[ElDuderino2112]

The virtual keyboard is crap regardless of the OS. I find that thing completely
unusable in Portrait and only marginally of use in Landscape.

It's nice to have in a pinch but very poorly executed.

I find the keyboard to be fine. I used it to type out this message, and I've been using it for most of my bbming, I don't have problems with it.

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[richv77]

I am using the latest OS - .337 and I hoped the virtual keyboard would have gotten more accurate. In comparison to the iPhone 4, Captivate, and the Samsung Focus, the Torch's virtual keyboard is not nearly as good. I realize the Torch has a real keyboard but I prefer to type short messages on the virtual keyboard.

I hope RIM does not use the "real keyboard" as an excuse not to make the virtual one better.

Your thoughts?

-Rich

[mathprof08]

Works fine for me. I don't see what the problem is.

[amazinglygraceless]

The virtual keyboard is crap regardless of the OS. I find that thing completely
unusable in Portrait and only marginally of use in Landscape.

It's nice to have in a pinch but very poorly executed.

[Fr3lncr]

I didn't like the virtual keyboard when I had my Torch. I'm not a fan of virtual keyboards to begin with but I do have an iPod touch and that was much easier to type on than the Torch.

I think part of the issue is screen size so, from the portrait aspect, there is already one limitation that can't be overcome.

What they could try to still do is maybe change their software to better predict what keys are being hit as it mistook my typing more often than not. Another option would be to change the keyboard layout... Something different that increases the space between the keys maybe. I thought there was a company that came up with a virtual keyboard style that either had the keys in different ways or would use a predictive text option that would make certain keys larger based on what you are typing assuming those would be the keys you hit next. Maybe I was dreaming but the point is something to re-imagine typing on a virtual keyboard to decrease mistakes.

If RIM could do what they did with their physical keyboards with a virtual one (ala make them the best vs. any other device), that would be great. I think that is what they were trying to do with surepress but it hasn't caught on. I have never tried it but I can understand the concept improving the typing experience.

[DawgMan]

I can't type with any speed or accuracy using the virtual keyboard. I keep using it though, thinking that maybe I just need more practice. After having the Torch since its release...I haven't improved. Perhaps I'm doomed to never be able to use the virtual keyboard. But I think the physical keyboard is more than a little cramped.

[Fnord]

I don't know about you guys, but I'm lightning fast using the suretype keyboard in portrait.

If I get to an odd word that I know it won't recognize I just slide open and use the physical...

In my experience I'm much faster using that method than when I had an iPhone!

[chaddeus]

I think the virtual keyboard cant be as good as physical keyboard but it takes time to get used to it and be better at it.

- Charles

[jcp007]

^^I totally agree. It takes time to get used to the virtual keyboard if you are coming from a device with a physical one. I prefer the physical one but am getting better on the virtual one in landscape. It is a little frustrating in portrait. One of my primary drivers for getting the Torch was to have an OS 6 touchscreen device with a physical keyboard. Otherwise, you would be better off with the i4 or Captivate or Droid.

[anon(49433)]

I do wish it had some kind of haptic feedback like a tone or a vibrate or something so i knew i hit a key (whether or not its the RIGHT key) So yeah, I don't use the virtual one much. But that's why I got a phone with a physical one - so I can use it

[Cozmik]

I very seldom open my Torch anymore. I use the virtual keyboard most of the time and I've found that the more I use it, the better I get.

The main reason for this is that I'm on my 3rd Torch. Used the physical keyboard mainly on the first 2 and had wobble issues. May be totally unrelated to opening/closing the phone but I've come to prefer the virtual keyboard anyway. And I use it portrait most of the time as well.

[acwyau]

I don't know about you guys, but I'm lightning fast using the suretype keyboard in portrait.

If I get to an odd word that I know it won't recognize I just slide open and use the physical...

In my experience I'm much faster using that method than when I had an iPhone!

I'm also way faster on the SureType than the physical keyboard, so I hardly slide my phone open anymore. I used a Storm and a Pearl previously, so the steep learning curve involved with SureType wasn't a factor for me. It takes time to get used to and users have to trust the word prediction until the word has been completely typed...otherwise it will look like gibberish and you will want to start making corrections too early. Trust it, it will find the right word most of the time and if you take the time to train it with your own words, it works almost flawlessly and quickly.

[Matrix Leader]

The virtual keyboard is crap regardless of the OS. I find that thing completely
unusable in Portrait and only marginally of use in Landscape.

It's nice to have in a pinch but very poorly executed.

Very well said!

[ChallengerDS]

This is my first ever touch screen phone (torch) and only my second smart phone I ever owned... Owned the bold 9700 before this one... So maybe I am lucky because I havnt gotten used to any other types of virtual keyboards but I find this very easy to use. I see it auto correct words on occasion as well. I rarely slide the phone open, if I do it is to show someone the phone and its features.

So no problem here.

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Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Fnord]

I'm also way faster on the SureType than the physical keyboard, so I hardly slide my phone open anymore. I used a Storm and a Pearl previously, so the steep learning curve involved with SureType wasn't a factor for me. It takes time to get used to and users have to trust the word prediction until the word has been completely typed...otherwise it will look like gibberish and you will want to start making corrections too early. Trust it, it will find the right word most of the time and if you take the time to train it with your own words, it works almost flawlessly and quickly.

Agreed. For me, it's usually my poor spelling that messing things up

[alantan]

it would be nice for RIM to introduce Swype.

[jjuradojr]

I completely agree as far as trusting the virtual keyboard and continue typing until the word is completely input. If u stop to correct it all the time, you're not giving the software a chance to do its job. You'll be amazed at how accurate it can be.

JJ

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[Sumantix]

Virtual keyboard - will it get batter?

Why, are you trying to deep fry it?

[Wamp Wamp]

Does anybody's pop up letters on the virtual keyboard sometimes tend to be blurry or pixelated?

[skwij]

I don't know about you guys, but I'm lightning fast using the suretype keyboard in portrait.

If I get to an odd word that I know it won't recognize I just slide open and use the physical...

In my experience I'm much faster using that method than when I had an iPhone!

Agreed. I also came from a Pearl and Storm so LOVE the SureType. qwerty in portrait, why even bother?

Now if they had SureType in landscape, I'd be one happy camper.

[KEB64]

it would be nice for RIM to introduce Swype.

I'm not sure what the hold up is from Blackberry. From what I've heard/read/seen, Swype will be on every touch screen eventually.

Swype | Text Input for Screens

[Lumina]

I bet you that anyone of you can type twice as fast on a Bold or a Curve than you can on your Torch

And guys, please, stop thinking that an OS upgrade is magically gonna change the virtual keyboard's precision! IT'S NOT!

The elemnts of the touch on the screen are all done at the factory and cannot be changed with a simple OS upgrade, this is a design matter here.

[Lumina]

Why, are you trying to deep fry it?

LOL! HAAHAA Good one

[Masahiro]

I'm not sure what the hold up is from Blackberry. From what I've heard/read/seen, Swype will be on every touch screen eventually.

Swype | Text Input for Screens

I sure hope so. Swype is the one thing that really interests me about Android.

[hootyhoo]

SureType FTW. For those of you who haven't tried it, just give it a couple of days and you'll become a believer.

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