Would You Rather Have NO Physical Keyboard?

[Redflea]

i think that's the beef that I've seen- you still have to double tap to zoom the brower rather than pinch becasue the browser doesn't have multitouch yet.

I've used pinch on my son's iTouch and don't really prefer one over the other...tap is quick and easy one-finger efficiency. Pinch may provide some additional level of zoom control.

But to continue to go on about this like it's terribly important makes no sense to me...but that's what discussion forums are for, I guess.

Also, the HTC Android models have it, so it should be able to be added to the Droid at some point if enough demand is there.

 

[rawness]

The Droid is Android 2.0. Verizon has made no edits to the OS.

I have used the Droid and I can say that is supports MT on the virtual keyboard.

I may be confused, I think what I remember reading about Android being able to handle it, but the Droid not may be in reference to MT with internet browsing, not the keyboard.

 

[michaelk]

Straight from the horse's mouth View attachment 518 - you can listen to the whole Podcast on their site.

is it possible that the fact that it only works on the virtual keyboard so it's not overt led engadget to miss it?

Or do you think the offical 2.0 release notes are incorrect?

Android 2.0 Platform Highlights | Android Developers

Android virtual keyboard

• ...
• The framework's multi-touch support ensures that key presses aren't missed while typing rapidly with two fingers.
• ...

Maybe it's just got multitouch for hitting 2 letter keys at the same time and it watches which one you press first and then which one you press second (although both might be pressed at the same time) and enters them both in the order pressed? But it doesn't yet let you press and hold shift and another key to get a cap?

 

[NSXLA]

We shall see on the 6th! I will just have to get myself use to the physical keyboard

 

[michaelk]

We shall see on the 6th! ...

agreed.

I am curious myself.


what's odder to me is that I could have sworn i read that 2.0 can track 3 touches at once- yet the quote above straight from the android page says '"2" fingers.

 

[punkzanyj]

I love physical keyboards, sorry, until they make it big enough so that you don't loose half to 2/3 of your screen real estate to a keyboard while still having keys big enough -- I'm always gonna want a physical keyboard.

I use the virtual keyboard from time to time on my G1, but honestly, it's got it's own issues. It's an app, remember, so it can get lagged the way the physical keyboard cannot. With physical keys, you're less likely to mistype because of the feel of them, whereas you could think you're on the E and get a W instead (which constantly happens to me on the virtual keyboard).


I don't get why everyone is obsessed with wafer thin phones. They're going to hand us potato chips next. The thinner it is, the more fragile it is, the easier it will slide out of pockets without being noticed, the harder it will be to hold onto if it gets wet or your fingers happen to be wet. I felt like I was constantly going to drop my G1 when I first got it, I ended up getting some armor for it so it would be thicker and be easier to grip. The saving grace was when I updated to that Seidio extended battery because now my phone is thick enough that it feels nice and sturdy. I'm all for them being lightweight, but I don't think phones should get any thinner, it may look cool, but it's not practical.

 

[Redflea]

Thin is in the eye/hand/pocket of the beholder.

I would like thinner than the current form factor - I carry my phone in my pocket and want it to take less space.

I want to put a case on it which will further enlarge it, so I want it thinner.

So for me thinner is better - to a point of course, don't want something fragile, but that's not going to be an issue if you take off a few mm.

My ideal Droid would be one where the keyboard was removable...

 

[blazingwolf]

I usually prefer no physical keyboard as I almost never use it and it makes the device much thinner.

 

[NSXLA]

I really can't comprehend the fixation of people wanting thinner phones!

how tight are your pockets???! and with the high level of radiation this phone gives off, are you sure want to keep it soooo close to your precious?

 

[blazingwolf]

I really can't comprehend the fixation of people wanting thinner phones!

how tight are your pockets???! and with the high level of radiation this phone gives off, are you sure want to keep it soooo close to your precious?

Found any scientific evidence that the radiation cause problems? Besides, I have 3 kids, I'm done.

 

[AdamHC]

I really can't comprehend the fixation of people wanting thinner phones!

how tight are your pockets???! and with the high level of radiation this phone gives off, are you sure want to keep it soooo close to your precious?

When you have all this stuff to carry around it's just annoying. Phone, wallet, and an iPod (but then again this phone could replace that), and then the other little random things you may be carrying around. Thinner means it won't bug you as much.

 

[punkzanyj]

Found any scientific evidence that the radiation cause problems? Besides, I have 3 kids, I'm done.

google "Cell Phone Radiation" and half the results that pop up are stories about scientific studies.

CNET says:

"Similarly, though some tests have suggested a link between long-term (10 years or longer) cell phone use and cancer, there still is not conclusive or demonstrated evidence that cell phones cause or don't cause adverse health effects in humans. In short, the jury is still out. Research into the matter will continue, and we will continue to monitor its results."

Cell phone radiation chart - CNET Reviews

Odds are, that carrying a little high-powered transmitter in your pocket is probably not great for your health, especially if you're fond of putting it in the same pocket every single time.

5 tips to limit your cell phone risk - CNN.com

I know with some phones I've had in the past, when I used to put my phone in the chest pocket of every shirt, my chest started tingling. Same with my left leg when that used to be favorite spot. Now I'm all about cargo pockets and those painter-pants with the pocket on right, with sufficiently baggy pants I haven't had any tingling in years.

 

[blazingwolf]

google "Cell Phone Radiation" and half the results that pop up are stories about scientific studies.

CNET says:

"Similarly, though some tests have suggested a link between long-term (10 years or longer) cell phone use and cancer, there still is not conclusive or demonstrated evidence that cell phones cause or don't cause adverse health effects in humans. In short, the jury is still out. Research into the matter will continue, and we will continue to monitor its results."

Proves my point.

 

[AdamHC]

google "Cell Phone Radiation" and half the results that pop up are stories about scientific studies.

CNET says:

"Similarly, though some tests have suggested a link between long-term (10 years or longer) cell phone use and cancer, there still is not conclusive or demonstrated evidence that cell phones cause or don't cause adverse health effects in humans. In short, the jury is still out. Research into the matter will continue, and we will continue to monitor its results."

Cell phone radiation chart - CNET Reviews

Odds are, that carrying a little high-powered transmitter in your pocket is probably not great for your health, especially if you're fond of putting it in the same pocket every single time.

5 tips to limit your cell phone risk - CNN.com

I know with some phones I've had in the past, when I used to put my phone in the chest pocket of every shirt, my chest started tingling. Same with my left leg when that used to be favorite spot. Now I'm all about cargo pockets and those painter-pants with the pocket on right, with sufficiently baggy pants I haven't had any tingling in years.

You just proved his point
I'm personally not that worried about it, i just don't like to be worried when we don't know theres a problem. Everything is killing us.

 

[cybercruiser]

I have the LG Voyager now, and think I want the Droid, I still have it in my head that I need a physical keyboard. I guess with the Droid, I'll try to not use the physical keyboard as much, then maybe, as virtual keyboards continue to get better, eventually I will be more comfortable going totally virtual :-D

 

[Barbara]

I have the LG Voyager now, and think I want the Droid, I still have it in my head that I need a physical keyboard. I guess with the Droid, I'll try to not use the physical keyboard as much, then maybe, as virtual keyboards continue to get better, eventually I will be more comfortable going totally virtual :-D

I'm not all that sure that they are going to go away. As the decider on all things cell phones, I informed my family that we are switching to Verizon. I am getting the Droid. My 3 family members all selected phones with the physical keyboard. (Well, I picked out the phone for my husband because he hasn't a clue. He just started texting last week.) I offered to buy my daughter the Eris and she said, "Does it have a slide out keyboard?" I think they might make them thinner and more efficient but I'm not sure they will go away just yet. The poll results indicate that they are still pretty popular.