Swype Keyboard

[Armen]

Granted I've never used Swype, but can someone explain how swiping is faster than tapping? It seems to me that it would take more effort to swipe, especially if your next letter is far away from the previous one, like from "a" to "p".

Here's an example. Say you want to type out the word CAT

If you start at C you end up drawing a line between X, S, A, R, T.

the swype software than does the logic of "word starts with A and ends with T...given these letters it must be CAT".

I still tap type faster with auto correct.

 

[Night Spring]

I still tap type faster with auto correct.

That's the thing. To me, it seems easier to lift your finger to get to the next key, than to have to keep your finger on the screen all the time. And if I understand correctly, if you let go, the software assumes that's the end of the word, right? It seems too easy to slip up and let go in the middle of a word.

 

[maxosx]

I don't think Apple will ever offer Swype unless they can re-engineer it.

Swype takes up to 25MB of RAM and uses too much cpu power for being a input method which in turn drains battery when being used. Don't believe me? Google it.

One can pick apart and bash any product. Top of the line phones are not impacted nor does SWYPE cause the exaggerated power consumption and CPU power many complain of. Everyone's an expert... yeah right! I've used SWYPE for years, all the way back to my Galaxy S, the first of the Galaxy series. SWYPE ran on Android 2.x just fine thank you.

SWYPE is simply brilliant, they were one of the first to make Gesture Typing a mainstream input method. Google copied it for the latest keyboard they provide and it's also quite good. Apple could but won't they are simply to egocentric.

Granted I've never used Swype, but can someone explain how swiping is faster than tapping? It seems to me that it would take more effort to swipe, especially if your next letter is far away from the previous one, like from "a" to "p".

Two crucial actions must happen before anyone can enjoy and get the full benefit of SWYPE. First you have to have an Android phone to use it on, since Apple's dictatorship won't allow it. Also you cannot just pick it up and learn it as easy as you can if you watch the 60 second tutorial video's, then use it. Once you do you will be blown away at how incredibly good it is.

My friends that use and enjoy it only use about 50% of it's capabilities, cause they are too lazy to watch a few 60 second videos which save you all kinds of time vs trial and error learning. I can SWYPE out ten emails (I get lots) in the time it takes me to do two on my iPHone, it's that fast.

Finally since you are not striking the glass keyboard as you do on an iPhone, you don't get tired. Smooth fast and incredibly effective, the only reason it doesn't come up in forums like this is Apple has everyone locked down and nothing new can be experienced unless Apple allows it.

That's why the term "Jail break" was coined to identify iPhones as totally restricted.

 

[TennisandMusic]

Here's an example. Say you want to type out the word CAT

If you start at C you end up drawing a line between X, S, A, R, T.

the swype software than does the logic of "word starts with A and ends with T...given these letters it must be CAT".

I still tap type faster with auto correct.

Then you're just not very good.

There is no way on Earth you would beat an even halfway decent Swyper in a speed typing contest. Like, not even close. I can do whole sentences in seconds on Android. And I don't even consider myself that good.

Swype style keyboard input is amazing.

 

[Armen]

One can pick apart and bash any product. Top of the line phones are not impacted nor does SWYPE cause the exaggerated power consumption and CPU power many complain of. Everyone's an expert... yeah right! I've used SWYPE for years, all the way back to my Galaxy S, the first of the Galaxy series. SWYPE ran on Android 2.x just fine thank you..

Sorry, I call BS on Swype running just fine on a Galaxy S. I was running it on HTC Evo 4G back in the day and if you turned accuracy up on it it would lag when "thinking" about what you swiped out. Making the hardware more powerful to run bloated software isn't the right solution.

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Then you're just not very good.

There is no way on Earth you would beat an even halfway decent Swyper in a speed typing contest. Like, not even close. I can do whole sentences in seconds on Android. And I don't even consider myself that good.

Swype style keyboard input is amazing.

It's all personal experience and preference. After using Swype for a while I switched back to tapping. I'm just not a fan of the fruit ninja keyboard method.

 

[maxosx]

Sorry, I call BS on Swype running just fine on a Galaxy S. I was running it on HTC Evo 4G back in the day and if you turned accuracy up on it it would lag when "thinking" about what you swiped out.

Say what you like, but your clairvoyance is not working.

Sorry to hear you had problems with your EVO, you must have had a bad one.

Close friends of mine had Evo's running SWYPE no problem. The only people I know that didn't like SWYPE were a few too lazy to learn it. Some simply cannot deal with change.

 

[sero323]

if I'm not mistaking you can only use one hand with Swype. I personally prefer to type two handed. Again i haven't really experimented with Swype so i can't say for sure if you only use one hand.

 

[Armen]

Say what you like, but your clairvoyance is not working.

Sorry to hear you had problems with your EVO, you must have had a bad one.

Close friends of mine had Evo's running SWYPE no problem. The only people I know that didn't like SWYPE were a few too lazy to learn it. Some simply cannot deal with change.

It's not fear of change and laziness. It's more in the line of why learn a keyboard that is only available on Android? So you can re-learn how to tap type when you switch to another platform?

Swype has been around for 3-4 years now and there are no plans to make it available on any other platform other than Android.

 

[gglittle]

if I'm not mistaking you can only use one hand with Swype. I personally prefer to type two handed. Again i haven't really experimented with Swype so i can't say for sure if you only use one hand.

Put it this way, the average user, using a single finger on a SWYPE keyboard, can blow the fastest "double thumber" away. SWYPE is the ONLY thing that I miss from my Android phone. But, as has been said, the SWYPE developers have not, to my knowledge, provided an iOS compatible version.

 

[SlCKB0Y]

It's not fear of change and laziness. It's more in the line of why learn a keyboard that is only available on Android? So you can re-learn how to tap type when you switch to another platform?

Swype has been around for 3-4 years now and there are no plans to make it available on any other platform other than Android.

You are claiming that you would have to "relearn" how to push a key on a keyboard? Ummm what?

Also, the original Swype is available on android, bada, meego, Symbian, windows 7 and windows mobile. That's not even including all the platforms which run Swype clones.

To top off your total fail of a post, most Swype-like keyboards allow you to tap type as normal, meaning swiping is 100% optional.

But youre right, most iOS users fear options and its unlikely to happen yet as the iOS on screen keyboard can't even change case to let me know if I'm in upper or lower case mode. Pathetic!

 

[IFRIT]

The keyboard not changing case did surprise me, when I first used a iPad. I really didn't see why some value the apple keyboard so much also just seemed really basic with no features.

 

[Shanghaichica]

To be quite honest I think it would only be a gimmick on iOS. I use it on my android devices mostly because the stock keyboards are so bad. The stock keyboard on iOS is very acceptable to me. It's accurate and responsive. Even with all these swiping keyboards and swift key etc, I still find it easier and faster to type on my iOS devices.

 

[Armen]

You are claiming that you would have to "relearn" how to push a key on a keyboard? Ummm what?

Also, the original Swype is available on android, bada, meego, Symbian, windows 7 and windows mobile. That's not even including all the platforms which run Swype clones.

To top off your total fail of a post, most Swype-like keyboards allow you to tap type as normal, meaning swiping is 100% optional.

But youre right, most iOS users fear options and its unlikely to happen yet as the iOS on screen keyboard can't even change case to let me know if I'm in upper or lower case mode. Pathetic!

Put your fanboy helmet away and read what I posted. Your beloved Swype that has been around for 4 years is STILL not available for Windows Mobile and iOS. 4 years is no joke. That's like 20 years in the tech world. Swype is just going to die with Android if Nuance doesn't make a move.

Is it a great keyboard alternative? YES
Is it widely available across platforms? NO <( the reason why I didn't bother with it)

 

[fivedots]

Put your fanboy helmet away and read what I posted. Your beloved Swype that has been around for 4 years is STILL not available for Windows Mobile and iOS. 4 years is no joke. That's like 20 years in the tech world. Swype is just going to die with Android if Nuance doesn't make a move.

Is it a great keyboard alternative? YES
Is it widely available across platforms? NO <( the reason why I didn't bother with it)

Android is dying?

Nuance is responsible for Swype not being on iOS devices?

 

[Armen]

Android is dying?

Nuance is responsible for Swype not being on iOS devices?

Sorry, I should have worded that differently. I meant if Swype does not expand out on the market it will eventually just die not getting passed Android OS.

 

[Night Spring]

The keyboard not changing case did surprise me, when I first used a iPad. I really didn't see why some value the apple keyboard so much also just seemed really basic with no features.

Maybe because I got used to iOS keyboard first, but the other day when I was setting up the email on my boss' Android phone, the lower case keys stuck me as hard to see. Capital letters are generally composed of more straight lines and bigger strokes than small case letters, so IMO, they are just easier on the eyes, especially on the tiny keys of a mobile phone keyboard.

I never had trouble telling whether I'm in lower or upper case mode in iOS because the shift key turning blue in upper case mode is pretty distinct. Unfortunately, in iOS 7, the shift key no longer turns blue, only turns into a darker shade of grey, so I now have a hard time telling what key mode I'm in.

 

[nikicampos]

Why do people want to make iOS into Android, if someone likes Android options better, just go Android.

 

[Armen]

Why do people want to make iOS into Android, if someone likes Android options better, just go Android.

We actually agree on something?

 

[j4zb4]

I typed faster on my nokias with the t9 dictionaries than I could on swype... Tried using swype... Struggled with it for almost 2 months... Finally gave up and uninstalled...

 

[Parise]

It's all personal experience and preference. After using Swype for a while I switched back to tapping. I'm just not a fan of the fruit ninja keyboard method.

It is personal preference, but its simply fact and has been proven that swyping to enter text is quicker than tapping.

 

[Armen]

It is personal preference, but its simply fact and has been proven that swyping to enter text is quicker than tapping.

No one is debating that fact. I just didn't want to invest time into that input method when it was only available on Android. I was correct not to do so because after 4 years it's still only on Android.

 

[Parise]

Why do people want to make iOS into Android, if someone likes Android options better, just go Android.

I fail to see how asking for a third party IME is making iOS into Android. Why are some of you so insecure about this? People are asking for things to be better. Asking for a CHOICE to swype or tap is not taking ANYTHING away from you. I've never been a part of a community as large as this that burns people at the cross for asking for choice.

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Android is dying?

Nuance is responsible for Swype not being on iOS devices?

The Fanboys are getting quite touchy today.

 

[C DM]

Put your fanboy helmet away and read what I posted. Your beloved Swype that has been around for 4 years is STILL not available for Windows Mobile and iOS. 4 years is no joke. That's like 20 years in the tech world. Swype is just going to die with Android if Nuance doesn't make a move.

Is it a great keyboard alternative? YES
Is it widely available across platforms? NO <( the reason why I didn't bother with it)

At least as far as iOS is concerned, no matter how much Swype might work on getting into it it's just not doable given Apple's restrictions to not being able to change keyboards in iOS.

 

[Bawstun]

It is personal preference, but its simply fact and has been proven that swyping to enter text is quicker than tapping.

Maybe for some. I was always quicker at tapping - but then again I type 90wpm at ease on a keyboard. I know this isn't the norm as I took 5 years of typing training, but for me I liked Swype better because it was more convenient. I know where the letters are and I could literally Swype a sentence with my eyes closed, just guessing the proximity of the keys. I could text one-handed while having a convo with someone else. It was awesome. Can't do that with iOS.

 

[C DM]

No one is debating that fact. I just didn't want to invest time into that input method when it was only available on Android. I was correct not to do so because after 4 years it's still only on Android.

The official Swype is avialable in more places than just Android, http://www.swype.com/category/get-swype/. In some cases, like iOS, the developer of the OS doesn't allow for it, no matter how much Swype might want to be there. In other cases, various other Swype type of clones are also available on different platforms.

The point is that it is a feature that is more than a gimmick and is of use to quite a few of those who try it out. No one has to use it, and no one's default experience will somehow become worse if the Swype option is there and they simply decide not to use it. Just like T9 in the days of feature phones, most people used it and liked it, but many people would just use regular "Abc" method if they wanted to and didn't really complain about T9 also being available.