What is Digg?119 Comments
- noghead, on 07/22/2008, -9/+69Here is a tip to hide your bias towards iphone: don't use the iphone stopwatch to record the time.
This shows that the tester likes the iphone, is comfortable with the iphone, and the purpose of conducting the experiment was to defend the iphone.
And how can you conclude the iphone is faster from one person's test. Like I said, maybe this person is used to the iphone keyboard and is quicker with it than other people. - alpha88, on 07/23/2008, -3/+31Why would you buy the iPhone if you detest touch screens? That's just stupid.
- Zippo, on 07/23/2008, -4/+30Admittedly, yes, it takes some getting used to typing on the iPhone... but I actually find it easier typing on the iPhone than on my father's BlackBerry. The BlackBerry's keys are actually smaller and I find it easier to type special characters on the iPhone (and especially non-English characters)
If anything, it's definitely better than typing out on my old RAZR. - tattertech, on 07/23/2008, -0/+16You wouldn't usually say you've had it for a week if it's a friends...
- gllopc, on 07/23/2008, -4/+19I have no problems typing on the iPhone. I think the article's author could be a little biased, but I believe his results are commonplace.
- uselessexpert, on 07/23/2008, -5/+20This test is total BS...
What about the person who performed the test?
Does he use the iPhone every day? Has he ever used a Treo?
Or for that fact, where's the Blackberry?
Why not get one person that uses each device as their every day phone and then redo the test? - guytoronto, on 07/23/2008, -9/+23Put down the iPhone, and go outside. Play with your kids. Have a beer with your neighbour. You don't need to e-mail the office in the middle of dinner.
- mikek814, on 07/23/2008, -7/+20Person typing switched to iPhone July 11th and used Treo before that for 4 years. Try testing yourself.
- cleverboy, on 07/23/2008, -1/+12The iPhone has an UNlearning curve. It does MORE for you than other keyboards, so you need to STOP doing so much in order for it to work better. Strange but true.
- rimantas, on 07/23/2008, -1/+11Dug down for unsafe driving.
- Lutz, on 07/23/2008, -0/+8A fair test would have had to be made by someone who is comfortable with the iphone since it's "keyboard" has a higher getting-used-too threshold than phones with "real" keyboards.
What's interesting is how well you'd coupe with the keyboard when you're used to it, not how well you coupe with it the first time.
A more interesting test would of course be if each phone was tested by an active user to see who writes the fastest. - Frost9999, on 07/23/2008, -2/+10I analysed a database of all my text messages from the last 10 years and found that there are only about 10 true variations of the message content and with a further 10 modifiers I can communicate everything I need to. So I send a 3 digit number which corresponds to one of the 110 possible messages. It saves me loads of time and my friends rarely answer, which saves even more time. I think they're slowly catching on though since I sent them all a cheat-sheet for the number codes.
033 - cleverboy, on 07/23/2008, -6/+12Hey, Vandy... if you can type faster on a Nokia E90 than an iPhone, you're simply doing something wrong. There is a fundamental issue with iPhone typing. It's "trust". If you type the same way you type on your E90 (checking as you go, ready to stop and correct), you'll never get anywhere. If you simply mash out what you're doing without looking back, you're actually quicker and more accurate. It's counter to your instinct, but once you "get" it, you're a whiz. If you don't, you're a cripple, and you'll type like your grandma. Try not holding the iPhone back with your own fears next time. You'll be surprised.
- bradleyland, on 07/23/2008, -0/+6Here are a couple tips you can use to type faster on your iPhone:
* Just go. No really, just go. Keep typing, don't look back.
* Don't mash, touch. If you're pressing on the screen like you would a keyboard, you're doing it wrong. - shibainu, on 07/23/2008, -0/+6LEAVE IPHONE ALONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- darfvader, on 07/23/2008, -1/+6I don't see the point in getting all fanboy about this. I have an iPhone and it has it's pros and cons. On the plus side, its definitely the fastest mobile typing implementation I've used so far (ahead of blackberry pearl type mini keyboards and standard phone typing), partly thanks to the spell correction being pretty much bang on even when you mash the keypad with sausage fingers like me. On the downside, you have to look at it when you're typing which can be dangerous when walking and typing which is something you'd expect to be doing often on a phone, and you have absolutely no chance of sending text messages when you have had to many drinks (which many would argue is a good thing!) It really comes down to what you use it for, and most of all, personal preference.
- haentz, on 07/23/2008, -4/+9I had a Treo 750 before the Iphone and I was amazed that the virtual keyboard was so much faster then the actual hardware "keyboard" of the treo...
- inactive, on 07/23/2008, -0/+5The best thing about the iPhone keyboard is how dynamic it is.
I like being able to use shortcuts like the ".com" button.
Oh and heaven forbid I want to use an odd symbol like a tilde, accent, or backslashes or an ampersand. On most other phones just trying to navigate to these symbols drives me nuts. On the iPhone it's easy as two key strokes.
Not to mention, I like how I can easily create properly punctuated sentences with capitalization and everything without much work at all. The end result is a much better looking message that is easy to read instead of some butchered, retarded version of the english language that most people tend to create with their text messages. - VVho, on 07/23/2008, -1/+6I there are some issues with the iPhone keyboard that mean that an experienced Treo/Blackberry/Nokie E61 user can get faster speeds.
Primarily for me, I find the inability to keep both thumbs always on the touch screen to be an issue: On my Treo I just keep my thumb in place and roll it around to get most keys - no real moving of my thumb (this also means no time aligning it and making sure I'm in the right place, etc). Fitts Law suggests this should give faster typing. I also need to be careful with an iPhone KB about hitting two keys at once/in close succession.
The best touchscreen keyboard I have ever used is the 'predictive' keyboard in Qtopia 4.3 - it was really fast and really clever (the code judges how likely words are by a combination of how common they are and how far your finger came to pushing each letter in the word...)
I don't think the review in the article is very scientific, to be honest! - da1e, on 07/23/2008, -1/+6coupe, isn't that a type of car
- inactive, on 07/23/2008, -0/+5If you are typing while driving you are a complete cretin.
- sisko2k5, on 07/23/2008, -0/+4The treo has always had a horrible pad for typing. Those smug lit rounded keys....
- VandyB, on 07/23/2008, -19/+23Keyboard = 110wpm
Nokia E61 = Around 60wpm
Nokia E90 = Around 70wpm
iPhone= 30wpm.
Granted, I had the iPhone for only a week or two, but I detest touch screens, and there is no way you can touch type confidently on an iPhone. - grey580, on 07/23/2008, -0/+4The 80's called. It wants its' technology back.
- gopher043, on 07/23/2008, -0/+4 "Its much harder to type quick while driving then it was with a smart phone and regular cell phone."
***** moron. - krete, on 07/23/2008, -3/+7I can touch type confidently on my iphone.
- loconet, on 07/23/2008, -1/+5now try it without looking at the keyboard...
- krekc, on 07/23/2008, -0/+4Might be faster if we could turn the god damned thing horizontal.
- chrisgeleven, on 07/23/2008, -1/+5After a week or so with my new iPhone 3G, I type pretty well on it. It is an issue with trust (because you need to trust the built-in spellchecking) and also getting used to the touchscreen, but I seem to be learning pretty well. Anything is better then my old flip phone and hitting # keys 2-5 times to figure out which letter I want.
I am sure it is no blackberry in terms of speed (and probably will never be), but the iPhone isn't meant to respond to 100 e-mails an hour. If I wanted that, I wouldn't have bought one. Instead, I will deal with the slightly slower typing to have such seemless syncing, apps, and UI that the iphone brings to the table. - timusca, on 07/23/2008, -0/+4Was the fact that it was on an iPhone fansite not enough of a clue for you?
- TheNakedChef, on 07/23/2008, -1/+4I agree, I hate people who drive and use their mobiles, especially typing and driving erraticly. Pet peeve of every motorcycle rider I know.
- KJSatz, on 07/23/2008, -0/+3It's its.
- kshakir, on 07/23/2008, -1/+4Dvorak please (without having to jailbreak)! I'm not saying it has to be the default, but would like to have the choice.
- KennMac, on 07/23/2008, -0/+3I tear through text messages and quick emails on the iPhone keyboard, with one or two errors here and there. I can't believe more people aren't raving about the innovation instead of considering it a weak point.
- nicc, on 07/23/2008, -0/+3my problem with the iPhone (after 6 months of use so far) is the predictive spelling checker...it is horrible and causes me more mistakes than if I could just disable it!
I think my main gripe with the predictive spelling is that "space" is used to select the word that the iPhone thinks you want to type. I will be typing out a perfectly spelled word and the predictive spelling checker will suddenly suggest a completely different word (literally maybe 1 shared letter in the whole word) as I am typing the last letter...of course I hit "space" as I am done with the word only to find the iPhone has completely replaced that word with something else so I have to stop, backspace through the incorrect word and retype my word, this time paying special attention to the pop-up so I can hit the TINY LITTLE "X" to cancel it.
I understand that many people love this feature, and to each his own.
personally, it makes me type MUCH SLOWER....
why cant there be a preference setting to disable if you dont want to use it? - mdaize, on 07/23/2008, -2/+5I call bs... The lack of tactile feedback while typing is what makes it difficult for typing.
Having owned SEVERAL Treo's as well as several other devices, the Treo keyboard is quite nice to type on and is much less prone to typing errors.
Here's an idea? Do the exact same test, but while the input device (keyboard, phone, etc.) is moving slightly as if you're in a car, or walking while txting. Or even better, try typing without looking!! With either option, devices with a physical keyboard (computer, treo, etc.), you will have FAR fewer typing errors with movement/vibrations/lack of looking then any touch-screen device.
Tactile feedback > Guess-o-Matic.... - PurpleSfinx, on 07/23/2008, -0/+3Sounds like something from XKCD.
/stickfigure - EtherGnat, on 07/23/2008, -0/+3Dugg for truth. Test results from one person are absolutely worthless to prove anything. There are people faster than this guy on T9--from their results are we supposed to conclude that a dial pad is the fastest way to type on a phone?
Total rubbish. - Zippo, on 07/23/2008, -0/+3*shrugs* I suppose it's all down to what works best for every person. For me, it took me a while to figure out how to type various symbols and characters on the Blackberry and Blackberry Pearl. Not long, mind you, but long enough to annoy me.
On the iPhone, I'm seeing what I'm typing, because, well, the keyboard is the screen. I don't need *feel* the button so long as it's still getting typed. The error correction on the iPhone is pretty good too.
I'll also note that I gave both platforms the 50-year-old Mom test. Yeah, Mom's the type that gets intimidated by the universal remote control. She found it easier to use the iPhone - mostly because it's much easier to read.
There's really no BETTER solution. Some people prefer tactile buttons, and some prefer touchscreen. But I think we can all agree that both physical and touch keyboards are better than typing out ***** on a numberpad. - EvilKaz, on 07/23/2008, -0/+3i find the iphone keypad pretty darn easy to use tbh. Being Apple they didnt add the rather obvious landscape keyboard option though. *shrug*
- griz, on 07/23/2008, -2/+4The QWERTY desktop keyboard has a learning curve of its own as does anything. So that's not really an argument.
- Ignignokt01, on 07/24/2008, -0/+2I believe it: I had a phone with a flipout keyboard before i bought the iphone 3g. My roommate had the original iphone and before i was sure i wanted an iphone we actually compared typing speeds a few times and he beat me out every time. I was astonished, I thought i was really fast on my lil keyboard.
- stikkitjim, on 07/23/2008, -0/+2I personally thing the keyboard with the iphone is ok.... but I can't stand the predictive text!.
- ahawks, on 07/23/2008, -0/+2Interesting they used 3 synonyms for pig in their sample paragraph:
_Pork_ ear goes let far she not star bit rat bad men. Low pox lemon rap gob whale pal bee apple vet boy air lot _hog_? Hum box said nag fish _cop_ laugh dot yet zap hoe bad zoo bug image run fix hit hum cow!
;) - jonatne, on 07/23/2008, -0/+2I agree that the touchscreen without tactile feedback makes it impossible to type without looking.
But, the word correction on the iPhone is really very efficient. You don't have to type completely accurately, it will fix probably 85% of the words you mistype.
I've gotten used to flying through sentences without looking at what is being typed, if some words aren't fixed correctly then I just go back and fix them. - kingofthisnight, on 07/23/2008, -0/+2This may be one of the most scientific and accurate tests I have ever seen.
- WiseWeasel, on 07/23/2008, -0/+2When you click on the [x] to decline the iPhone's word suggestion, it adds your word to its dictionary automatically, so next time it won't try to "correct" it...
- WiseWeasel, on 07/23/2008, -0/+2Great, so you get the worst of both worlds; no tactile feedback and you have to hit numbers repeatedly to get the letter you want. Fail!
- MacParrot, on 07/23/2008, -0/+2I would agree with this. I've heard others say the same and the fact that you CAN'T turn it sideways for functions like this leaves me puzzled. Why leave this out Apple?
- WiseWeasel, on 07/23/2008, -0/+2It's a learning curve, and you need to look at the keyboard before you start typing to position yourself, and probably as you type to make sure it's auto-correcting correctly. If these are not a problem for you, then you do get as fast or faster with the iPhone as with smart phones with physical QWERTY keyboards after a few weeks to a month of usage or so. If you do a lot of typing while walking or (gasp) driving, then it might be a problem that you have to look at the keyboard more often than with physical buttons. For most typical usage, however, it's more than adequate, and you'll appreciate all that extra screen real-estate when you're doing tasks other than typing.
-
Show 51 - 100 of 121 discussions
Digg is coming to a city (and computer) near you! Check out all the details on our 
© Digg Inc. 2009
— Content created and posted by Digg users is