Originally Posted by
currentodysseys I get your concern about "registering" a tap on the screen vk. I know other people that (I do not know why) have a much harder time registering a tap (physiology maybe, really do not know), no matter what phone they use. I see how this might be the case, but this has nothing to do with the design of the phone in general. It has to do with your use and your particular situation-experience. As such, it is respectable but not a general concern or decision parameter.
On the other hand, you say there would not be ANY need for virtual rows. So, since it is a three row phkb + vk row, I say there must be a reason for it, as someone made a conscious decision to make that happen.
Reasons may vary and I give some possibilities voiced in the threads (from the silly to serious ones):
1. the engineers and the whole product design team of BlackBerry are a bunch of fools who know nothing and we all definitely know better
2. Because it reduces costs and helps from a design/ production perspective sacrificing on user experience
3. Because the whole input method and input system proposal of the Passport with the capacitive phkb is bringing a new proposal of user-mobile interaction that someone studied in order to try and give a more efficient way of alphanumeric input and control.
4... etc, etc...
The only of the above that one can answer definitely is number 1: NOT possible.
Another issue to keep in mind is: on a low volume production model (it is not meant to be produced by the 100s of milions), I think that the actual R+D to change the user interface and design, test it and implement it, has a quite higher cost, than putting in the keys. So I (guessing again, take it with a pinch of salt, or a lot of..) think that cost cutting may also not have been the case. (Just to add to the speculation conversation, aiming it to be a constructive comment).
The others are speculations from our part. So, please why not wait, see the proposal made by the passport with the full features and UI shown and tried out, obtain measurable metrics on input-output and then try ourselves, before we get stuck in choosing between 2, 3, 4 ...etc and defending it as if it was a bloody religious relic?