[kpmel]

Enjoying my PB and learning every day something new and cool that it does or is capable of doing and nearly wetting my pants in anticipation of OS2!

However, one thing I am not finding easy to adjust to is the virtual keyboard/text entry methods. When it comes to "thumb typing" I am now so used to the feel and function of my Bold 9780 that I am very frustrated by the feel and function of the PB. Some things just seem way too hard to do on the PB and please excuse my ignorance and take me to the wood shed if I am doing something wrong but, for example, why is there no cap lock or num lock feature? (Or is there?) Also, seems certain oft used punctuation characters are just not easy enough to access. For example, to enter an apostrophe, I have to go to the ALT keyboard just to get that one character...etc etc. I haven't made an extensive list but it just seems that the ergonomics of the keyboard feature are not designed that well and could use some tweaking.

Anybody else finding some of these things annoying? Anyone have any advice besides suggesting I commit certain unnatural acts on myself? Maybe a primer on text entry available out there? News of improvements in this regard?

Thanks

[_StephenBB81]

I agree whole heartedly the Keyboard sucks, I do the vast majority of typing on my BlackBerry as a result

I can't wait for OS2 so I can type on the playbook using my BlackBerry

[spatialmongrel]

i agree im having s bit of a tough time adapting from my 9700 but i think with practise it will get easier. (only made a few spelling errors in that last sentence!) Maybe the keyboard could be a little more forgiving with respect to fat finger typing - seems very easy to hit a wrong key and im not as fast on my playbook as on my bb. again, with practise hopefully ill get better.

CAPS LOCK hold down on the capitalization button for just a second - it will lock LIKE THIS.

my question is how do i get this to auto-capitalize and auto-punctuate like my 9700 does - that would improve things.

maybe auto spell correct too.

and how do you fix spelling errors that are underlined, other than retyping?

love my pb otherwise though. these are learning issues.

[mjs416]

I happen to like the keyboard. I hold it like a big phone in landscape and go to town. I do have bigger hands though.

[FF22]

i agree im having s bit of a tough time adapting from my 9700 but i think with practise it will get easier. (only made a few spelling errors in that last sentence!) Maybe the keyboard could be a little more forgiving with respect to fat finger typing - seems very easy to hit a wrong key and im not as fast on my playbook as on my bb. again, with practise hopefully ill get better.

CAPS LOCK hold down on the capitalization button for just a second - it will lock LIKE THIS.

my question is how do i get this to auto-capitalize and auto-punctuate like my 9700 does - that would improve things.

maybe auto spell correct too.

and how do you fix spelling errors that are underlined, other than retyping?

love my pb otherwise though. these are learning issues.

Currently, the various apps are not consistent with typing. Text boxes like this one on Crackberry - you are on your own for spelling, Upper/lowercase and punctuation. It will point out spelling errors but you have to know the corrections.

In email, it will fix "i" by itself, will capitalize the first character and will alter "dont" to don't. It will not fix spelling or offer any.

Word-to-go - all work and it will offer spelling alternatives.

[kpmel]

Thanks so far to those who have replied. Encouraging to see I am not the only one experiencing these pesky issues and annoyances with adapting to the keyboard on the PB. Contrary to what someone above pointed out, tis not the physical layout or size of the keyboard that bothers me, its the functionality and interface with apps, auto correct, auto cap and the sort of unnatural layout of the keys on the alternate keyboards I find annoying.

I guess it boils down to, how can I get so much utility, speed and near effortless ease of use out of a keyboard on my Bold 9780 that is like 1/4 the size of the PB keyboard? Should have been a no brainer to incorporate a lot of the Blackberry phone keyboard features into this baby.

[susu222]

I guess thats part of the reason why the PB is going on firesale!. One other thing I found is that quite a few times; the kb gets in the way when it pops up ..as in entering log-in data and passwords etc on certain sites and esp on a 7 in tablet with its limiited screen estate makes this kind of annoying and frustrating.
Certainly i bought this PB ( and not at $199 ) just hoping OS 2.0 brings lots of improvements and polishing up the kb like RIM can do!?

[TgeekB]

I agree with you on your points about typing. The positive thing is this should be fixed rather easily with software tweaking.

[FF22]

I agree with you on your points about typing. The positive thing is this should be fixed rather easily with software tweaking.

Easily fixed but easily passed over - it has been 8 months and .....

[DD1968]

I agree with you on your points about typing. The positive thing is this should be fixed rather easily with software tweaking.

Yes, you would have thought so, but as F2 said...
Be warned, if you upgrade to the OS2 beta, they've added bullets and numbered lists to docs to go, but removed all the (usefull) typing/spell correction functions from it...

[jamesbondOO7]

Never liked virtual keyboards. This one is not particularly easy, for sure. But the size of the tablet, which one of its strong points, is also a limiting factor.

I hate autocorrect, so I am happy there is none.l wish there were none of that stupid red underlining.

[Guyzer]

i hear there is an app in the works to help with keyboard problems. one that lets you use your bb as the keyboard input on the playbook. sounds cool will have to wait and see.

i was sad to see the android keyboard removed from 2.0 android player. i was looking forward to using it over the playbook one. i had some success in installing an alternate android keyboard with "simple keyboard". i really want "swype keyboard" which lets you type (swype) up to 50 wpm. might have to wait for someone to figure this out for me. im no programmer.

another alternatuve could be using the rooting tool "dingle berry". it might be released today sometime. hear it gets you a few things that arent supposed to wkok working.

[xeju]

all id like to see is the same typing conventions a bb phone has im typing this as i would on a my 9900 but somehow im left with no capitalization or punctuation and eveb if i press down on an underlined spelling error, i get no choices for correction

[kbz1960]

When the official OS 2 comes out it is suppose to have the same typing features as the phones. Have no idea if the keyboard layout will change or not.

[CosmicHeretic]

I would like to see Swype or better yet TouchPal made available for the Playbook. Maybe OS2 will have one of these or a similar option?

[Unsure2]

All virtual keyboards suck for the same reason--they are not real keyboards. No defined keys, no tactile feedback, and usually very cramped. I got a kick out of Jobs pretending to like typing on the original iPad's keyboard... That said, I find the Playbook's "keyboard" reasonably well implemented compared to the rest. For real typing, though, get a real keyboard. I was disappointed to learn you could not simply connect a keyboard to the PB's USB port (the port is "crippled" for most USB uses, including keyboard and flash drive, unfortunately). But, I have ordered the Verbatim 97537 Bluetooth Folding Keyboard which, hopefully, will do the job, at the price of increased battery drain. It folds into a smaller size than the Playbook.

[conix67]

One of the problems is the size. Even in landscape mode it's a little too small for my hand for two hand typing. On an IPad, it's a little better but still no replacement for a real keyboard.

But you guys are all wrong, wasn't there a thread praising how good PB keyboard is, and how much faster you can type on PB than real keyboard?

[Unsure2]

One of the problems is the size. Even in landscape mode it's a little too small for my hand for two hand typing. On an IPad, it's a little better but still no replacement for a real keyboard.

But you guys are all wrong, wasn't there a thread praising how good PB keyboard is, and how much faster you can type on PB than real keyboard?

There was, but I suspect those people were joking--or maybe just "hunt and peck" typists who don't realize what touch typing is like on a real keyboard.