Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Anyone agree that iPad virtual keyboard is easier than tactile keyboard?

J

jdhoop

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 27, 2010
7
0
Hi,

I hear people complain a lot about iPad's virtual keyboard or I hear them say that the keyboard dock is necessary for typing longer documents. I actually find iPad's virtual keyboard easier to type on than a tactile keyboard, and I was wondering if I'm the only one.

I often see people typing in landscape mode on their iPad with only one finger. Why not just type the correct way as you would on a tactile keyboard? That's the way I type and my typing is faster on the virtual keyboard. I think it's easier and faster because 1) I don't have to press down on each key, just lightly and quickly tap my fingers on the screen, and 2) iOS corrects and auto-capitalizes so many words that I save time by not needing to hold down shift keys or enter periods or apostrophes all the time.

Does anyone else agree that iPad's virtual keyboard is easier and faster than hardware keyboards? I'd love to gather more input. Thanks!
 
I do prefer a real keyboard, even if it is my apple wireless keyboard, but I still find it a pleasure to type on my ipad bar the odd spelling mistake.

Sent from my iPad.
 
Yes, most seem to prefer hardware keyboards. I definitely do think typing on the iPad is more fun. Maybe it's just because it's new, but I seem to find it more enjoyable to type emails and such on the pad. I guess I'm weird like that.
 
I'm not sure I'd say it is as good as a tactile keyboard, but it's pretty damn close. I haven't tried pairing my blue tooth keyboard yet, but I'd imagine it'd obey the law of diminishing returns, a lot of work for a very minor improvement.

Then again, I always have trouble with new keyboards, just because my hands are used to the old buttons. It took me about a month to get used to my current tactile keyboard and that was writing on it all the time, so perhaps my fingers just need to get used to the ipad?
 
I think it is a matter of getting used to it. I'll bet future generations will all be using virtual keyboards. I was skeptical when I first considered typing on a rumored touch screen MacBook or tablet, but now that I've tried it I love it.
 
I have a bt keyboard as well and I'm fine with either one.

It's just a matter of where I am, how long I'll be there and whichever is more comfortable during that time.
 
It's easier to type on a real keyboard, but there is no problem typing on the iPad virtual keyboard either.

Long or short, it doesn't matter for me on the iPad. I just simply type a little faster on a regular keyboard.
 
I use both OnScreen and BT keyboard and both are great, i mostly use onscreen keyboard when i am sitting on a chair/sofa, and the BT keyboard when i am at my desk.
 
With practice I find my self typing faster on the virtual keyboard with less errors and also using the Bluetooth keyboard less often, and at times it seems as tho I'm typing on here faster than on an actual keyboard. The thing is in order to do this i have to keep my eyes on the keys and not looking at what I'm typing on the screen to make sure my hands stay in the same place so this will never completely replace an actual keyboard.

Sent from my iPad
 
Virtual keyboard rocks. I find Apple's keyboards to be the best, virtual and tactile. I easily can get 80+ WPM on the virtual keyboard and 100+ WPM on the tactile.
 
I agree with you. But I can understand why others don't. Tactile is what we were introduced to. It's the only thing we've known since the typewriter, so it's very much understandable. Ask this question 5 to 10 years from now and watch the shift in responses.
 
The virtual board is too sensitive & prone to mistakes if you/I just lightly, touch key. I usually find I've touched the screen & am typing in the middle of a paragraph.

I also need the touch of the keys to know where I am on the board.

But if I'm somewhere without my keyboard it is so much better than the alternative...
 
doodude said:
I also need the touch of the keys to know where I am on the board.
Click to expand...
x2.

I can do OK touch typing on the iPad's virtual keyboard for a bit, but inevitably one of my hands will shift a bit, and everything it does after that is off. And when I'm going fast, that quickly creates a huge mess that takes a bit to fix.

I prefer tactile because I can feel from the keys where my hand position is, and adjust if necessary.

Hopefully future iPads will be able to give haptic feedback. If I'm striking the keys dead on, give me a firm vibration for each key stroke. If I'm starting to hit them off-center, give me a less firm vibration that I can use as an indication to adjust.
 
jdhoop said:
Hi,

I hear people complain a lot about iPad's virtual keyboard or I hear them say that the keyboard dock is necessary for typing longer documents. I actually find iPad's virtual keyboard easier to type on than a tactile keyboard, and I was wondering if I'm the only one.

I often see people typing in landscape mode on their iPad with only one finger. Why not just type the correct way as you would on a tactile keyboard? That's the way I type and my typing is faster on the virtual keyboard. I think it's easier and faster because 1) I don't have to press down on each key, just lightly and quickly tap my fingers on the screen, and 2) iOS corrects and auto-capitalizes so many words that I save time by not needing to hold down shift keys or enter periods or apostrophes all the time.

Does anyone else agree that iPad's virtual keyboard is easier and faster than hardware keyboards? I'd love to gather more input. Thanks!
Click to expand...

No.
 
Virtual keyboard is fine for web browsing, hunt-and-peck, etc. For touch typing or anything that requires speed, I either turn on my BT keyboard or go to my MBP. I just don't see the iPad as a data entry device...consumption is where it excels.
 
My big complaint w/ the iPad virtual keyboard is the space key. I always find myself missing the space key and hitting the black border so I get onebigrunonwordthatisjustwrong. I definitely prefer a real keyboard but I do agree that the iPad KB is the best of the virtual keyboards. If they would only make the spacing a little bit better (although that would require a bigger screen) then it would be awesome instead of just good.
 
You are not the only one, but there are very few like you. Give me a ALPS-type keyboard any day of the week.


Blakjack said:
I agree with you. But I can understand why others don't. Tactile is what we were introduced to. It's the only thing we've known since the typewriter, so it's very much understandable. Ask this question 5 to 10 years from now and watch the shift in responses.
Click to expand...

Not necessarily. Most of us grew up on push button telephones and physical keypads on our cellphones, yet moving to touchscreen for these functions was not a problem for many. The same is not true with the onscreen keyboard on the iPad.
 
Thanks to my condition and the worsening state of my hands, I find the iPad virtual keyboard much easier to type on. No resistance from the keys or having to press anything means my fingers don't hurt anywhere near as much after long periods of typing! So for me iPad virtual keyboard > physical keyboard :eek:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back