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Hands-On Installation and Usage of TouchPal's Gesture Keyboard for iOS 8
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You don't need the emoji app to get the keyboard. You just enable it in keyboard settings. It's preinstalled.
That's reasonable, but when I switched from a Nexus to an iPhone it's one of the 3 things I missed most. Nothing beats swype for one-handed typing.
It may make it seem prehistoric to you, but the swype typing seems unintuitive to me and is definitely not be quicker for me. I dont have very big fingers, but it is constantly not marking the path i am trying to swype, and even if it does, i always have to check and select the word to make sure it got says what i think... id much rather type normal and not have to check cause i can type accurately that way and i know the letters i press are what is typed... not some algorithm trying to guess what word i might be trying to type based on the letters i drag by... what happens on long words where you swype across nearly every letter on the keyboard?
just because something is new and innovative does not mean it is better for everyone... to me this type of keyboard seems prehistoric... of course i used to have a palm pilot, which "typing" on that actually worked better for me in 1990 than when i tried the swype keyboard last year....
Of course i also have no problem typing faster on my iPhone with the built-in keyboard than i do on my desktop - I have been complimented many types at the speed i am seen typing on my phone - but thats just one of my natural talent i guess - the smaller keyboard of the iPhone I have always seen as a good thing even though this is why many people complain it is hard to type on - i actually have more trouble typing on our iPad because the keyboard is so much bigger... so to each their own preferred method.
I'll probably just create a folder for all apps like this. Then they're all in one place.
Right, but *EVERYONE* typed with both hands before the advent of swipe typing. Point is, before saying 'eh, this isn't for me' actually give it a shot. This is the same mindset that BB execs had when they thought the iPhone wouldn't put a dent in their sales.
I definitely get what you're saying, but truly... things like Swype are really for folks who *prefer* to type *one-handed*. It's here where Swype - even for thick fingered folks - excels.
That said, I'm a two hander when I type - can't stand typing with one hand, but again... that's what it's really for
As for the other types of keyboards... that'll be ultimately to an individual's taste
.w00master
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Ok, I think you clearly misread the tone and point of my post. I actually agree with you.
In terms of me personally? I've tried it. I actually use 2 phones: one for work (android) and personal (iPhone). Through time, I discovered that I'm not normally a one-handed user of my smart device - I just feel that it's highly unstable that way. Because of that, Swype *never* worked for me. Now, that said... I do use SwiftKey. I can't wait for that to come out for iOS.
SwiftKey, IMHO, destorys all other keyboards - but that's my opinion
w00master
The article says it was released to select media group's so I'm guessing it's not out to beta testers.
ill move them into my already excisting "Apple Trash" folder joining stock, apple maps, gamecenter, passbook etc for sure (thx got they got rid of the limitation of apps in a folder with iOS7)
I definitely get what you're saying, but truly... things like Swype are really for folks who *prefer* to type *one-handed*. It's here where Swype - even for thick fingered folks - excels.
That said, I'm a two hander when I type - can't stand typing with one hand, but again... that's what it's really for
As for the other types of keyboards... that'll be ultimately to an individual's taste
w00master
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Ok, I think you clearly misread the tone and point of my post. I actually agree with you.
In terms of me personally? I've tried it. I actually use 2 phones: one for work (android) and personal (iPhone). Through time, I discovered that I'm not normally a one-handed user of my smart device - I just feel that it's highly unstable that way. Because of that, Swype *never* worked for me. Now, that said... I do use SwiftKey. I can't wait for that to come out for iOS.
SwiftKey, IMHO, destorys all other keyboards - but that's my opinion
w00master
Did not get that through your tone
but while I realize it's not for everyone, most people (here) dismiss things before they can even try them! 
Once you get used to the Swype feature, your typing speed should improve way past that when you were "find and peck" with your thumbs.
Plus it enables me to type quickly and easily with a single thumb on large devices like the note 3
You're not missing too much. Unless you're a slow typist, it's pretty useless. I took 2 weeks getting used to it, finally mastered it; and then realized it's still slower than my normal manual typing. Works faster for one handed use typing, but that's a rare circumstance.
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Nope, it's slower for me. I feel like all the people who are faster with swype are ages 40+ and were not that fast at texting to begin with.
It shouldn't be an issue. In the Keynote (92mins 10 secs the keyboard stuff starts) it was explicitly pointed out that the keyboards run in their own space in the "most restricted sandbox with no network access" without you giving explicit permission at one of those "would you like xxxx to access the xxxx?" popups.
Now, will there very quickly be dodgy keyboards out there that will do all sorts if given that permission? I have no doubt at all that there will be, so I guess there'll be more responsibility on the AppStore team to vet things properly and on us, the users, to not just install stuff irresponsibly.
This. Eight months of peck peck peck after using Swype for FIVE YEARS has been like returning to the Stone Age. This can't come soon enough!
If I read correctly, it's not out for beta testers right? It was released to "select media outlets"?
Swype is great, but Path Input is here NOW!
I absolutely loved Swype, and was a key reason I waited so long to switch to iPhone. Alas, iPhone's other features outweighed my beloved but aging Motorola Droid, and I switched a couple years ago.
However! I have found an app entitled Path Input, that does what Swype and TypePal do, and it works amazing! Only problem is that it is not yet integrated with the regular keyboard, as this article talks of coming in the future. Presently, it's a separate app, yet has buttons to easily paste your information "typed" into a Message, e-mail, or simply Copy to the clipboard. It also saves your messages typed as long as you'd like them to be. Pretty impressive, and is the next best thing to Swype that iPhone users have currently.
Path Input
Walt D in LV
I absolutely loved Swype, and was a key reason I waited so long to switch to iPhone. Alas, iPhone's other features outweighed my beloved but aging Motorola Droid, and I switched a couple years ago.
However! I have found an app entitled Path Input, that does what Swype and TypePal do, and it works amazing! Only problem is that it is not yet integrated with the regular keyboard, as this article talks of coming in the future. Presently, it's a separate app, yet has buttons to easily paste your information "typed" into a Message, e-mail, or simply Copy to the clipboard. It also saves your messages typed as long as you'd like them to be. Pretty impressive, and is the next best thing to Swype that iPhone users have currently.
Path Input
Walt D in LV
Get vs. hey,
yo vs. to,
out vs. put
iPhone autocorrect can't even get those three right, at least with this new keyboard, the words will come up and you can choose the correct one instead of pushing spacebar. iOS just assumes it knows and it is usually wrong.
Just create a folder labelled extensions with all these apps dumped inside? I see myself doing this quite often. Like downloading four different camera apps just so I can use their extensions inside the stock camera app.