
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