Database Users

soft keyboard

I like to carry my Advantage on the leather cover without the keyboard, what help to keep it protected without making too much bulk on my pocket. I have tried many of the soft keyboards available and like very much Resco, Zoomboard and PocketCM. However I think the best layout is the one which have the keys on the 'smile' orientation which apparently none of them offer. I'm using SPB full keyboard because of that but don't like the fact it covers the all screen, it's more oriented for small screen than to the Advantage. Does anyone knows about a VGA skin on this shape? What everybody is using for soft keyboard?

I've tried many software keyboard. I always go back to Tengo 2.1. If you're not using 192dpi, it's good to also have Resco Keyboard in addition to Tengo 2.1.
At the moment I'm back to using my device in 192dpi again, after using it in 96dpi for many months. At this dpi, I like to completely do without the stylus. So I've redone my iLauncher to use the Thumb tab and have big icons throughout. Tengo 2.1 works very well for Thumb typing. There are only six big keys (or rather six areas of keys) to touch most of the time, so its really easy. Tengo's keyboard size is the same under all dpi. It does not invade your screen like some other soft keyboard, despite having one of the largest sized keys (or areas of keys).
One other important consideration is weather or not you need to input in other languages too. If you need to input in East Asian language, then your choices may be different again, just as example.

Thank you Eaglesteve, I will try Tengo. I'm using 192dpi also because on the move I need something that I can easy 'shot' the right key due to the large icons instead of 'aiming' perfectly on the bullseye. Many times walking and working with the Advantage, what a great machine!!

rcf2 said:
Thank you Eaglesteve, I will try Tengo. I'm using 192dpi also because on the move I need something that I can easy 'shot' the right key due to the large icons instead of 'aiming' perfectly on the bullseye. Many times walking and working with the Advantage, what a great machine!!
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Click to collapse
Be sure to go through the tutorial first.
If you're using it in 192 dpi, forget about Resco, because Tengo 2.1 has three different layout, one of which is the big sized standard keyboard, which is good for typing in software serial number, etc. The other two layouts are not suitable for such job.
The thing that you will like about this keyboard is that it is not necessary to type the specific key precisely although that would also work. The idea is to allow you to be very very imprecise and yet give you the correct words to choose from. Your finger need not travel all over the place when you type. Just touch the TYGHBN area.
If you need special and unique words, then go for the key precisely. What you type will appear on top right corner. Just choose that word instead of the proposed ones. Once you have used that unique word once, it automatically gets added to the dictionary so that you can use that word by typing imprecisely at the six area later on.
Enjoy.

How do you change resoloution?
Forgive me for my stupid question, but how do you change the screen resolution on your athena?
Would like to do that myself!

branko.savic said:
Forgive me for my stupid question, but how do you change the screen resolution on your athena?
Would like to do that myself!
Click to expand...
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Not sure if I understand what you're asking. If your question is what I think it is, then the answer is to use realVGA. Am I missing something?

I think that's what he's asking.
RealVGA: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=327830

techntrek said:
I think that's what he's asking.
RealVGA: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=327830
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Click to collapse
Thanks!
Thats exactly what I meant!

Best Keyboard?

I'm using TouchPal at the moment, but it doesn't change when you switch to landscape. Can anyone recommend a decent keyboard which makes use of all that space in landscape?

Heh, I wish I could get TouchPal to work on my HD, but it refuses to install correctly.
I honestly thought TouchPal was the best keyboard out there. SPB Keyboard 4.0 has a landscape-fullscreen keyboard, which occupies the whole screen, with one line of text input. The HTC landscape keyboard isn't that bad either.

is there any KB out there as good as the iphone KB, including predictability?
HD KB isnt bad, but can drive me crazy sometimes as it isnt smart. T9 is prone to errors that place words in the middle of the sentance.

ekerbuddyeker said:
is there any KB out there as good as the iphone KB, including predictability?
HD KB isnt bad, but can drive me crazy sometimes as it isnt smart. T9 is prone to errors that place words in the middle of the sentance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is a very personal choice so you should try out all of them. What I like most is Tengo, but not necessarily what you like. Iphone keyboard does not appeal to me at all.

ekerbuddyeker said:
is there any KB out there as good as the iphone KB, including predictability?
HD KB isnt bad, but can drive me crazy sometimes as it isnt smart. T9 is prone to errors that place words in the middle of the sentance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm, what's so great about the iPhone keyboard? Its predictability is rather average especially for a full QWERTY, and it is not nearly as thought-through as TouchPal (my favourite, if you can't tell ). TouchPal is so easy to use as it is a breeze to switch between all the possible modes, there is no soft keyboard for me that types faster than its SureType (2 characters per key) mode, in fact I don't have much difference in typing speed between this and my Blackberry's suretype board, which I loved, as I can type blindly and a lot faster on suretype than on qwerty. Best of all: activate word prediction, and it is a SureType, deactivate prediction and it is a QWERTY, without changing views. Nice feat if you want to throw in a URL or a custom word in between...
The ONLY drawback as far as I am concerned is the lack of a landscape mode, and it doesn't even feel like a drawback to me since I hate keyboards that completely change layout when the screen rotates. All fine and dandy that there is more space available for a KB in landscape mode but the fact that I need to change typing style along with the screen orientation every time gets old really fast.
Just my $0.02.

IceEyz said:
Heh, I wish I could get TouchPal to work on my HD, but it refuses to install correctly.
I honestly thought TouchPal was the best keyboard out there. SPB Keyboard 4.0 has a landscape-fullscreen keyboard, which occupies the whole screen, with one line of text input. The HTC landscape keyboard isn't that bad either.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
TouchPal wouldn't install for me either.
Tried several times.
​

I use the Teksoft Fingertouch. After installing Gyrator2, it does both landscape and portrait, has 5 different keyboards, and the QWERTY full keyboard in landscape is what I use for SMS messages. The keys are just big enough to hit with your thumbs and I have Snailslug Touchresponse to give me haptic feedback whenever the screen is touched. I tried TouchPal, but the keys were just too small and it used the portrait keyboard even in landscape.

I really love the www.pocketcm.com keyboard, customizable and skinnable

@sebbes: Do you have a skin for pcm keyboard that fit in the HD in landscape mode (with a french layout ) ?

Anyone else got suggestions for good keyboard for "thumbboarding"? (ie with both thumbs). I think if done properly that's the best solution for text entry with the device, because you have a solid grip of the device with both hands, and the size of the screen makes the buttons big enough for thumb hits.

i just wish my old workinghorse TENGO THUMB would work
tryed it and it did end up realy weird on the sccreen.... i have used manny onscreen keyboards... but nothing beats tengo thumb when it comes to writing fast!
tengo.net

tkalli said:
TouchPal wouldn't install for me either.
Tried several times.
​
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hm...that's strange. I installed Touchpal on my HD without any problems.
Are you sure you downloaded the Windows Mobile 6.1 version of Touchpal (not the 6.0 one)?
The only 2 issues I've had are:
- it doesn't stay as default after a soft-reset (though this is usually very quick to overcome as you can pop up the SIP menu and Touchpal is right there on the menu)
- as someone mentioned before, the landscape version isn't being displayed when the HD is on it's side...maybe a detection issue. The normal keyboard is displayed but it's still quite usable.
Ben

New version of TouchPal will support landscape mode. It should be out still ion this year.

In my opinion, the best keyboard on Touch HD is Tengo Thumb. Not the regular Tengo, but the Thumb version.
The QWERTY keys are zoned into 6 areas. As long as you press the correct area, it is unnecessary to accurate touch the precise location of the key. It is similar to the T9 version of the Compact QWERTY except you have fewer areas to worry about, therefore affording bigger hitting areas and requiring even less precision.
I had previously used the regular version, which gives a good regions size on my Athena, but that proves too small for HD. The aspect ratio of HD, being taller, also makes this keyboard a perfect input tool in portrait mode. On landscape it occupies just a little too much of the real estate though.

gnagis said:
i just wish my old workinghorse TENGO THUMB would work
tryed it and it did end up realy weird on the sccreen.... i have used manny onscreen keyboards... but nothing beats tengo thumb when it comes to writing fast!
tengo.net
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tengo Thumb works perfectly for me. No wierd behaviours noted yet.

resco keyboard suits me quite well. the only thing that lacks is push and hold function for scandic letters.

tkalli said:
TouchPal wouldn't install for me either.
Tried several times.
​
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is strange, I just download the latest V3.5 Touchpal install successful and it works very good in my HD

Some advice, please.
nin2thevoid said:
Hmm, what's so great about the iPhone keyboard? ...........
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Click to collapse
I'm not an iphone fan (see my signature) but i have to recognise that, as much as I hated errors while fingertyping (no stylus allowed, and I've BIG fingers) at least, when you push the keyboard, you see the intended hit character in a "bubble" that is slighly offset of the key, so you actually SEE the letter close to your finger, not the corners of a grey square UNDER your finger, where in fact you can not read what is inside.
Has any of the proposed keboards have this feature?
I've read all the posts in this thread without much info on specific features.
Thanks for help.

Touchpal 3.5
Ive tried them all but I always come back to touchpal. Works great on my HD. Just wont stay default, but not a big problem. Multiple dictionaries, I Speak English and Spanish and is great with both dictionaries. Resize on the fly if the keyboard is too big. Most programs resize automatically. Easy to use with thumb, perfect for me. All keyboards are personal preference though.

does touchpal have romanian dictionary ? where can i get it from ?
thanks.

What keyboard software do you use?

Hi, is there a keyboard with 5 rows (numbers visible) that you can still accuratly press keys with your fingers? Because my passwords contain both numbers and letters and i have to enter them a lot :-( Thanks.

mdalacu said:
Hi, is there a keyboard with 5 rows (numbers visible) that you can still accuratly press keys with your fingers? Because my passwords contain both numbers and letters and i have to enter them a lot :-( Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I recommend Fingerkeyboard. It is free, highly customizable and does a great job. See my signature for the link. You can create your own layout if you want. I think other users have already made a layout with 5 rows, but if not, you can make your own. It is pretty easy. You can also see my signature for a basic tutorial on editing layouts. You decide what keys you wnat, where you want them, and what characters you want each key to type. If you have questions, you can post them in the Fingerkeyboard 2.1 thread here.
Another good keyboard if you prefer sliding instead of typing is SlideIT by Dasur. It costs $15 and does a great job. You can type (i.e. slide) really fast with it. It also supports many languages. You can view their homepage here.

Thank you!

Chris Cross said:
I recommend Fingerkeyboard. It is free, highly customizable and does a great job. See my signature for the link. You can create your own layout if you want. I think other users have already made a layout with 5 rows, but if not, you can make your own. It is pretty easy. You can also see my signature for a basic tutorial on editing layouts. You decide what keys you wnat, where you want them, and what characters you want each key to type. If you have questions, you can post them in the Fingerkeyboard 2.1 thread here.
Another good keyboard if you prefer sliding instead of typing is SlideIT by Dasur. It costs $15 and does a great job. You can type (i.e. slide) really fast with it. It also supports many languages. You can view their homepage here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I ready that fingerkeyboard had problems with the HD2, can you confirm that it works well, and what version are u using?

Today i tried TouchPal. it is the BEST keyboard for the HD2 (at least for me).
It is so east to type accurately now.

i agree with Touch Pal i can write extremly fast plus a lower sensitive cab installation is just perfect - at least for me.

Zoomboard from vito

halling said:
I ready that fingerkeyboard had problems with the HD2, can you confirm that it works well, and what version are u using?
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Click to collapse
one of the reasons that FK had problems with the HD2 is the speed of the capacitive screen. Some people correct that with the lesss sensitive Cab on this site. With FK go to options and delay the two hold times. I've set the left one to 400 instead of 250 and the right one to 250. Now FB works well on the HD2.
Chriss: can you confirm this and also tell us what the left and right one are for???

I installed TouchPal and thought it was pretty naff compared to the standard HTC keyboard, to be honest. I can type faster and mode accurately using the standard keyboard. In fact, this post was written using it!

kuzibri said:
...
Chriss: can you confirm this and also tell us what the left and right one are for???
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Click to collapse
Sorry guys. I got mixed up. No, I have not tested it on the Leo (I'm still looking into getting one ). I have only read the same reports that you have all mentioned here.
And @kuzibri: what do you mean with "what the left and right one are for"?

Chris Cross said:
Sorry guys. I got mixed up. No, I have not tested it on the Leo (I'm still looking into getting one ). I have only read the same reports that you have all mentioned here.
And @kuzibri: what do you mean with "what the left and right one are for"?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
in the options tab there are two response time possibilities, eg left and right one.

I've tried a few of the others now, but still easily prefer the HTC supplied keyboard. I just wish it had the same gesture support as the WM default keyboard.

just another suggestion for a good keyboard for HD2: Cliquick. This also rotates the screen to landscape when pressing the .,123 key in whichever program you're in. You can find it here: http://cliquick.com/
edit: you can also set it to be your default SIP in the option settings.

Anyone happen to try SlideIt (http://www.dasur.co.il/Product/SlideIT/SlideIT.php) on the HD2? If not, anyone feel like trying the demo & letting me know how it works?

polstein said:
Anyone happen to try SlideIt (http://www.dasur.co.il/Product/SlideIT/SlideIT.php) on the HD2? If not, anyone feel like trying the demo & letting me know how it works?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes, I tried it. Its awesome in terms of speed and ease of use, but cannot switch to landscape mode. When you switch to landscape, e.g. in Opera, the screen gets messed up with this keyboard and a soft reset is needed. If I only was to use portrait mode, this would be the keyboard of choice.
Now that has become Cliquick. This even switches Word Mobile to landscape when you press the ",.123" key without using a third party sensor app like Gyrator or ChangeScreen. It comes with a 60 day trial and, if you do not want to buy it therafter, you can still use it for a max of 100 chars a day.

Let me throw ShapeWriter into the mix also.
Takes some getting used to but unce you've got it, it's much faster than a regular keypad (imo)

richard.ian.brown said:
Let me throw ShapeWriter into the mix also.
Takes some getting used to but unce you've got it, it's much faster than a regular keypad (imo)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's a pitty that this is only in English si I canot use it. BTW, it has great resemblance with Dasur's SlideIT. That one is blazing fast and easy to use (and supports several languages), but its main flaw is that it does not support landcsape. In this orientation it messes up the screen and a soft reset is needed. Otherwise this would be my nr 1 keyboard. Now that is Cliquick.

kuzibri said:
yes, I tried it. Its awesome in terms of speed and ease of use, but cannot switch to landscape mode. When you switch to landscape, e.g. in Opera, the screen gets messed up with this keyboard and a soft reset is needed. If I only was to use portrait mode, this would be the keyboard of choice.
Now that has become Cliquick. This even switches Word Mobile to landscape when you press the ",.123" key without using a third party sensor app like Gyrator or ChangeScreen. It comes with a 60 day trial and, if you do not want to buy it therafter, you can still use it for a max of 100 chars a day.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds like the exact problem I have on my Advantage (the rotation issue). I've been the only one to report it, so I'm forwarding your note here as well.
I'll have to try Cliquick. Is this the one where you have to hit the same key several times to get different letters (like hit ab to get "a" and hit it again to get "b" ? Guess I'll find out.
Glad to hear the SlideIT works well except for the rotation issue, so if they can fix it, I'll be very happy.

I have noticed the latest version of Fingerkeyboard refusing to open when my HD2 (Leo) has come out of standby - can't recall what was running just prior so haven't raised it with the creator yet. I couldn't open another keyboard so had to take the battery out on the two occassions it happened.
A keyboard I have been using of late, as it worked well on my Touch HD is Zoomboard

I have tried both slideit and shapewriter and on the HD2 I much prefer slide it, its mainly due to how it handles the irratic behaviour of the capacitive screen, I mean HTC need to fix up its response, in shapewriter the line drawn with your finger tends to be scribbled everywhere missing letters, to much lesser extent on slidit, the keys are much easier to hit in slideit imo. the finger sliding keyboards are the way to go either way, I can type so much faster with slidit and takes only little parctice to get a real knack of it ... slideIT is fantastic

Tweaking HTC Keyboard. Possible?

Anyone know if it's possible to tweak the qwerty keyboard? I'm coming over from a TP2 and I like the builtin KB that HTC provides, and it should be even nicer on the larger screen, but it's not as handy as it could be. There are extra, blank keys on the 2/2 Numeric pad and I'm wondering if it's possible to add some keys. For instance it would be very handy to have a space key in the numeric pads.

I just upgraded from a TYTN II and i do miss the physical keyboard and i'm not too crazy over the software keyboard mainly because i don't get the tactile feel of pressing the keys.
But have you tried the Swype ? Needs a little getting used to but i'm getting pretty good with Swype and i feel it's a lot faster than typing. Plus it looks pretty cool

Ther are other keyboards. Sorry, I don't recall their name. One was very customizable though. I tired two different ones, but they didn't play nice with predictive text.

I have Resco and I like it well enough, though the version I have doesn't seem to have been built for 800x480 so it doesn't use all of the screen real estate. Therefore the keys are too small.
I like the HTC QWERTY keyboard a lot. It just doesn't seem to be customizable and therefore one has to switch between the screens more than it might otherwise be necessary in order to get the keys you're after. All I really want to do is to be able to enter a space while on the numeric screen. Not move the cursor, but to add an actual space. And to swap a couple of the characters on the 1/2 screen with others on the ABC and 2/2 screens.
Other than that I think it's a great keyboard. The haptic for me provides enough feedback and the keys are plenty big enough. My Leo should be here today or tomorrow and then I can start trying different things. If it turns out Resco's current KB can be made larger then that would probably be just the ticket assuming the HTC KB cannot be customized. I'm not really interested in tryiing Swype, but thanks for the tip.

I would imagine there's an XML keymap somewhere that we could conceivably edit but I'm not sure, i'd like to know the answer as well.

Tref said:
All I really want to do is to be able to enter a space while on the numeric screen. Not move the cursor, but to add an actual space.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you dont mean THIS space then?

Alternate Software Keyboards?

Has anyone here tried alternate software keyboards with the HD2 (other than the ones that come with it)?
For instance, SPB keyboard (giant keys), Fitaly keyboard (different key layout, different kind of prediction), etc.?
Curious to hear your reviews--whether there is any point in getting any of those?
Also, is there any way to get the standard WinMo one back? (I don't mean for all the time, but occasionally it comes in handy. For instance, it has a Ctrl key, which one can use to cut and paste. Touch Ctrl then C, it copies selected text to the clipboard. Ctrl then V pastes them. Etc. I've only seen that Ctrl key on the standard winmo keybd.)

if you have not tried swype yet i would suggest giving it a go.
it works very well on the HD2 and makes inputing text alot easier

try Resco, ive just bought it cos i find it is more accurate and looks alot like the htc original
it has some great features and is only £6.50, theres a 10 day trial on it for testing.
ive found it to be faster to type with less errors, with the same size keys. it also has copy and paste as well as a calculator built in

me said:
Has anyone here tried alternate software keyboards with the HD2 (other than the ones that come with it)?
For instance, SPB keyboard (giant keys), Fitaly keyboard (different key layout, different kind of prediction), etc.?
Curious to hear your reviews--whether there is any point in getting any of those?
Also, is there any way to get the standard WinMo one back? (I don't mean for all the time, but occasionally it comes in handy. For instance, it has a Ctrl key, which one can use to cut and paste. Touch Ctrl then C, it copies selected text to the clipboard. Ctrl then V pastes them. Etc. I've only seen that Ctrl key on the standard winmo keybd.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does anyone know of a iPhone looking keyboard?
I hate, Hate, HATE the arrow keys on the HTC keyboard and the alternatives are not what I am used to.
The layout of the iPhone keyboard is absolutely perfect for me and unlike Android, I cant seem to find a keyboard replacement that has the same layout
Please if anyone knows of one let me know

Considering most of us hate the iphone keyboard, I'm guessing that is why no one has made one. I like the arrows on the htc keyboard, about the only reason I use it.
Have you tried swype?
How about fingerkeyboard?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=501434

nrfitchett4 said:
Considering most of us hate the iphone keyboard, I'm guessing that is why no one has made one.
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I absolute LOVE the iPhone keyboard! I hate how my right hand has to type awkwardly due to the arrow keys taking up space on the right side of the landscape keyboard. I would much rather just have larger letter keys.
nrfitchett4 said:
Have you tried swype?
How about fingerkeyboard?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=501434
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmmm I tried the SPB keyboard and the Rescoe keyboard so far but didn't like either one. I want something that has the EXACT same layout of the iPhone if possible.
Edit:
- tried out Fingerkeyboard 2.1 and it doesn't work since it still has the same arrow keys which I HATE and dont want on my keyboard taking up space
- tried out swype but it lags when doing regular typing and doesnt show a letter pop up above the letter you type like the iPhone does.
Anyone else know of a iPhone type keyboard?