[m.seif]

I wish RIM would make a BB smartphone, with the best physical KB ever, the landscape KB, like Sony experia or the various HTC.

[happypig]

That would be kick ***. When I first saw the Torch I thought that landscape would have been way better. For some reason RIM is addicted to the little keyboard. I wish they would hire some people that think outside of their, meaning RIM's, box. It is shocking and a bit depressing seeing a global company like RIM be so horizontal with their products. It would be nice if they looked vertically once in a while.

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[SaMaster14]

I personally hate the landscape kb form factor. My mom has the droid 2 and I really don't like the thin screen and bulk of the kb.

I really like the torch form factor. But thats just my opinion. - and it could be because of the fact that I use my phone in portrait mode like 90% of the time, I rarely use landscape.

But who knows, RIM could make a really nice looking landscape kb BB with an awesome form factor. Keeping my hopes up from anything new from RIM!

[rrrebo]

I think if RIM did this, it would have to curve quite a bit, almost like an MS Natural kb, but without the break. I don't see RIM doing this, though. Horizontal kbs, I think, are too wide to be comfortable to type on fast (all due respect to Salomondrin's Storm 2 typing vids). I don't care for 'em because they are all straight rectangles.

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[Fubaz]

I'd throw it in the river

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[Snipperdo17]

haha I also hate horizontal..had the original droid and i couldnt stand how many steps it took to reply using the physical keyboard.

[shism2]

I agree def needs a horizontal kb. Bigger keyboard, more buttons, bigger buttons....

[worktoomuch]

Landscape sucks, I wish I could make my Torch stay permanently in portrait mode.
I hate it when it is turned sideways and it slips into landscape.... just my opinion. If there was only a way to keep it in portrait.....hmmmmm.

[kkfasho#CB]

My last phone had a horizontal keyboard and I liked it for what it was but I like my vertical keyboard on my torch soo much better, IMO. They are both easy to type on but i prefer the vertical keyboard.

[_StephenBB81]

RIM has invested a lot of Time and Money into their Keyboard layout,
To create a landscape keyboard and retain the reputation of the best keyboards they would have to spend a lot of time on the landscape, I'd think The keyboard would have to use the Curve Chicklet keys, and most likely the size of the keys would barely change, just the spacings of the key's adding a track pad to the layout since having the trackpad were it is on the Torch would not be useful on a horizontal slider.


though RIM does not need to be in the Market of 1 phone to rule them all, they also need to stick to their strengths, and qualities that make them unique,
Those qualities are currently
Keyboard
BBM

they don't have a lot unique going for them anymore, so entering the horizontal slider market would be a fight they wont invest the money in to become a contender.

[Snipperdo17]

Landscape sucks, I wish I could make my Torch stay permanently in portrait mode.
I hate it when it is turned sideways and it slips into landscape.... just my opinion. If there was only a way to keep it in portrait.....hmmmmm.

check out the crackberry app store..there are a few apps that will lock it in portrait

[crownr0yal]

I don't need a landscape keyboard. I need a keyboard the size of the 9000s keyboard!

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[K Bear]

One of the mockups of what became the Torch had a horizontal sliding keyboard. It's not like RIM has never thought of utilizing this design.

[BunniesBerry]

So many people talk about the characteristics of BlackBerry users, 3 of which are:
The need for a physical keyboard
Their love for the BlackBerry keyboard
The ability to type with one hand.
2 of these might be lost with a physical landscape keyboard. I'm pretty much 100% sure the ability to type with one hand will be lost (I was never able to master that on my landscape keyboard, if you can you're quite the dedicated person in my eyes) and as deRusett said RIM has invested time and money into the BB keyboard. To master the landscape keyboard would be more time and money, and might not work out as they expect it too.

One part of me is bias because I know a landscape kb isn't for me. But another part of me keeps wishing RIM would take some risks, so experimenting might be for the best (comon son, they made the Style) I guess I worry that with RIM's slow development working on such a keyboard would delay putting out a phone I want to upgrade too...... yeah excuse my selfishness but my Tour is dying a slow death.....

[worktoomuch]

Thanks SO MUCH Snipperdo17 !
Bought the Lock Tilt App, loving it !

[ravenlore]

I would give anything for a "son of Storm"-a touchscreen with landscape physical qwerty. (global, LTE)

I love the form factor, but i have finally come to accept that I am too clumsy and fat-fingered to efficiently use a virtual kb. I frequently use intentional misspellings, so apps like Swype wouldn't help at all.

As much as I like the Storm, a "son of Storm" is the only thing that would keep me once there's a Moto Droid2 Global that's LTE-capable

[Skeevecr]

That would be kick ***. When I first saw the Torch I thought that landscape would have been way better. For some reason RIM is addicted to the little keyboard. I wish they would hire some people that think outside of their, meaning RIM's, box. It is shocking and a bit depressing seeing a global company like RIM be so horizontal with their products. It would be nice if they looked vertically once in a while.

A portrait physical kb offers a huge benefit over a portrait virtual kb, the gap simply isn't as great when comparing physical and virtual landscape kbs so when you combine that with the portrait kb allowing you to comfortably use the device with one hand then it is quite clear why they made the decision that they did even if they do eventually add the other type of slider to their range.