[Icarus3000]

What would have been cool is if each physical key was really a display that could alternate between displaying a letter and a symbol depending on context.

Posted via CB10

[Thunderbuck]

The one line contextual on-screen keyboard is always displayed, the numbers and symbols keyboard requires you to either perform a gesture on the touch sensitive hardware keyboard which interrupts typing flow, or to reach up to the screen to hit an on-screen alt button which also interrupts typing flow. Regardless of having to reach up to the screen to type numbers and symbols or not, they should have included numbers and basic/commonly used symbols on the hardware keyboard from the get go, like every single QWERTY keyboard before it. Gestures and on-screen keyboards are not an apt replacement for a fully featured and fully functional QWERTY hardware keyboard; and any real QWERTY keyboard user can tell you this without having to use the crippled hardware keyboard on the Passport. It's just plain common sense.

Posted via CB10

Have you used the Z10 or Z30 keyboards? Swipe-down is not disruptive. And users won't have to "reach up" to the virtual 4th row because the keyboard sits so low on the device that the virtual row will sit around where your thumbs are anyway.

Posted from CB10 running on my awesome Z30 2B6927F7

[jcarlos100]

What would have been cool is if each physical key was really a display that could alternate between displaying a letter and a symbol depending on context.

Posted via CB10

What if u dropped the phone and both the display and keyboard were cracked

[deltact]

What would have been cool is if each physical key was really a display that could alternate between displaying a letter and a symbol depending on context.

Posted via CB10

That may have to wait for the Passport 2

Posted via CB10 on Z10

[MarsupilamiX]

Why should they make it "like all other BlackBerry keyboards" if they're essentially inventing a new input method?

Posted from CB10 running on my awesome Z30 2B6927F7

That's.... Probably a bit exaggerated.
A new input method...

Voice recognition, that was a new input method.
But what the Passport has... No, not really.
It has a keyboard and a touchscreen, like the Bold 9900/Torch/Q5/10/Classic.
You have UI elements on the touchscreen while also having buttons to press on your keyboard.

What is that new input method you mean?


Posted via CB10

[lift]

That's.... Probably a bit exaggerated.
A new input method...

Voice recognition, that was a new input method.
But what the Passport has... No, not really.
It has a keyboard and a touchscreen, like the Bold 9900/Torch/Q5/10/Classic.
You have UI elements on the touchscreen while also having buttons to press on your keyboard.

What is that new input method you mean?


Posted via CB10

See what I mean about this guy? He is so blinded with love about this phone that he will say just about anything.

[Thunderbuck]

That's.... Probably a bit exaggerated.
A new input method...

Voice recognition, that was a new input method.
But what the Passport has... No, not really.
It has a keyboard and a touchscreen, like the Bold 9900/Torch/Q5/10/Classic.
You have UI elements on the touchscreen while also having buttons to press on your keyboard.

What is that new input method you mean?


Posted via CB10

It's a hybrid physical/virtual, gesture-driven keyboard. Yes, it's new.

[slgta]

What would have been cool is if each physical key was really a display that could alternate between displaying a letter and a symbol depending on context.

Posted via CB10

Sounds very cool...but is it really necessary? Plus, that is likely going to be a very expensive keyboard.
The only benefit I can see is to support multiple language if the keys are SW define and the label on the keys are dynamic.
But this can also be easily addressed (just like keyboard on a laptop) by having modular keyboard/keys and therefore be able to ship with different keyboard/keys based on country / language.
In order for user to have a good, fast and accurate typing experience, the key definition must be predictable...and the simplest way imo is to make them static.

Posted via CB10

[MarsupilamiX]

It's a hybrid physical/virtual, gesture-driven keyboard. Yes, it's new.

The keyboard is new.
The input method isn't...

Physical/virtual hybrid:
Bold 9900, Torch, Q10, Q5.
Typing on glass and on physical keys, happened on those devices.

Every slider with a touchscreen in existence, qualifies for the hybrid tag.

I still don't get what you mean, sorry :S

Posted via CB10

[dejanh]

Have you used the Z10 or Z30 keyboards? Swipe-down is not disruptive. And users won't have to "reach up" to the virtual 4th row because the keyboard sits so low on the device that the virtual row will sit around where your thumbs are anyway.

Posted from CB10 running on my awesome Z30 2B6927F7

That right there is probably part of the problem. I really don't think that many of the Passport haters have actually ever used the Blackberry virtual keyboard for any extended period of time. They are comparing the Passport to the Q10, the Classic, and the Bold 9900, when the Passport keyboard is closer to the Z10 and Z30 but with a hardware twist. It's a hybrid between the traditional physical and pure virtual keyboard. The whole notion of interrupting input flow is extremely unlikely.

Posted via CrackBerry App

[MarsupilamiX]

That right there is probably part of the problem. I really don't think that many of the Passport haters have actually ever used the Blackberry virtual keyboard for any extended period of time. They are comparing the Passport to the Q10, the Classic, and the Bold 9900, when the Passport keyboard is closer to the Z10 and Z30 but with a hardware twist. It's a hybrid between the traditional physical and pure virtual keyboard. The whole notion of interrupting input flow is extremely unlikely.

Posted via CrackBerry App

Am I a Passport hater for you?

I'm using a Z10 since its launch.
Never used a full keyboard BlackBerry because of the screen size limitations.
Last and only BBOS devicd was a Torch.
No interest in any Q because of the screensize.

So much for your assumptions...

Posted via CB10

[Vorkosigan]

The keyboard is new.
The input method isn't...

Physical/virtual hybrid:
Bold 9900, Torch, Q10, Q5.
Typing on glass and on physical keys, happened on those devices.

Every slider with a touchscreen in existence, qualifies for the hybrid tag.

I still don't get what you mean, sorry :S

Posted via CB10

Did those use the capacitive keyboard so you could use swipe gestures on the keyboard itself?



Posted via CB10

[Vorkosigan]

All is needed is to print more characters on keys and then no more virtual keyboard since we don't need to type on the screen.

Posted via CB10

But then you need to look down at the keys and move your thumbs to see what symbol is printed is printed on the key.

I'd prefer the virtual heads up display.

Posted via CB10

[Vorkosigan]

See what I mean about this guy? He is so blinded with love about this phone that he will say just about anything.

You seriously need to stop.


Posted via CB10

[ZeroBarrier]

Have you used the Z10 or Z30 keyboards? Swipe-down is not disruptive. And users won't have to "reach up" to the virtual 4th row because the keyboard sits so low on the device that the virtual row will sit around where your thumbs are anyway.

Posted from CB10 running on my awesome Z30 2B6927F7

The reason it's not disruptive on the Z10 or Z30 is because you're already typing on glass, not a hardware QWERTY keyboard. To even think that typing on a hardware keyboard and be forced access and to use on-screen keyboard for alt, shift, sym, numbers and every symbol whether commonly used or extended by way of gestures is absolutely disruptive to any hardware QWERTY keyboard user.

That right there is probably part of the problem. I really don't think that many of the Passport haters have actually ever used the Blackberry virtual keyboard for any extended period of time. They are comparing the Passport to the Q10, the Classic, and the Bold 9900, when the Passport keyboard is closer to the Z10 and Z30 but with a hardware twist. It's a hybrid between the traditional physical and pure virtual keyboard. The whole notion of interrupting input flow is extremely unlikely.

Posted via CrackBerry App

According to BlackBerry, and I quote:

Writers will truly be unlocked with a navigable keyboard, while the large square screen enables faster content development and delivery. When you are looking to type stories or notes, your virtual keyboard doesn't cover most of your screen.

Even they can't make it sound good. It sounds like BlackBerry themselves know the virtual keyboard is a hassle to use on a hardware QWERTY keyboard phone. The only pro they can name is that the virtual keyboard won't cover "most" of the screen. If they had used a full featured and full functional hardware QWERTY keyboard then it wouldn't cover any part of the screen unless you needed extended symbols only.

Trying to compare a QWERTY keyboard phone to a full touch phone is asinine. The Passport is compared to the Q10 with good reason. Common sense tells us that comparing 2 different QWERTY keyboard phones is acceptable.

Posted via CB10

[MarsupilamiX]

Did those use the capacitive keyboard so you could use swipe gestures on the keyboard itself?

Posted via CB10

Swipe gestures are nothing new...
A swipe gesture is not a new input method at all.
A virtual /physical keyboard mash up is nothing new....
It's absolutely ridiculous to call what the Passport has, "a new input method".

Ever heard of "Swype"?
You make gesture on a keyboard to write.
Ever "flicked words"?
You use gestures on a keyboard to write.

Posted via CB10

[MarsupilamiX]

Trying to compare a QWERTY keyboard phone to a full touch phone is asinine. The Passport is compared to the Q10 with good reason. Common sense tells us that comparing 2 different QWERTY keyboard phones is acceptable.

Posted via CB10

No no, you got that wrong.
It has a screen that is one inch bigger.

So obviously the Passport is something completely different than the Q.
I mean, they both have a physical keyboard, a square screen, run the same OS, share the same form factor, are made by the same company....
But no, we obviously can't compare the Passport to other keyboard phones. Because.....

Well, because.....
Ehm....
...


Posted via CB10

[Vorkosigan]

Swipe gestures are nothing new...
A swipe gesture is not a new input method at all.
A virtual /physical keyboard mash up is nothing new....
It's absolutely ridiculous to call what the Passport has, "a new input method".

Ever heard of "Swype"?
You make gesture on a keyboard to write.
Ever "flicked words"?
You use gestures on a keyboard to write.

Posted via CB10

And yet this is the only type of pkb that could convince me, and others I've seen post, to buy a pkb again. So there must be something different about it.



Posted via CB10

[--TommesJay--]

No no, you got that wrong.
It has a screen that is one inch bigger.

So obviously the Passport is something completely different than the Q.
I mean, they both have a physical keyboard, a square screen, run the same OS, share the same form factor, are made by the same company....
But no, we obviously can't compare the Passport to other keyboard phones. Because.....

Well, because.....
Ehm....
...


Posted via CB10

The screen is one inch bigger?

The screen is 1.4" bigger. But just to do the math for you that equates to 111% more real estate. Yup. One hundred and eleven percent. That's more than twice the size to be clear.

[MarsupilamiX]

The screen is one inch bigger?

The screen is 1.4" bigger. But just to do the math for you that equates to 111% more real estate. Yup. One hundred and eleven percent. That's more than twice the size to be clear.

Wow...
That's the moment where I should be impressed, right?
If yes, I am sorry to be completely unimpressed.
The rest of the world has used 4.5+ inch screens for quite some time.

Didn't you do the math and have shown us that other phones with a very similar number of cm^2 have by far more screen real-estate?
Like a Note 3 for example?

Posted via CB10

[gnirkatto]

One of these 3 Passport threads

"emperor's new clothes..."
"fat ugly kid..."
"time to fix...."

is definitely going to win the contest for the most annoying CB thread of all times.

[--TommesJay--]

Wow...
That's the moment where I should be impressed, right?
If yes, I am sorry to be completely unimpressed.
The rest of the world has used 4.5+ inch screens for quite some time.

Didn't you do the math and have shown us that other phones with a very similar number of cm^2 have by far more screen real-estate?
Like a Note 3 for example?

Posted via CB10

Umm...........you were comparing the Passport to the Q10 in that post and made it sound like it's "nothing more than just one inch bigger", right? I didn't mean to impress you in the sense of "a big screen" but more in sense of "a bigger screen than that of the Q10" since that was the point.

And how does

with a very similar number of cm^2 have by far more screen real-estate

make any sense? Cm^2 = square centimeters = screen real estate. How can something that has a "very similar number of cm^2" have "by far more screen real estate"?

Just to give you an impression on how much aspect ratio plays a role in terms of screen real estate, here are the numbers:

4.5" 1:1 = 65.3 cm^2
5.0" 16:9 = 68.9 cm^2

So that - in your sense - MUCH bigger 5" display only equals 5.5% more screen real estate.

So please stop acting as if the Passports 4.5" are comparable to a traditional 5" display in the sense of "diagonal = real estate".

The point with the Note 3 was that the Passport, despite having a much more pocketable footprint vertically, has still a much bigger screen in one dimension than that monster called Note 3.

[CeCoQ]

But then you need to look down at the keys and move your thumbs to see what symbol is printed is printed on the key.

I'd prefer the virtual heads up display.

Posted via CB10

But the virtual keys are taking screen space. Plus with a little bit of practice you remember where the characters are. Are you telling me that in order to type on the z10 or z30 you have to remove your fingers temporarily to see where the characters are? You just already know where they all are.

Posted via CB10

[II ARROWS]

But the virtual keys are taking screen space. Plus with a little bit of practice you remember where the characters are. Are you telling me that in order to type on the z10 or z30 you have to remove your fingers temporarily to see where the characters are? You just already know where they all are.

No, he wants a second virtual keyboard that tells him what virtual key press to insert that symbol.

[CeCoQ]

One of these 3 Passport threads

"emperor's new clothes..."
"fat ugly kid..."
"time to fix...."

is definitely going to win the contest for the most annoying CB thread of all times.

Time to fix... isn't annoying. lol. It's bad engineering that hurts. The Passport could have had brought a new keyboard, three row keyboard, with no alt or shift, but a gesture (swipe down) to act like 'alt' to get the first layer of special character and another (swipe down) to get the second layer of characters. Just like on the z10 or z30 now. :-)


Posted via CB10