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

Tactile keyboard is still best for me. I know right away without looking at the screen if I typed wrongly on a tactile keyboard, but on the touchscreen keyboard I have no way of knowing unless I look at what I'm typing.

The touchscreen keyboard is sufficient for short emails, though I will definitely carry my bluetooth keyboard if I'm going to do any proper typing on the iPad.
 
If you mean for a portable device then...no. The Blackberry keyboard is much better.

I do think that typing on the iPad is easier than I expected it it be. If in the right position it is fairly easy to type out decent length writings.

I'm typing on one right now!
 
iPad virtual keyboard is better for typing than expected. I can touch type on it when it's angled, if I keep my hands still. I still type faster on physical keyboard (where you can feel the keys and reset your hands into starting position).
 
For me, the biggest reason I use a tactile keyboard when doing dedicated typing is to have access to navigation keys. When using the virtual keyboard, I hate having to stop, pull my hand off the "keys", point to something on the screen, wait for the magnifier circle to pop up then drag the cursor to the right letter. Not having navigation keys on the virtual keyboard is a real PIA.
 
I'd definitely use a physical keyboard to type on if I were to write pages and pages of something. But I have written a one page essay for school just on my iPad and I found it to be very simple and just as easy as writing on my macbook or iMac. :)
 
I can do the virtual keyboard about the same speed as a tactile keyboard. I never took typing classes so I have never gone by feel. Virtual or tactile, I still have to look down, but I do a lot of typing so I know where the keys are without thinking about it, thus both are just as efficient to me.
 
I like using the virtual keyboard though it is different to using an actual keyboard. I work in an office so am used to using keyboards all day as a touch typist. Using the virtual keyboard I can type just as fast now that I am used to not resting my fingers on the 'home' keys. I do find I tend to look at the keys more than I would normally and also tend to rely on the auto-correction more as I am getting used to it. I am equally happy using both types of keyboard. :)

Sent from my iPad.

Helen
 
Yeah, I'd still go with a real keyboard. Like other said, it's easier to touch type since you can feel where you're hands are, but also, I don't like having to go into another pane to put a ? or any symbol. Shift + key is way easier IMO.
 
I do miss the TAB key however, would be useful for filling out forms online, I don't like having to tap the next field (too lazy I guess).
 
I do prefer a "real" keyboard, however, I LOVE my iPad virtual keyboard and find it very easy to use.

In fact, I just got my new iMac with the small wireless keyboard and it is definitely taking some time to get used to it! It is very small. :eek:
 
While I was surprised at how good the on screen kb is (I was expecting far less based on reviews), it drives me nuts every time I go to hit an apostrophe - ' ... I don't like getting lazy with my typing and planning on having auto-correct take care of the issue.

Speed wise, I normally test around a 118 on my apple kb. Haven't done a test on the ipad, but I think (as long as my hands don't shift off key) I'm running around an 80 - which is still plenty fast for day-to-day work. The major downside though, is if your hands shift too much, and you suddenly start typing ;ole yjod (like this, shifted). That's a bugger. And not having a proper tab key or arrow keys is a pain - I'd really rather not pull my hands from the keyboard to physically try to select the text I want to correct - that's just frustrating.

But overall, it's far better than I expected. With more time, I could probably get almost as fast (or even a tad faster) than I am with a physical kb.
 
My iphone virtual keyboard beats my blackberry, but neither are close to a desktop keyboard. Haven't tried a physical keyboard with the ipad but the extra screen space for text would come in handy.
 
jdhoop said:
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?
Click to expand...

Not everyone can type. I can't, though my fingers know exactly where the keys are so I could learn, no doubt.
 
mkaake said:
it drives me nuts every time I go to hit an apostrophe - ' ... I don't like getting lazy with my typing and planning on having auto-correct take care of the issue.
Click to expand...

There is a little trick to that, if you hold down the comma/exclamation point key for a second, a hidden apostrophe key pops up. Not as good as a real keyboard obviously, but still easier than switching to another keyboard section.
 
Prefer tactile but...

Right now I'm touch typing on the virtual keyboard and do quite well but I can fly on my BT keyboard for long typing sessions. Most of the time I use the onscreen in landscape.
 
Agreed

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...

Especially considering that many enhancements that would likely be made in all the while. For a while now Typing on an iPhone is faster and easier than keyboarding on a smartphone; only a matter of time until that same parallel occurs here.

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aristobrat said:
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.
Click to expand...

Interesting idea; Apple ought to see about that if they haven't already, although I get a sense it may not be all to effective.
 
For mobile use I prefer the onboard keyboard since Apple did a great job at predictive text. For mobile use, I also prefer Voice dictation even though Dragon Dictation is a separate app. If I'm going to be sitting somewhere for a while I'll either whip out the iPhone 4S or iPad with my Thinkoutside BT keyboard from my jacket pocket and start typing. If I'm completely stationary for more than 4 hours, I will use the USB camera kit and plug in a mechanical keyboard. Mechanical keyboard pretty much is the most comfortable but I really don't use it much and prefer to travel lighter with the BT keyboard or just go keyboard-less since it's not going to matter a huge amount. If you haven't invested any time learning to touch type on a virtual keyboard, you should just "trust" the keyboard to correct for you.
 
I bought an Apple Wireless keyboard (Bluetooth) back with my original iPad. Over the past year or two, though, I've gotten more and more used to typing with the soft keyboard on the iPad.

These days the wireless keyboard sits near the coffee table, but never gets used. I've even done NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) two years in a row exclusively with an iPad with no keyboard. It's a matter of getting used to trusting the auto-complete, and then going back and proofreading your work afterward.

No doubt a "real" keyboard makes it easier, but I've managed to get comfortable enough with the iPad soft keyboard that in a pinch, I can get work (and writing) done.
 
Physical keyboard is faster for me, but what I'd like to see Apple provide is a one-handed keyboard layout. I don't use my iPad at a desk so laying it down to type two-handed is awkward. Besides, that's how they do it on Star Trek!
 
Does anyone use the split keyboard a lot? I find it difficult to use but I'm new to it.

If you type without looking down, it's much faster with a regular keyboard
 
Your not alone, I too prefer the onscreen kb.
Although I have to admit I'm not the fastest typer anyway.

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jackc said:
Does anyone use the split keyboard a lot? I find it difficult to use but I'm new to it.

If you type without looking down, it's much faster with a regular keyboard
Click to expand...

No I tried the split kb a few times but can't get a liking for it at all.
 
Nychot said:
Yes you are the only one.
Click to expand...

Very much so.

Hell I'm typing this post without looking at the keyword. In fact, my eyes are steering at the telly. That's the benefit of a tactile keyword, you can type without having to look at the keyboard or be cautious about where your finger tips are going.

It's as natural as walking. You just think on words in your head and the fingers know where to press.
 
As far as thumb typing I don't care either way, I have absolutely no problem typing with my thumbs on the iPad.

But if you want to try to set it down and touch type like on my desktop, its not even close.
 
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