For those in the audience enamored with the
iPhone -- especially those willing to look past the lack of 3G and requisite 2-year service agreement -- there's really only one x-factor left: the touchscreen keyboard. We've all seen it done, but no one's ever seen it done right -- and
Steve seems to think it's going to be off the chain. So why is Dvorak, noted tech pundit, and goader of Mac users and
iPhone fans, reporting that he's got insider information that the iPhone's keyboard is complete crap and "people are going to return the phone in droves"? Well, that might have something to do with the fact that he's Dvorak, but we did consult a trusted and well connected source who, as it turns out, has heard the very same thing from multiple iPhone users, and who further noted that an accessory keyboard to go with the device may become necessary if the touchscreen keyboard doesn't cut the mustard. Of course, we can only reserve judgment until we wrap our paws on a real production model, but we hope it all turns out well -- even if only because we're sincerely frightened of an iPhone-incited fanboy riot in the streets.
posted June 8th 2007 12:47AM
Why can't the iPhone keyboard input be operated with one hand? Even if the QWERTY layout didn't allow for this, couldn't an alternative layout, for example a dialpad using T9 input (which I use on my current mobile phone with about the same success as my Treo) be displayed on the touchscreen?
Hi there. I am an iPhone user. Yes, you can enter text single handedly on the iPhone. I personally feel that I'm faster with two. Not sure what I can do with the other hand would be doing if I am walking and entering text single handedly. Seems like there's a lot of mis-information going on out there about the iPhone touchscreen. I personally find it so intuitive, that I want to be able to flick through long pages like I can on the iPhone.
Cheers!
As a new iPhone user, I can honestly say that they keyboard is overly criticized.
1 - It is very responsive to touch, in contrast to any Palm device, whose soft, easy to damage beyond repair screen doesn't register nearly as many touches and often mis-coordinates where the stylus hits. Note: iPhone's glass touch screen doesn't attract screen residue like the media wanted everyone to believe, and it's easily cleaned with a cloth as well
2 - Touchscreen entry is aided by the use of a dictionary. The iPhone will suggest words in case the wrong key was struck. I find that the on-screen touch keyboard is surprisingly accurate. I have been trusting the iPhone's ability to suggest alternate words, buy allowing misspellings rather than correcting them myself. Apple did their homework on this, because the iPhone is fairly accurate at suggesting the correct word. This should not be confused with autocompletion. The iPhone isn't completing your word, rather it's looking for existing words that can be made from neighboring keys. It's really looking for misspellings and does a great job at that. It doesn't try to complete the word you are typing, mostly because the touchscreen keyboard is as easy to use as a hard keyboard.
I would be surprised that droves of people are returning their iPhones, or will, over the touchscreen keyboard. Especially since an earlier study noted that after one week, iPhone users were at least as proficient on their new iPhone as they were on their previous device
Might as well mention that Apple's ability to support the real Internet on a small screen is truly visionary. It makes all those baby Internet devices look like dime-store quality design.
So here's one iPhone user that wont be returning his iPhone
Cheers!
Start by saying I'm not an Apple person. I like their products. I just don't buy them, partly b/c I don't like having what everyone else has.
Anyway, here's the thing. Apple makes really really nice user-friendly products and they do a slick marketing job. This is their forte. It doesn't matter if people who buy the iPhone end up hating the touch screen keyboard. At the end of the day, they may simply use it a little less for emailing than they originally imagined they would. That's it. They sure as hell are not going to return it after investing so much psychologically (and for some even a whole day in line) for months up to the product launch. And now that they have it, do you think they are going to return it after being envied by all their less tech saavy friends? no way.
I suspect that for the small percentage of iPhone's that do get returned (for reasons other than having a faulty product), a majority of those people returning them will be people who thought they might give the iPhone a go for business use.
Personally, I've had 2 touchscreen phones during the past 2 years. I'm over it. After the initial novelty wore off, I actually longed for the days of having a hard button for everything... And being the type of user that checks 3 email accounts (including a MS Exchange work account), I really didn't buy into the whole Jobs marketing fa fa:
"but I bet you dinner that after a few days of using it you'll be convinced. It takes a week -- you have to learn how to trust it. When you learn how to trust it, you'll fly."
Also, like many of you, I surf the web on my phone probably for at least 45 minutes a day. The opera mini browser is the best. When I'm doing it, I don't care that the page looks different than on my computer. All I care about is reading the news, board comments, maybe checking myspace as fast as possible. Incidentally, the new Opera Mini 4 beta performs a similar full page to zoom function... I don't like it. Who cares if you can see the whole page with super mini text and images you cannot even make out?
What's interesting is that most friends I know that have the iPhone, talk about the features like they're something new. When I tell them I could do all of that on my old phone 2 years ago, they always fall back on the "oh... but look how nice this is" partyline..
And of course you gotta hand it to apple. Their products ARE very nice.
Anyway, I ended up getting an HTC S710. Couldn't be happier. Maybe I'll get the iPhone 2g or 3g. who knows. all I know is that I'm really really happy they entered the phone market. Just means more full featured, nicer phones in the overall market will pop up in the near future since apple pushes up the bar in many aspects.
great times for a gadget lover!