[Moopusmaximus]

And that's the point: it's no better.

And it's worse because the keys are not real.

I'd argue that its better because the row is not there when not typing, so you can get more real estate.

Sent from my VS980 4G using CB Forums mobile app

[collinc93]

And that's the point: it's no better.

And it's worse because the keys are not real.

.....says the man who has been using the Passport since...........never

[cycle_wala]

Hmmm interesting. Is there an option to "hide" the virtual keyboard once you memorized the keys? This would allow you to get more screen space. There should be a menu option to "hide/show" the virtual keyboard.

I guess the reason why they didn't print the symbols on the keys is so it forces people to understand that a key can represent more than one symbol.

The virtual symbols keyboard will pop up only when you 'swipe down' to access it. So you wouldn't be missing out on screen space for more than 2secs if you memorize the symbols placement.

Posted via CB10 on my Z10STL100-1/10.3.0.700

[JCMM]

I would choose this keyboard over that one we saw on the pictures. Problem solved!

[Tim Heard]

Meh. No matter how "great" these virtual options are, it doesn't compensate for the fact that there is plenty of real estate on the keys to include numbers and symbols.

Here's just an example. Even without the bottom 4th row, the pictured keyboard would be preferable:

http://www.1800pocketpc.com/blog/wp-...o-Keyboard.jpg



I may still buy the Passport, but I feel like this is almost an effort to convert keyboard users to an all touch system. ... To get them used to going to the virtual keyboard when typing.

[AnimalPak200]

Maybe it's to save costs on making different keyboards for each region-specific set of symbols. I imagine the new capacitive touch technology makes it a bit more expensive to produce several lots of different keyboards, while guessing necessary volumes based on predicting where the Passport will sell better.

Posted via CB10

[kevets]

I would choose this keyboard over that one we saw on the pictures. Problem solved!

Trying to see it both ways. If there were a physical ALT key still, I would totally agree. Since the alt/symbol view is triggered by a swipe or softkey, I think their solution is an elegant one.

Might even make it so once you are comfortable touch typing on the physical keys, you can glance up at the symbol chart, and just hit the key without having to look down. Definitely going to take some getting used to, but I bet some people will be able to really fly with this keyboard.

[Tim Heard]

My situation is admittedly unique. Have nerve damage in hands, and typing on glass hurts the ends of my fingers.
Having said that, you can't beat a physical keyboard for being able to type from memory. ... Having your fingers "know"
where the right key is without looking.

Trying to see it both ways. If there were a physical ALT key still, I would totally agree. Since the alt/symbol view is triggered by a swipe or softkey, I think their solution is an elegant one.

Might even make it so once you are comfortable touch typing on the physical keys, you can glance up at the symbol chart, and just hit the key without having to look down. Definitely going to take some getting used to, but I bet some people will be able to really fly with this keyboard.

[awaisb2012]

Just found this in the forums




Posted via CB10

[Tim Heard]

Wow. I have no idea what to make of that.
That's definitely enough to generate several more pages of discussion. :-)
I did an image search using a couple of different search engines, and couldn't locate it anywhere else.
Guessing though that they didn't grab images from non-English sites.

Just found this in the forums




Posted via CB10

[AnimalPak200]

Just found this in the forums




Posted via CB10

There goes my hypotheses...

I guess maybe we're seeing a generic (pre-region specific production) model?

Posted via CB10

[evodevo69]

It's for the middle east.

This definitely adds weight to those asking for the additional symbols though. Very interesting.

Posted via CB10

[BadGoliath42]

Wow. I have no idea what to make of that.
That's definitely enough to generate several more pages of discussion. :-)

What's so different about this one? It's just a different language, not symbols. Same as others.

The argument is not that there's no place for symbols in keys, it's been this way since the beginning. It's about changing dynamically what symbols you could promptly use depending on the context. It's even better than full touch or full keyboard to me on this point.

But I can't argue with the muscle memory for typing. I don't need to look often on my Q5 keyboard to type, on my Z30 it's almost all the time. But we are typing letters more often than any other characters so, it's not that much of a loss.

Posted via CB10 on my Z30STA100-5/10.3.0.700.

[AnimalPak200]

Well, it adds to the "why not just print the commonly used symbols as part of the keys" question. Even if it proves to be redundant in the long run, at least we wouldn't even be having this discussion as everything would seem more familiar.

Posted via CB10

[ubizmo]

I guess I'm a little concerned by the lack of Shift and Alt keys, but I guess the logic is that with autocorrect, the Shift key will be used infrequently, and thus relegated to being "virtual". At least I find that I don't use Shift that often on my Z10, only for typing specialized terms.

Don't forget that on BlackBerry devices, long press gets you upper-case.

What I hope they implement is something like what the Swype keyboard has, for dealing with capitalization options. With the Swype keyboard, if you type "word", you can then up-swipe the shift key and be presented with "word", "Word", and "WORD", and you choose what you want. The BB10 keyboard (hardware or virtual) needs something similar.

[glenixtr15]

Here's an idea! Why don't they incorporate specific gestures for mostly used symbols like an exclamation mark can be done with a sideways U gesture on the keyboard or something along those lines. The gestures are supported on the keyboard itself so make full use of it. The possibilities are endless!!

Posted via CB10

[jason alterskye]

But the word predictions don't look like how we are used to on the touch screen devices (in-letter predictions). Because 'hello' is on the left hand side rather than on the right where the next 'L' is located. The same with 'held'.

I think I'll switch the predictions type to (in-column) on my Z10 to get used to this device beforehand.

Posted via CB10 on my Z10STL100-1/10.3.0.700

Presumably the word HELLO is on the left as it is statistically more used than HELP, which is more frequently used than HELD etc

Posted via CB10

[cfoxx]

So not only is there room on the keys for the symbols, there's enough room left and right to comfortably fit in three extra keys - such as 'zero', 'shift' and 'alt'.

One of the reasons BB10 didn't catch on was its reliance on invisible swipe gestures that you have to learn. It's not intuitive to the average user. Replacing the ALT key with invisible gestures is not going to help the average user.

This is change for change's sake and that is not a good idea.

[Dr J39]

The word predictions look more like the PlayBook.

[philiopoilopoli]

I'm pretty sure we will NOT need to touch the screen...just push the right letter on your keyboard and the number, symbol will appear...
Thats why you can see every letter on the virtual keyboard... check it on the z10's virtual one , you won't find the letters on the symbol keys...

what if you flicked that letter up? it is a capacitive keyboard after all....

[Raestloz]

So not only is there room on the keys for the symbols, there's enough room left and right to comfortably fit in three extra keys - such as 'zero', 'shift' and 'alt'.

One of the reasons BB10 didn't catch on was its reliance on invisible swipe gestures that you have to learn. It's not intuitive to the average user. Replacing the ALT key with invisible gestures is not going to help the average user.

This is change for change's sake and that is not a good idea.

I was wondering when people will start watching the tutorial. I guess the answer is pretty much never

Z10 STL100-1/10.2.1.3175

[Ahmed Hanif]

There's no shift key so how do u use symbols when memorised and how do u stick a comma or a full stop without a virtual. Hmm

Mr A Hanif BlackBerry10

[Toodeurep]

... And in German (I live in Germany) every noun begins with a capital letter, so the shift key will be in use constantly....

On a BB keyboard, you don't press shift to get a capital letter, you just long press. If you didn't know that already, you are welcome!

[anon5814103]

On a BB keyboard, you don't press shift to get a capital letter, you just long press. If you didn't know that already, you are welcome!

I ALWAYS use shift. Holding it down slows down my flow

Posted via CB10

[Skatophilia]

The word prediction on there kinda remind me off IOS 8 word prediction