Physical keyboard...

[crspang]

I rarely ever use the physical keyboard. I find it much faster to use the virtual keyboard even without swype.

 

[kaboyd]

I used to avoid the physical keyboard because I like the word suggestions on the software keyboards but the new better keyboard app adds suggestions to the hard keyboard.

I didn't know that. Does it add word suggestions to the soft keyboard in landscape mode also.

 

[darreno1]

I'm using the physical keyboard more and more mainly because it lets me see the whole screen when typing up a repair ticket and also because I'm getting used to it. I use the tip of my fingers/nails to type with so the flatness does not bother me much. I've also found that the phone is much more comfortable to hold with the keyboard out when browsing the web or viewing emails.

 

[Johnly]

I heart the physical keyboard! I was in santiago's the other day and some dude was on his iPhone next to me, manipulating everything off the screen...and then with a loud A** snap, I flicked out my physical keyboard to respond to an email! He looked at me with envy! The funny part was that I had ALL of my real estate to view without some cheap "virtual" keyboard cluttering it up! Why the H*** do you think I bought a droid does! MUAHAHAHAHAHAH!

 

[biteme]

physical keyboard nearly 100% of the time. That's why I got a Droid and not an I-thingy.

 

[tktouch12]

I find that I seldom use the physical keyboard. It's more convenient for me to use the touch screen Anyone use it more than the physical?

I traded in my Eris for the Droid because I wanted the physical keyboard, but now that I have it, I find the keyboard a pain to use with the flattened keys so I added swype and use it all the time.

LOL. My story exactly.

I traded too, but mostly because the droid was the better status phone (not even going to lie about it). I didn't like the physical at the beginning, but now I use it for anything really long And I use portrait for short texts and stuff. I rarely use the landscape touch keyboard, but it's actually really good. I just have to feel like the 6 ounces aren't a waste. I have swype but I don't think it's ALL that great. It is cool though, and I show it off to sole ( along with interactive live wallaers . )

 

[CBLJazz]

pre swype a lot of physical keyboard.
post swype, no physical keyboard.

 

[rgn2000]

If I want to do a quick search for a contact I use the vertical onscreen, but for everything else it is the physical keyboard. I love sliding it out and I also love having the whole screen visible while I type.

I also cannot figure out what is so great about swype. I mean it does work and work very well, but it is not natural whatsoever. When I am on my PC emailing someone I am typing on a keyboard. Granted the keyboards on a phone is difference, but it is the same feel. When I am sending a text or emailing I want to be typing it out. Swyping just does not seem natural. But obviously there are people out there that like it so they must be doing something right.

 

[Sal R.]

Physical keyboard for web surfing and email.

virtual keyboard (Smart Keyboard predominantly) for texing and IM'ing.

Hardly ever use the landscape virtual kb, unless the droid is docked and I'm responding to a text/IM.

 

[Champers]

I use virtual for everything, unless I am walking or doing something where I need to be able to type a message without looking.

 

[orion2001]

I just ran a test. Typed a reasonably long unseen paragraph using swype and then the keyboard. Took 4 minutes and 10 seconds with swype and 2 minutes and 55 seconds with the keyboard! Swype is definitely good and much faster than standard touch screen input, but I find that I am still much faster when it comes to longer text input using the keyboard.

I'm sure part of it is that the keyboard is second nature to me and I don't have to think when I type on the droid keyboard, whereas swype still takes a lot more attention. I've also noticed that typing with swype makes my writing a lot less fluent as I am spending too much time focussing on the writing and less on actually composing the sentence in my head and thinking ahead.

Perhaps it would improve with practice, but I have a feeling that I would still always be faster with the keyboard than with swype if I practiced at getting good with both.

I'm glad I did this test. I was trying to go the way of swype, but now I know for a fact that I am in fact faster when using the keyboard.

 

[thebourbonnflip]

I use the physical keyboard for the game of "What The Doodle" it is great for that game