Anyone think the D4 keyboard is a step backwards?

[NoBloatware]

It's just that the people coming to this thread and saying that the keyboard works great or that they don't even use a physical keyboard are totally missing the point of the thread. This thread is about the LAYOUT of the keyboard. If you do serious writing/editing/coding on your phone you're gonna want to go with a physical keyboard. You're also going to want plenty of symbols on that keyboard and keys placed with intelligence. If you like the huge CAPS LOCK button then good for you. The people attacking me for not liking it, the people here who don't like physical keyboards, and the people who can't understand the difference between the layout from the feel of the keys are the ones who need to wise up.

 

[debdroid1a]

I didn't miss the point, neither did most of the replies. The ones whom actually use it KNOW its a good layout.

A phone keyboard is not meant for serious writing. That's when you invest in a lap dock, netbook, laptop, desktop etc. Something with a real keyboard.

Sent from my DROID4 using DroidForums

 

[mccompunerd]

I just want to comment that I enjoy the new phone, but agree after a few days using it that the caps lock is annoying as crap. Gonna try changing the mapping if I can't get used to it. I can't stand virtual keyboards, hence my sticking with the d4, but if there were a device with a better keyboard out I'd switch.

 

[debdroid1a]

Maybe I'm more adaptable to using various keyboards as I worked as a temporary secretary. Those who are set in their ways have a hard time adapting to things. Its too bad as this is a great keyboard.

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[guidot]

I just want to comment that I enjoy the new phone, but agree after a few days using it that the caps lock is annoying as crap. Gonna try changing the mapping if I can't get used to it. I can't stand virtual keyboards, hence my sticking with the d4, but if there were a device with a better keyboard out I'd switch.

There is a better keyboard. Its the D3. Lol

Sent from the best 3G phone on Verizon.

 

[BenLand150]

There is a better keyboard. Its the D3. Lol

Sent from the best 3G phone on Verizon.

My thoughts exactly lol.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using DroidForums

 

[NoBloatware]

> Something with a real keyboard.

Ok deb, you've convinced me. I've seen the light. I should use a D4 because a phone isn't meant for serious writing. Thanks for proving my point.

 

[BenLand150]

A phone keyboard is not meant for serious writing. That's when you invest in a lap dock, netbook, laptop, desktop etc. Something with a real keyboard.

Sent from my DROID4 using DroidForums

That's a given. But if you were to, it's going to be a lot better to do so on a phone with a keyboard in my opinion. And the caps on the D4 is going to make that even more for a nuisance when writing big texts or emails on the go.

Let's keep the conversation clean by the way.. state opinions and facts without taking deliberate shots at people because they don't agree with you. Debates are good. Just don't turn them into hateful arguments.



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[chefboyardee]

I didn't miss the point, neither did most of the replies. The ones whom actually use it KNOW its a good layout.


A phone keyboard is not meant for serious writing. That's when you invest in a lap dock, netbook, laptop, desktop etc. Something with a real keyboard.

Gotta respectfully disagree here (with this part: "The ones whom actually use it KNOW its a good layout"). Other people who are using it are contradicting you left and right, and I've got to jump in and agree with them. I have it, I use it, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the physical feel of it, but I too am slightly bothered by the layout. I'm glad you were able to adjust quickly, but as you said, that might be related to your job. Except I spend all day on a keyboard and have for 15+ years - and have no problem adjusting, and will adjust to this too - but initial reaction is that some of the keys aren't laid out properly, like others have said. I'm honestly curious, what does working as a temporary secretary have to do with anything? Do you change keyboards from job to job? Every secretary I know has used a normal QWERTY keyboard (unless you're talking, like, court reporter or something 'different' like that - secretary to me implies office secretary).


Anyway, I'm not using it for serious writing. I'm using it as a phone keyboard. I reply to text, send email, use the browser, search a lot, etc. I'm a coder by day, but I don't code on my phone.


With all that said, as an OG D1 user coming to this phone (which I love) I'm a little annoyed with some of the layout. I miss the @ being its own key, because typing an @ comes up quite a bit (logging into a website, for example) so I would prefer that to be a physical key of its own. Because the only shift is on the left, it's a little awkward to press shift and then 2 for an @ symbol (and I know you can press them one after another, you dont have to hold them, it's still awkward). Exclamation point is just as annoying though it comes up much less often in my day to day. But I can deal with that, I get why they did it, they wanted the number row to act like a normal number row, which would have been fine if they have provided a right shift key. Equals and minus do not need to be their own keys, as they are rarely used in common everyday typing, so there's plenty of room to fit a dedicated @ key.


What really irks me is the position of the quotes key. That has no right being where it is. On a real keyboard, it's on the right, after jkl. It should be there on this, as well. When typing a normal text or email to a friend, that key is the one that slows me down the most. My brain just refuses to accept that the quote is up there on the D4 keyboard. I'm actually downloading a button remapping program today to fix this for myself.


Regarding caps lock, I do use caps lock and have no problem with the key existing, however I also don't like it where it is. I'm about 10:1 more likely to use shift in a normal, everyday capacity, so I would have liked to see caps and shift swapped. Or, even better, put the quotes key where it belongs, and move tab/caps/shift up one. Then it's like a real keyboard, and I don't have to do any brain remapping to switch from a normal computer keyboard to the D4.


I also very, very, very much miss the Alt key. I used to Alt+Left or Alt+Right to quickly move between words/lines, and I used Alt+Backspace quite a bit to delete words at a time instead of having to hold down backspace. Still looking for the equivalent on the D4.


One small pet peeve that I'll get used to after a few more days of typing on it: one of the things everyone said was great about this keyboard was that it was centered, compared to the D1 which was offset because of the arrows. Well, it's not. It's off-center to the left. If you measure from edge of screen to between G/H (the middle of a normal keyboard) it's about 1/8" over 2.5" but if you measure from the right it's about 1/4" under 2.5". Like I said, not a big deal, but a little annoying.


So, there's one other persons opinion. Again, I love love love this phone and am not complaining, just wishing (like many others) that it were *slightly* better as far as keyboard layout goes.

There is a better keyboard. Its the D3. Lol

Heh, better keyboard *layout*, absolutely. Better physical keyboard, not by a mile My wife's D3 keyboard feels like a caveman built it after a week of using the D4 keyboard. Just like how going back to my D1's keyboard feels like pulling teeth trying to get a sentence out even though it was AWESOME when it was all I knew.

 

[TC_Mits]

...
A phone keyboard is not meant for serious writing. That's when you invest in a lap dock, netbook, laptop, desktop etc. Something with a real keyboard.

Deb, forgive me, but this is inane and beside the point. It sounds like you are saying that if "a phone keyboard is not meant for serious writing" then there's no reason for it to be any good because it's just not that important. The development effort and dollars that went into the quality 'feel' of the D4 keyboard paid off handsomely. Was that wasted effort or overkill? Your argument applies here, too.

The layout redesign was cheap -- unfortunately, in both senses of the word.

.

Maybe I'm more adaptable to using various keyboards as I worked as a temporary secretary. Those who are set in their ways have a hard time adapting to things. Its too bad as this is a great keyboard.

Sent from my DROID4 using DroidForums

The point is that adapting should not be required, and certainly not to this extent. There is broad agreement that the D4 keyboard has great 'feel' -- probably the best ever. There is also a lot of concern that the layout is not so great. It's important not to get confused as to who's talking about which.

It has absolutely NOTHING to do with being "set in their ways". That sounds like an accusation and I've read enough of your posts to know you are more intelligent than that.

The entire QWERTY concept rests on standardization; touch-typing works because the keys are where you were taught to expect them when you first learned to type. Human beings can learn and we are better at ''adapting'' than any other creature. But it takes time and energy to do so. In the case of the D4, we are being asked to expend time and energy "adapting" to a poor and inept layout design. That's wrong, we shouldn't have to adapt when a better, an excellent, layout design had already been created for the D3. Improvement is good, backsliding is not. Yes, the keyboard on the D4 is accepted and recognized to mechanically 'work' best -- that's a big improvement. But the D3 should have been the layout paradigm. The D4 keyboard layout is less useful, less natural, and less productive than the layout on the D3 keyboard -- that's backsliding and...

"Its too bad as this (otherwise) is a great keyboard."

Perspective instantiates reality.
( By DX w/DF app. )

 

[debdroid1a]

This was posted in the thread "would you trade our D4 for a RAZR Max"
http://www.droidforums.net/forum/showthread.php?t=199101
I thought it appropriate here

Does the RAZR MAXX have a physical keyboard? Lol. Does anyone here own a Droid 4 who doesn't REQUIRE a physical keyboard? If so, you bought the wrong phone. This question is baffling.

If you're unhappy with your Droid 4 go by another phone. No one if forcing you to use something you're not happy with. Stop complaining and learn to adapt or get a different phone.

I get so tired of people being so negative. Life doesn't have to be that way.

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[TC_Mits]

...
If you're unhappy with your Droid 4 go by another phone. No one if forcing you to use something you're not happy with. Stop complaining and learn to adapt or get a different phone.
...

You're so caught up in your crusade, I guess to defend your choice, that you're not hearing what all those whiney little voices are saying. The reason what you suggest won't work has been explained ad nauseam in this thread and elsewhere. Most perceptive readers here see it and understand. I don't see any reason to repeat it; you're not listening.

Well, OK, I'll give you a hint:
I'm open to suggestions. You've read my posts. What phone do you think would cheer me up for 2 years or more?


.

...
I get so tired of people being so negative. Life doesn't have to be that way.

Sent from my DROID4 using DroidForums

I wonder if you can, even now as I point it out to you, hear how negative that sounds. Do you feel that two wrongs -- by your own declared standard -- make a right?

Deb, it's not your job. If you think my complaining is so wrong, then stop complaining about it. Lead by example. Leave me to be one hand clapping -- it's no skin off your but, right?


Perspective instantiates reality.
( By DX w/DF app. )

 

[chefboyardee]

If you're unhappy with your Droid 4 go by another phone. No one if forcing you to use something you're not happy with. Stop complaining and learn to adapt or get a different phone.

I get so tired of people being so negative. Life doesn't have to be that way.

Who's the one being negative here with their absolutism? Nobody is complaining, we're having a discussion.

I love my Droid 4. Wouldn't trade it for the world. In fact, I explicitly said in my post... "Again, I love love love this phone and am not complaining, just wishing (like many others) that it were *slightly* better as far as keyboard layout goes."

Doesn't mean there aren't a few things I wish they had thought about a little more. I love my car, but I wish there were some features it had that were different. Doesn't mean I'm going to trade it in just because those are missing. Do you mean to tell me everything in your life is perfect and there's nothing you ever wish was a little different or better? Does that mean you want to trade your entire life in? Of course not.

Forums like these exist for discussion of things like this. It's how Motorola learns, it's how we learn. On another forum, a discussion about the physical keyboard led me to a button remapping app that is likely to fix the issues I have with the keyboard. Without a discussion like this I would have never known that app existed. I appreciate your opinion but, like the others in this thread, disagree with you - I hope one day you can open up your mind to simple, polite discussion. It is the backbone of the Android community and has been for years. If it bothers you so much to read, don't open threads like this where the rest of us are trying to talk out our (minimal) issues with an otherwise amazing phone.

 

[guidot]

We do not tolerate name calling and general infighting. Its gone on way too long in this thread.

This thread is reopened as of right now.

If you CANNOT form a post that is helpful and promotes FURTHER DISCUSSION, please do not post it here.

It is under close watch.

Carry on.

Sent from the best 3G phone on Verizon.

 

[ezeddiekun]

If your going to post your opinions on the internet expect to be criticized. You stated your preference of what symbols and keys and whatnot should be on the keyboard. You spoke for yourself not the majority. So of course people who are content with it would post here. Why else would Motorola change the keys around? They probably had testers or did public opinions on qwerty keyboards..

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