We all know by now that the keyboard RIM showed off at BBWorld was created by Swiftkey with a little bit of TAT juice thrown in.
I use Swiftkey on my Android device (and PlayBook) and really love it. In fact it has become my favorite keyboard. It really is to touch screen keyboards what Blackberry is to traditional keyboards.
For this reason, I am perplexed as to why RIM seems content to license Swiftkey product. Blackberry phones have long been distinguished by their keyboards. I don't understand why they don't lock up Swiftkey - especially seeing as they seem intent on using their product as their default touchscreen keyboard.
In which case, RIM is taking a big risk claiming their product as an innovation. I am using a Swiftkey keyboard on my Android device right now. It works exactly like the demoed keyboard from the BBWorld keynote and is highly customizable. If I was RIM I would be making very generous offers.
But TAT would still be building on top of the Swiftkey base. Not sure TAT has the ability to design the kind of entry behavior and predictive system Swiftkey has engineered.
unless there is inherent protected intellectual property at swiftkey then its not really a candidate for acquisition... and given swiftkey already makes keyboards for android......
Ya id like to see where this new touch screen keyboard is by or based off Swiftkey... If it is then im sure RIM has a licance agreement with them. Thorsten did say that he was going to be more focused and that means talking to other companies and piecing them together to make OS10
Not sure this was officially revealed. But those of us who already use Swiftkey recognize the features. The only obvious TAT/RIM addition is that word predictions 'float' on the keyboard, rather than line the top like current Android/PlayBook versions of Swiftkey.
I agree. But I would want this particular technology to be in-house. It is that good. Plus, if another company acquires Swiftkey, RIM loses one of their key BB10 USPs.
I agree. But I would want this particular technology to be in-house. It is that good. Plus, if another company acquires Swiftkey, RIM loses one of their key BB10 USPs.
RIM bought documents to go and I still have it on my android and it still gets updated in market.
that doesnt mean apple will keep the bb support after the contract runs out if they buy swiftkey, for example...
Yea if Apple were to buy them they would screw everyone else.....They are the only company I can think of that would do such a thing....Why play fair when you can just follow the Steve Job's Playbook & screw everyone for an extra 0.002 cents?
Not sure this was officially revealed. But those of us who already use Swiftkey recognize the features. The only obvious TAT/RIM addition is that word predictions 'float' on the keyboard, rather than line the top like current Android/PlayBook versions of Swiftkey.
I actually thought that exactly that is the new and interesting thing.
So Swiftkey and the shown keyboard are not the same technology...
That the words are predicted an shown on the next predicted key. Or did I misunderstood your comment?
I actually thought that exactly that is the new and interesting thing.
I agree. To me, having to select a predicted word that's displayed above the keyboard breaks the continuity of typing. So even though I haven't tried it, I'm very intrigued by the way BB10 handles predictive text. And yes, I consider that a very real innovation. Sometimes it's the little things that make the biggest difference.
I wonder if RIM has an exclusive right to that particular innovation, for a year or two at least. Does anyone have any idea how that might work?
I wonder if RIM has an exclusive right to that particular innovation, for a year or two at least. Does anyone have any idea how that might work?
If they do, I would speculate that it would be for less than, or no more than, a year. I doubt SwiftKey would be very keen on the exclusivity for too long in fear they'll lose business on other platforms when other keyboard apps emulate the same or similar functionality.
