[jtg11]

While typing, if you hold the key, it converts the letter from lower case to capital. Is there an app that changes this to convert the typed character to the alt character.

Prior to coming to a BB, I had a Nokia E71 and this was the default setup for that phone and I also had a Treo 700w and there was a third party app that allowed you to choose which you wanted.

I personally much prefer the alt character instead of the capital conversion.

[mdorrett]

I am not too sure what BB you are using but if you continue to hold down letter after capitol shows the alternates are shown. If you have a storm then just hold the letter key without clicking down and the alternates will appear. You do not require a 3rd party app to do this.
IE if I hold the "T" down on my storm I get these � and �...if I hold the period down I get this "�" thi� s��ms t� wo�k o� most letters. Hope this helps.

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[Elite1]

It only works like that for the Storm. For full-Qwerty trackball devices, hold down a letter and scroll the trackball.

However, neither of these does what the OP was asking and shows the actual alt-version for that key.

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[Elite1]

Also jtg, I can't see on my BB if you're a Newbie or not, so excuse me if this next suggestion is insulting intelligence and/ot experience!

In case you didn't know, pressing ALT plus Left SHIFT turns on NUM LOCK. (Which is really ALT LOCK)
It's a basic, but�

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[jtg11]

Thx for the ideas.

Actually, I have recently moved from a Storm to a Tour and while not a brand new "newbie", I have only been on a BB for about 9 mths and still learning it. However, I am very experienced with "smart phone devices".

I did know about the hold and scroll and the lock feature. Really what I would like to do is, when typing numbers (which I do a ton of), just be able to hold the key a little longer and the number come up instead of a capital. This is how I had both my E71 and 700w setup and liked it much better than hitting alt (or holding alt) while typing numbers.

The lock feature does not do me much good as I am typically typing in mixed number/letter and the hold/scroll feature is fine when looking for other characters that are not the "first" alt character, but is slower/more cumbersome than hitting the alt then the key (at least for me).

I would really like to find something that enables the hold to be the first alt character. Not a killer, but I would type much faster and accurately if this were the case.

I guess another question would be ... why capital as opposed to alt for the default/only setting. I would think that most people would type the alt character much more than a capital since the first letter of sentence is automatically capitalized anyway.

Oh well, maybe i am just weird.

[dag99]

I would also like the abililty to select "alt" character instead of cap as the default. Shoud be an option under keyboard options.

[Jancy10]

didn't you open this exact same thread with a different name already? Plz don't open multiple thread on the same topic, it just makes it more flooded...

[phone9]

It only works like that for the Storm. For full-Qwerty trackball devices, hold down a letter and scroll the trackball.

That only cycles between the small and cap letter, not the alt character, on my 4.5 8330. Four methods are provided to capitalize a letter that the thing already capitalizes automatically for you anyway, but only one way provided to type a special character, using a tiny alt key on one side only. I wanted to switch the Alt and left-Shift keys, and you can't, the keymap is embedded, permanent, unchangeable. My LG VX8300 had better key logic.

[jtg11]

didn't you open this exact same thread with a different name already? Plz don't open multiple thread on the same topic, it just makes it more flooded...

Hope you are not referring to me because I have no idea what you are talking about regarding another thread and yes, I did extensive searches on here before I posted, because I know the self-designated board police will go crazy.

I even searched through google on the issue and came up with nothing specific.

[Elite1]

That only cycles between the small and cap letter, not the alt character, on my 4.5 8330. Four methods are provided to capitalize a letter that the thing already capitalizes automatically for you anyway, but only one way provided to type a special character, using a tiny alt key on one side only. I wanted to switch the Alt and left-Shift keys, and you can't, the keymap is embedded, permanent, unchangeable. My LG VX8300 had better key logic.

Hi IsPhone, if you re-read my posts, you'll see I mentioned that the trackball scroll does NOT give the ALT character. With most keys, but not all, it will scroll you through other symbols/characters. For instance, hold down C and scroll to toggle through: c C � � �

I'm fairly certain this worked on 8330 with 4.5, as that's exactly what I came from too.

I'm sure it's set up with the assumption that most users are right-handed, so it should be easy to "give up your left thumb to press/hold ALT.

I hadn't even thought of all this before this thread! I am fine with the keyboard as is personally, but I think you and the OP are right that there is a huge hole here that should be filled in with some more choices in the Screen/Keyboard menu.

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[roooofuss]

Hello there,

I just wanted to try and bump this topic up again. It would be such a benefit to have some sort of app that allowed this change. Like mentioned before first letter is always caps, and its the alt characters that tend to be a bit cumbersom.

If anyone knows of a way to get this to work, Please post.

Thanks
RFS

[phone9]

I checked with RIM and other developers and it can be changed inside one's own app, but not for other apps or generally on the device. One can set up a keypad listener but inside an app only, not globally on the device. I was hoping this would change with 5.0, but... same deal, no global key listener, no software keymap.