Coffee Talk #210: How Swype Changed My (Mobile Phone) Life

A year ago, I was all about physical keyboards on mobile phones. While the virtual keyboard on my iPhone 3GS was somewhat acceptable, I greatly preferred the speed and accuracy of my BlackBerry 8900. Virtual keyboards on Android have improved a lot in the last year, but they still aren’t great. Opting for a virtual keyboard over a “real” one seemed crazy to me. Then something happened that totally changed my preference — I discovered Swype.

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, whether Roger Federer is washed up (or not), the Hyundai Equus shaking up the automobile market, or where you get your best t-shirts, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

A year ago, I was all about physical keyboards on mobile phones. While the virtual keyboard on my iPhone 3GS was somewhat acceptable, I greatly preferred the speed and accuracy of my BlackBerry 8900. Virtual keyboards on Android have improved a lot in the last year, but they still aren’t great. Opting for a virtual keyboard over a “real” one seemed crazy to me. Then something happened that totally changed my preference — I discovered Swype.

That’s not entirely true. It would be more accurate to say that I rediscovered Swype. I played around with Swype and Shapewriter on the Nexus One earlier in the year, but didn’t give them enough time. After I reviewed the Motorola Droid X, I randomly decided to give it another go…and I completely fell in love with it. It’s just an awesome input method that’s fast and accurate (once you get used to it). I can actually bust out emails with Swype faster than I ever could on a BlackBerry keyboard. I’m just thoroughly impressed with Swype. To me, it’s one of the most significant pieces of mobile phone software released in the last five years.

I know that some of you are into Swype. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the software. If you’re anti-Swype, I’d love to hear your comments too. Maybe we can convert you. “One of us! One of us!”

Author: RPadTV

https://rpad.tv

12 thoughts on “Coffee Talk #210: How Swype Changed My (Mobile Phone) Life”

  1. YES!!! Thats what I'm talking about Rpad! I went from the Verizon Voyager to the MyTouch 3g and I was really bummed about not having a physical keyboard. So I swyped my first message and swyped again and again. It took about half the morning before I was comfortable with it. It is really fast, friendly and convenient with the ability to add words on the fly. I love it. I hope a company makes a usb powered portable keyboard with swype as the default input method.

  2. I've never used Swipe. Is it available for the iPhone? If so, I would try it out and let you know what I think. The idea seems pretty cool.

    -M

  3. I love Swype for the most part. There are several things I don't like about it though

    I don't like that you cannot delete words that came preloaded in the Swype dictionary. Sometimes when I try to make a word it will type a word I would NEVER use and I would like to delete that word so that it will get the actual word I want. NOPE.

    Speaking of the Dictionary. I want to be able to view the things I have added in a list and delete them. I don't want to randomly have to type things in to see if a what words are stored in my phone.

    Numbers. Punching in numbers with Sywpe is SUCKS. It slows down the entire process. Also sometimes I would just like to put the number 2, but it always wants to put "2moro". Seriously?!? If someone ever wrote that to me in message I could no longer be friends with them. But you can't delete that word.

    With all of that said it is still my preferred method of input on my phone. But I only like it in portrait mode, landscape is awkward.

  4. I get my best t-shirts from amazon.com using links on a website I frequently visit.

    Yes Ray, I ordered the Descendents t-shirt.

  5. @Big Blak

    I have the voyager now, and I do prefer a physical keyboard (that's no secret around here) but the keyboard on the voyager sucks. There are much better ones out there. The V (if anyone else still remembers that phone) still had one of the best physical keyboards on it. The spacing, the feel of each key, and the shape of the buttons made it the best. I don't know anyone who had that phone that did not like the keyboard when they had it, and missed it when they got a new phone.

  6. I have not had the privilege of swyping but look forward to it sometime soon.

    @federer

    People still watch tennis?

    @hyundai

    I have to read about what this car can do.

    @t-shirts

    My graphic tees are ususally comic book or star wars or anything geek related. So various sites favorite ones addidas, ecko, tokidoki (they have some pretty kool marvel shirts right now) and target.

  7. repost from another thread:

    Hey, anyone want into a Pigskin Pick’em? I can set one up and we can all see who’s better at picking games. All for fun of course (and bragging rights). If you’re interested shoot me an email today and I’ll send you an invite. Gotta do it today before the 1st game starts though.

    mcesca42@hotmail.com

  8. I get most of my favorite t-shirts from Jinx, but they haven't made any real good ones in a while. Luckily retro is "in" so ghostbuster's and transformer's t-shirts are easy to come by.

Comments are closed.