[INTz]

Was just thinking of how the N series physical keyboard can be innovative and came up with this idea. I think one of the nice things of the L-Series keyboard is the word suggestions being shown right on the frets next to the letter where it is relevant.

What if for the N-Series RIM had thin LCD strips to create the frets from rather than some chromed plastic. In these LCD frets, the word suggestions similar to the L-Series can be shown. The user can then flick on the LCD fret to auto complete the word. This would provide the same functionality as the L-Series but also have a nice physical keyboard accompanying it. Would love to see this feature!

What does everyone think about this?!

[AVPTI]

On a full QWERTY keyboard, auto-fill and word suggestion isn't necessary.

Also, the LCD strips would make the keyboard frets too big and ruin the typing experience.

[Plazmic Flame]

The idea in theory is a good thought but realistically, it would be way too small of text to read...

[spike12]

You could use small leds..different colors with corresponding options on screen.

[BB_Bmore]

I think the L series has this in place to make typing easier on a touch screen. BlackBerry does amazing physical keyboards and I really don't see how they could improve upon that as of now. Although the idea in itself sounds cool, I don't think it would be very practical on a physical keyboard.

Sent from my BlackBerry by Choice using Tapatalk

[crackcookie]

Not to mention, how would they understand you are sliding up on the key and not just pressing it in.....the Bold keyboard is fine .....

[INTz]

On a full QWERTY keyboard, auto-fill and word suggestion isn't necessary.

Also, the LCD strips would make the keyboard frets too big and ruin the typing experience.

I would disagree. The touch screen version is a full qwerty keyboard and it supplies word assist. My 9700 being a full qwerty physical keyboard also provides word assist. I think the word assist functionality is meant to save key strokes and that is relevant in both physical and touch keyboards.

I think the fret size can be the same, if not just a little bigger. If you look at the touch version of the text overlaid on the frets, there is not much space required. In fact the frets on the N series pics we have seen leaked are pretty tall in comparison to those on my 9700. With the high resolution (high pixel density) displays available today getting text on the fret in a font size that is readable yet doesnt take too much physical space up on the keyboard is not that much of a challenge.

[INTz]

Not to mention, how would they understand you are sliding up on the key and not just pressing it in.....the Bold keyboard is fine .....

Good point, it would be hard to detect a flick (upwards) in this scenario. Possibly the user can flick side ways.... or maybe just a tap is good enough rather than a flick...

[BGK]

The idea in theory is a good thought but realistically, it would be way too small of text to read...

Yeah I couldn't agree more - it's a great thought but I wonder if it would even be possible at this point in time. (Great idea though)

[travaz]

I think its a great idea but i would hate to see what that would do to the price of the N

[INTz]

I think its a great idea but i would hate to see what that would do to the price of the N

Probably would involve some increase in the price...but innovation doesn't always come for free. I know I would gladly pay more if a device offered something revolutionary.

[Skeevecr]

I expect that any kind of word suggestion on the n-series is more likely to take the form of that on the playbook and won't be of any use to the fastest typists, adding complexity to the keyboard by having active frets would mostly just lead to an increase in returns from mechanical failures.

[ubizmo]

Is word substitution (formerly auto-text) gone forever? I'll miss it.

[SlcCorrado]

Is word substitution (formerly auto-text) gone forever? I'll miss it.

Is it really? I thought they were just renaming it for BB10

[ubizmo]

Is it really? I thought they were just renaming it for BB10

Well, the PB doesn't have it. I haven't heard anything about it being on BB10. They seem to be taking the predictive text route.

[spike12]

I've seen your library of shortcuts..it's a feature I do hope that they keep.

[SlcCorrado]

Well, the PB doesn't have it. I haven't heard anything about it being on BB10. They seem to be taking the predictive text route.

It's still there! Haha, I just got all kinds of excited..

https://developer.blackberry.com/cas...inputflag.html

Type
Text feature flags used to turn on and of text features.

If both the on and off flag for a certain feature is set to 1 at the same time, the behavior is undefined. If both are set to 0, the default behavior for the given control and input mode are used.

Default = = 0x00
Default settings for all features will be used.

SpellCheck = = (1<<0)
Turn on spell checking.

SpellCheckOff = = (1<<1)
Turn off spell checking.

Prediction = = (1<<2)
Turn on word predictions.

PredictionOff = = (1<<3)
Turn off word predictions.

AutoCorrection = = (1<<4)
Turn on auto correction.

AutoCorrectionOff = = (1<<5)
Turn off auto correction.

AutoCapitalization = = (1<<6)
Turn on auto capitalization.

AutoCapitalizationOff = = (1<<7)
Turn off auto capitaliztion.

AutoPeriod = = (1<<8)
Turn on auto period.

AutoPeriodOff = = (1<<9)
Turn off auto period.

WordSubstitution = = (1<<10)
Turn on word substitution.

WordSubstitutionOff = = (1<<11)
Turn off word substitution.

VirtualKeyboard = = (1<<12)
Turn on virtual keyboard.

VirtualKeyboardOff = = (1<<13)
Turn off virtual keyboard.

[fernandez21]

I think they should do something where there is either an e-ink display or LCD display behind the buttons that will change what is on the button depending on what your doing on screen. Samsung tried this a couple years ago with a flip phone, in portrait mode you would get a standard number key, but if you flip it to landscape it became a qwerty. You would get the flexibility of a virtual keyboard but the tactility of a physical keyboard.

Edit: Here is a video of the phone in action.

[annon91221]

Well my friends...as long as they come up with kick *** shortcuts for N series...I am happy..