[bmike-vt]

Anyone find a virtual keyboard for Android that has the same layout as the BB? I moved from a Tour to an EVO. Missing a few things about my Tour (not the trackball and small screen!) - especially the keyboard. The virtual keyboard is growing on me - but I miss the shortcuts I had programmed and I miss the layout.

What I'm looking for:

Same key layout.
Long press for caps.
Alt key for numbers / characters.

Anything out there?

I tried Swiftkey when it was on sale - but I prefer the native. Seems I'm quicker native (2.2) - and I think too much when using Swiftkey, which slows me down.

[mughato#CB]

I'm trying Ultra Keyboard for my EVO....

Almost fully programable, voice to text interface and you can use it like the popular, but annoying Swype beta....

[avt123]

How is Swype annoying? If you know how to use it properly it works beautifully.

[trucksmoveamverica]

Ultra keyboard works great.

[BeyondTheBox]

How is Swype annoying? If you know how to use it properly it works beautifully.

i don't understand how people could possibly enjoy using swype. your finger is in the way of seeing what you're going to next if having to backtrack, which then, inherently slows the speed of typing. it annoys me to no end, i hate swype with a passion.

[Johnly]

i don't understand how people could possibly enjoy using swype. your finger is in the way of seeing what you're going to next if having to backtrack, which then, inherently slows the speed of typing. it annoys me to no end, i hate swype with a passion.

I don't blame you Beyond TB. If I had to hunt and peck, swype wouldn't work well for me either. I don't need reference points when I type, so highlighted entries are like a typing instructor program...not needed here. Love swype, and I know I can out gun you on a speed contest (you need entries highlighted)

[BeyondTheBox]

no hunting needed here, i know the layout of a keyboard very well, it's so much easier to use two thumbs to type than one and swype. as for speed, you might be right, would you like a cookie? that said, you might be faster than me on regular key, but you'll be a million times faster than me on swype. so while you might be king of ****e town, my comment wasn't about what anybody else can do with swype, but what my limitations are with it. now, the one thing i'd like to know is how you could possibly consider swype anything but hunting. no pecking, granted, as the finger never leaves the pad, but with your finger covering what's behind it, how can you see where you're even going? familiarity can play a part, no doubt, just like it does with me, but for me, at least, it's so much slower and i have no patience for taking the time to get use to something when another already works perfectly. this whole tech geek world is beyond me, so maybe i'm the box. everyone is a victim to trend and follows the fashion like fanbois to the umpteenth on digital coattails. i'm more old school... "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." call me passe; call me obsolete; but i'll take that over fanboi geek any and every day!

[Johnly]

Honestly bro, I respect what you prefer. It is just when you said swype would slow one down I had to react. I like swype because it also takes the shift key and space key out of the equation. I Just have a friggen supper thumb while my other hand is (I could insert so many humorous things here, but for the sake of not getting my comment deleted I wont! LOL) free. I will take geek over that...hehe....no flame intended...Just want to check you some and see why your hatred of swype with a passion exists? I still think you prefer a highlighted entry.....

[BeyondTheBox]

what's a highlighted entry? still don't understand what you mean by that.

yes, swype takes shift out of it, but it's no different because it still requires an extra step. whether that step be an extra key to push (shift/alt) or an extra "swype" off the keypad onto the screen and back, it's no different, matter of fact it's actually twice the effort/steps. honestly, and factually, the potential of what you call "hunt and peck" is far greater, in terms of speed, than that of swype for the simple fact that you can use two hands vs. one. granted you can only press one at a time, but you can have two located and at the ready at once, thus the time to get to the next letter is shortened.

[Johnly]

what's a highlighted entry? still don't understand what you mean by that.

yes, swype takes shift out of it, but it's no different because it still requires an extra step. whether that step be an extra key to push (shift/alt) or an extra "swype" off the keypad onto the screen and back, it's no different, matter of fact it's actually twice the effort/steps. honestly, and factually, the potential of what you call "hunt and peck" is far greater, in terms of speed, than that of swype for the simple fact that you can use two hands vs. one. granted you can only press one at a time, but you can have two located and at the ready at once, thus the time to get to the next letter is shortened.

Virtual keyboards are highlighted.....as you say, needing to see whats next is needing highlighted entry. That is all. Dude, swype is superior. I am considering getting the X before my 30 is up on the SGS. I would port swype and use it if I did. It eliminates so many steps. It has a superior auto correct too. It is easier and faster, proven by the Guinness world book of records (that is hard to beat dude) We need to disagree peacefully.......

[syb0rg]

ByTB, i have to agree with you. when i had SWYPE it was like this is AWESOME ! ! ! since i upgraded to 2.2, sywpe seems to be well less that loveable.

[Johnly]

What did 2.2 do to swype?

ByTB, i have to agree with you. when i had SWYPE it was like this is AWESOME ! ! ! since i upgraded to 2.2, sywpe seems to be well less that loveable.

[syb0rg]

What did 2.2 do to swype?

When i first had SWYPE i had Android 2.1, but since i upped to 2.2 it's not compatible. i could email them and ask for a 2.2 variant but Ultra Keyboard is just as good with alot more options.

[Johnly]

Good to know, thanks

When i first had SWYPE i had Android 2.1, but since i upped to 2.2 it's not compatible. i could email them and ask for a 2.2 variant but Ultra Keyboard is just as good with alot more options.

[avt123]

Swype works great for me. I'm running 2.2 and have absolutely no problems with it.

[Johnly]

Swype works great for me. I'm running 2.2 and have absolutely no problems with it.

Maybe it is just an issue on his device? I am addicted to swype. A must when not using voice to text for me.

[avt123]

Maybe it is just an issue on his device? I am addicted to swype. A must when not using voice to text for me.

Must be. Swype works just as well on 2.2 as it did on 2.1.

[Johnly]

Must be. Swype works just as well on 2.2 as it did on 2.1.

I was going to say...never heard of swipe incompatibility an any android os.

[bmike-vt]

so, no answer to the question, after 17 replies.
i can't get swype, and i'm not sure i'd like it.
swiftkey seemed pretty slow, even after 2 weeks.

so, no keyboard that can be mapped like a bb? that can have long press for caps and alt key for alt characters?

[Johnly]

so, no answer to the question, after 17 replies.
i can't get swype, and i'm not sure i'd like it.
swiftkey seemed pretty slow, even after 2 weeks.

so, no keyboard that can be mapped like a bb? that can have long press for caps and alt key for alt characters?

Don't think so. Swype auto caps words, and to capitalize a word in a sentence, just swype above keyboard in transition...if you want a BB keyboard....stay put.

[Flowrsista]

Anyone try MessageEase?? Is it faster? I have tried Swipe and its OK, as is the stock keyboard. They both have quirks that annoy me. But I am willing to try others.

[Johnly]

Anyone try MessageEase?? Is it faster? I have tried Swipe and its OK, as is the stock keyboard. They both have quirks that annoy me. But I am willing to try others.

quirks? No one can decipher that...be specific. What about swype irks you?

[Johnly]

nvm...you have a qwerty....my bad.

[Flowrsista]

quirks? No one can decipher that...be specific. What about swype irks you?

nvm...you have a qwerty....my bad.

What do you mean by "nvm... you have a qwerty....my bad."? Yes I do have a slide out keyboard, but it is not the one I use the most, and Swype is nice and all, but I'm just not 100% happy with any of the three I've used. Which, as it so happens to be, is my opinion...

And, Swype is not what I wanted to know about or talk about, which is why it wasn't meant to be "deciphered". I've all ready used it and formed my own opinion, hence the reason I was asking about a different program.

So, again, does anyone have any reviews about other virtual keyboards?

[Johnly]

What do you mean by "nvm... you have a qwerty....my bad."? Yes I do have a slide out keyboard, but it is not the one I use the most, and Swype is nice and all, but I'm just not 100% happy with any of the three I've used. Which, as it so happens to be, is my opinion...

And, Swype is not what I wanted to know about or talk about, which is why it wasn't meant to be "deciphered". I've all ready used it and formed my own opinion, hence the reason I was asking about a different program.

So, again, does anyone have any reviews about other virtual keyboards?

I hear people like better keyboard often. the htc port seems to make people happy. Nvm is short for nevermind. Not trying to aggravate you, but swype is my 100% nirvana. Good luck in your keyboard qwest...