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Home » Accessories, Opinion

The Keyboard Challenge

Posted by Steve Laser on October 16, 2008 – 9:26 pm  Share
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What good is a portable device if you have no effective means of inputting data?  Manufacturers have come up with creative ideas for interacting with our devices.  I’ve divided them up into three basic categories.  The first, pictured below left, is the candybar keyboard as illustrated by the Blackberry Curve.  Our next challenger is the two-handed keyboard shown on the Sprint PPC6700.  Finally, the iPhone uses a software keyboard. 

The challenge:  Which category provides the most effective means of interacting with your device?

BlackBerry_Curve Sprint_ppc6700 iphone

Read on to find out…

Challenger 1: The Blackberry Curve.  When considering this input method you must include the trackball (the round item between the keyboard and the screen).  The keys are logically placed and their orientation, combined with the trackball, makes one-handed operation simple and intuitive.  Two-handed operation is also easy, as the keys are always within reach.  Many friends of mine, non-techies to be sure, have found the Curve easy to adapt to and a pleasure to use.  The trackball moves fluidly and quickly, unlike the molasses imbued D-pad on a windows mobile device.  It’s no wonder that Blackberry has enjoyed mass appeal. 

Other devices in this category are the Blackjack, the Treo line, and the Moto Q.

Challenger 2: The Sprint PPC6700.  This style of keyboard is far larger than the Curve, allowing for bigger keys.  This is both a blessing and a curse, however.  The size of the keyboard virtually forces two-handed use, as one hand cannot reach from one end of the keyboard to the other easily.  On the other hand, two-handed use makes the keyboard very functional. 

When the keyboard is stowed away, the display is in portrait mode.  Sliding the keyboard back out reorients the display to landscape.  This takes about 3.5 seconds, according to a review by Gizmodo.  Further, the keyboard adds significant thickness to the phone.  The delay in accessing the keyboard, combined with the thick unit, puts this category behind the Curve.

Other models in this category include the HTC TyTn, The new Android, and the HTC S730.  Maybe I should’ve called this the HTC category.

Challenger 3: The iPhone.  Like the Curve, it features a portrait orientation.  Unlike the Curve, it’s not so easy to use.  Even though the highlighted key expands to let the user know what they pressed, it’s too easy to miss the correct key.  Though it gets easier with use, it’s not as effective or intuitive as a hardware keyboard.  Conversely, it also allows both one and two-handed use.

Other items in this category include ZoomBoard soft panel input for Windows Mobile devices (which is excellent as soft keyboards go).

The winner…

Congratulations to the Blackberry Curve category!  This keyboard is so easy to use, non-techies become experts in minutes.  It allows both one and two-handed operation, is very functional, and doesn’t add much heft to the device.  The competition was also very good.  The iPhone introduced a new concept in keyboards that allows for a larger screen rather than sacrificing screen for hardware.  It’s well executed and fairly easy to use and has been imitated ad infinitum.  The PPC6700 is another good effort.  It’s spacious keyboard makes input a pleasure.

The competition was tough and all three competitors shined in their own way.  But the Curve edged out the other two with greater functionality, ease of use, and very small space requirements.

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  • Pony99CA
    @TOCA:
    However intuitive the Blackberry style is, it does make the device twice as big as it should be, or the screen half the size it could be, depending on how you look at it, either way it’s not the perfect sollutuion to the problem.

    First, I think if I just cut the keyboard off of my Motorola Q9m, it would be 2/3 its current size, not 1/2. So I think the keyboard only adds 50%.

    Second, I don't think there is a perfect solution in mobile devices. That's why we have all of the different phone form factors, not to mention laptops, UMPCs, tablets, netbooks, MIDs, etc.

    Finding what tradeoffs work best for you is probably more productive than looking for a "perfect" solution. I think that's what Steve was trying to accomplish.

    Oh, just remebered one more input method, left out from this review, the PALM Handwriting recognition engine. Though not one handed, it’s still one of the fastest ways to make text input on a handheld device, and imo. the best and most intuitive way.

    Perhaps (although I never was happy with Transcriber the few times I tried it), but this was specifically described as being a keyboard challenge. Mentioning other input methods may be helpful to others, but irrelevant to the issue at hand.

    If Car & Driver is comparing SUVs and carrying capacity, I wouldn't expect them to include an 18-wheeler tractor-trailer even though it might have the best carrying capacity. :D

    Steve
  • TOCA
    There are two text input methods left out of this somewhat low end comparrison, the full screen keyboards, and the alternative SIP's like Tengo.

    Yes the Full screen ones has been replased by slide outs, but they are still faster than the standard ones, and verry easy to use, once you get the hang of them.

    Tengo, and its compettitors, does take a bit of getting used to, but once you get their point, they can beat a full sized ten finger keybord in typing speed, any day, and they are one handed finger friendly.

    However intuitive the Blackberry style is, it does make the device twice as big as it should be, or the screen half the size it could be, depending on how you look at it, either way it's not the perfect sollutuion to the problem. The slide out models makes the device twice as thick as it should be, so that's not the perfect way neither. The Iphone approach is better than the WM standard keyboard, but not the best SIP arround, by far.

    Oh, just remebered one more input method, left out from this review, the PALM Handwriting recognition engine. Though not one handed, it's still one of the fastest ways to make text input on a handheld device, and imo. the best and most intuitive way.
  • Zealot
    At this point i have used just about all input methods available on mobile devices except for slideout keyboards. However, the QWERTY on the Tungsten C could only really be used 2 handed, and I tend to use my Eee 701 as a two handed thumbboard so I know the form pretty well.

    Text input on a mobile device is very much a point of personal preference. No two users are exactly the same.

    For me, least effective was always handwriting recognition. I tried this on Palm devices as well as PPCs and never got a satisfactory result. I can barely read my OWN handwriting, why should I expect a PDA to do so?

    Better then handwriting recog but not by much for me are virtual keyboards. I have used stylus based versions on the Tungsten E and iPaq 2215 and finger based on the iPod Touch. For me they tend to be slow, error prone and a pain to bring up on screen. Also, for me screen space is always at a premium so I hate giving up so much for a keyboard. The iPod keyboard has some nice innovations like the character preview feature, but it is still impossible for more then brief notes and field completion.

    I fear I simply need a physical QWERTY keyboard ona device in order to enter text productively. My fave is the Moto Q which I use two handed for longer texts, like this comment, and one handed for field completion. I also use it two handed for writing short essays and poetry on the bus. QWERTY devices are my choice because I simply need the tactile response only a physical keyboard can give me.

    Of course, I benefit from large hands, nimble thumbs and a lot of practice at it. Others will prefer other methods based on their needs, prefereces and tasks. As always, variety is important in mobile devices but I advise anyone to try out the keyboard on a device before they buy it. Forewarned is forarmed.

    Z
  • Pony99CA
    @Steve Laser:

    Did you actually use these devices, or are these your thoughts on them without having used them (or used them much). Saying something like "Sliding the keyboard back out reorients the display to landscape. This takes about 3.5 seconds, according to a review by Gizmodo," makes me think that you didn't use them yourself. (If you had, you could have timed it and not relied on Gizmodo.)

    And what about other keyboard types, like the SureType on some BlackBerries (the Pearl, I think) and the T-Mobile Shadow.

    @frankenbike:

    Kinda disappointed in this article/review. For one, the 6700 is an ancient boat anchor. Two generations old. It shouldn’t be used in any kind of comparison.

    I agree with one exception. If Steve actually had these three devices and did testing, I can see why he'd use the 6700 -- he may not have had any other device to try.

    However, if these are just his thoughts on the matter, wny not use a modern device like the Touch Pro?

    @kcmatt:

    Anyway, I have always stuck with slide-out QWERTY devices, but the two hand requirement can be frustrating, especially for short texts or text boxes on the internet.

    But with Pocket PC Phone/WM Pro devices (not too many Smartphone/WM Standard devices have slide-out keyboards), you can use the virtual keyboard to enter those short items without having to open the physical keyboard. You still need two hands, though, as you do with almost any touchscreen device.

    Steve
  • Julie
    I think it is entirely a personal choice. I don't enter much data directly into my phone, even with a fully functional keyboard, it is not, and never will be, comfortable using such a small keyboard to type a bunch of data into a mobile device.
  • Duwenbasden
    My preference is the slide out h/w keyboard, then the soft keyboard, then the portrait hardware keys. I found the portrait keys takes too much space, makes the device fat, and the keys still too small for speedy typing. On my Axim I can type ~25-30wpm with the pocketcm keyboard, and even faster with the slider keys. Please compare the Touch Pro / Xperia with the others, and not this piece of ancient history.
  • kcmatt
    I'm amazed that voice recognition has not become an option for text input by now. I'm not talking about being fully integrated into the OS, but just a button you would push to begin speaking anytime you have a cursor on a text entry screen. It could even be an option with the soft keyboard, block recognizer, transcriber, etc in WM.

    Anyway, I have always stuck with slide-out QWERTY devices, but the two hand requirement can be frustrating, especially for short texts or text boxes on the internet. I've seen a few few phones with slide out qwerty and a numeric keypad on the front. This might be nice because you could use T9 input with one hand for the small stuff. But has anyone tried BOTH a slide-out qwerty AND a small Blackberry-style qwerty on the front? Mabye it would be best to have something like a Blackberry and carry a folding Bluetooth keyboard. Hmmmm...
  • doogald
    I own a Q9m, have had it for 10 months, and I still make typos almost every time that I try to enter something. I think that every data entry method in a form factor like this requires some sort of compromise.

    That said, I wouldn't want to write a novel with any of these data entry methods, but I'd feel pretty comfortable using any of them to write a quick mail message, text message, enter a web address in a browser address bar, etc.

    And I think it should also be noted that your preferred method does have the problem of reducing screen size. Always a problem for a guy like me, in his 40s.

    Anyway, your opinion is fine; I'm just not sure that it is applicable to every potential user.
  • Don't Panic!
    Personally I like the SIP included with Pocket PCs. There is no transition time when changing orientation. Using a stylus on a QWERTY panel to type is really simple although definitely not the fastest data entry method around. I guess I'm just old school.
  • frankenbike
    Kinda disappointed in this article/review. For one, the 6700 is an ancient boat anchor. Two generations old. It shouldn't be used in any kind of comparison.

    But the main thing I'd like to know is what criteria, applications or communications were being used to reach the conclusion.

    My wife and I have different slide out Qwerty phones (I've got the Mogul, she a Rumor), and while we have to use two hands in hardware keyboard mode, we can type FAST. And without necessarily looking at our screen. I clocked my wife at 25 words per minute using real words.

    For this comparison, I'd want to see some quantitative data: Speed to enter specific, lengthy text in a text messaging application, responding to a long company email, speed in doing a web search, or whatever else you can measure. I want real reasons why the conclusion was reached ;)

    In other words, I want a pure text entry based article that really measures the utility of the device for someone doing a lot of text entry for business or personal use.

    --
    FB
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