Palm Pre: Why No Software Keyboard? 36
Here's a question: why no software keyboard for the Palm Pre? Here's the answer: it has an excellent drop-down keyboard with keys that are of the same style of the Palm Treo Pro but slightly bigger, more widely space, and better.
Yet we do know a few things that may point to a software keyboard on future devices that run the webOS.
- There will be other forum factors, opening the door to a version without a physical keyboard
- The Palm Pre uses a capacitive touchscreen, making it a much better fit for an on-screen keyboard
- Most importantly, we know from the webOS' excellent implementation of the notifications view that it's built from the ground-up to allow every application/card to automatically resize. When you have a stack of notifications, you can open them up and the card will stay live and stay active on the top of the screen, in a slightly shrunken but nevertheless fully functional form.
So the short answer is that there's not a software keyboard on the Pre because it doesn't need one, but it does seem pretty clear that there's nothing in the webOS that would prevent us from having one in the future -- at least in portrait mode. Right now, landscape view seems to only be supported by the web browser, so a landscape keyboard might be a little bit 'iffier.'
So what do you think? Would you like to see an on-screen keyboard on the Pre even though it has a slide-out physical keyboard? Do you think we'll see touchscreen-only versions of the webOS in the future?
36 Comments
If your in landscape mode surfing the web then a soft keyboard would be very handy.
A landscape onscreen keyboard does look useful, for web navigating, maybe filtering video titles or pics...
And ceejay, I hear ya... maybe it's best to focus on the "mini-milestones" in between. Since I'm getting an unlocked GSM one, I'm looking forward to Mobile World Congress in mid-February. (And yes, since Palm's had an unlocked version of every GSM phone they've sold since the 600--with the possible exception of the 500v--IMO they have to have an unlocked Pre.
IMO one of the biggest adjustments one would have to make is going from a device (Treo 700p or Centro) that one can manipulate almost entirely with one hand to the the Pre which seems to require two hands to perform many functions ( at least based on the videos I've seen.)
Back to the keyboad, I suppose that if possible, it might be nice to have a on-screen keyboard as well as the pull-out
Good Luck
Since Palm seems to be saying that it'll be up to a 3rd-party developer to create an onscreen keyboard, here's hoping it's skinnable, too!
I definitely feel that the option of having an on-screen keyboard would boost up sales for the Palm Sprint market. This will add versatility to the phone especially if the onscreen keyboard can be used in both landscape and portrait mode. This will eliminate having to open the keyboard each and every time to input text. I am saying this as a fan of the physical keyboard, but I like to have options with my phone.
Also the copy/paste feature can be a little better. I currently have the HTC Mogul and copy/paste is a breeze. I feel like with the Palm Pre, I am a bit limited. Adding the forward text option would be the icing on the cake to this Wonderful Gadget!
With all that being said, software updates for this phone would put the I PHONE 3GS to shame.
I dont care I still want one
yes we need a keyboard..somtimes you just dont wanna slide to drop keyboard..especially when texting a quick"ok" ..please help with this..!
Hi there long time Iphone user. You can now download a virtual keyboard. I downloaded it and it works great. Hope you get a Pre and love it like I do! :-]
where did this go?
This author is such an arrogant reporter. Palm is a sicking ship. If Palm cannot exceed people's expectations, the company will fail. How can this company fail to provide; 1. Spell checker, 2. Virtual Keyboard? The authors explanation is so obviously unacceptable. Don't take it from me, just look at the sales. Why would anyone buy this device over the iphone? Simply...they wouldn't...people need to be wowed..This phone does have the wow element most techies desire.
On-screen keyboard, Voice Dialing, Voice recording, Proxmity sensor issues, Bluetooth file sharing (not sure whether it is there, I could not find) must be implemented at the earliest to WIN THE GAME. I strongly believe, Palm is loosing so much of existing/new customers due to lack of these important feature in WEB OS. Not sure, whether Web OS 2 covers up any of these.
On-screen keyboard, Voice Dialing, Voice recording, Proxmity sensor issues, Bluetooth file sharing (not sure whether it is there, I could not find) must be implemented at the earliest to WIN THE GAME. I strongly believe, Palm is loosing so much of existing/new customers due to lack of these important feature in WEB OS. Not sure, whether Web OS 2 covers up any of these.