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The iPhone has one property that improves its keyboard that will presumably be inherited by the iPad: predictive algorithms make "more likely" keys have larger
by blahedo 17y ago
The iPhone has one property that improves its keyboard that will presumably be inherited by the iPad: predictive algorithms make "more likely" keys have larger zones, even though the keyboard graphic isn't redrawn, so that if your finger hits an area between two keys, or even slightly onto an adjacent key, the "right" key will be interpreted instead. (The author also mentions autocorrection, which is not quite the same.)
But yeah, it still is just not going to be as good of tactile feedback as an actual keyboard, and virtually impossible to type on without looking at the keys---small hand placement errors will compound without constant feedback and will eventually cause "keyboard drift".
(And the most infamous example of a membrane keyboard that I'm aware of is the IBM PCjr... it's certainly the example that I use when I'm explaining to people why touch screens suck for typing.)
- Zev 17y agoBut yeah, it still is just not going to be as good of tactile feedback as an actual keyboard This was one of the most common complaints about the iPhone when it first came out. Now? Its not complained about nearly as often. I think its safe to say that for most people, the lack of a physical keyboard on the iPhone isn't a negative.
- alanthonyc 17y agoI can live with it, but it's still a compromise. The negative of not having tactile feedback from the keys is more than compensated for by the rest of the features available on the iPhone. Not being able to touch type is a pain.
- baddox 17y agoI still don't like the iPhone keyboard. I don't perpetually complain about it, I just elect to never buy one.
- mbreese 17y agoIf you don't own one, then why are you commenting about it? Until you've used the iPhone keyboard for a significant length of time, how can you claim that you don't like it? I don't know anyone that would claim that the iPhone has a great keyboard or would want to do any lengthy typing on it. By and large though, people I know think that it's 'better than expected'. Perhaps with the larger size of the iPad, it might work well for a keyboard. I'm still not typing for hours on it, but for emails or notes during a meeting, it might work just fine.
- baddox 17y agoPerhaps I'm biased. Unfortunately, people who purchase an iPhone may also be biased by post-purchase rationalization. I actually have used touch-screen keyboards, especially the iPhone's, many times. I'm not saying it's the worst experience ever. It's far better than typing on a number pad with T9 or another predictive algorithm. With time it would certainly be doable, maybe even unnoticeable to the user. Still, it is far worse than even the worst tactile qwerty phone keyboard.
- lurkinggrue 17y agoThe PCjr was a chicklet keyboard.