Shapewriter updated today

[Matth3w]

Anyone know where you can find patch notes? I'd like to see what they changed but I can't find it anywhere.

 

[sh0ebox]

If you open Shapewriter via the icon they place in your apps tray, you can click on the far right tab which says "what's new." Here is what they have updated (with typos and grammatical errors in tact lol):

New features in this version:

Support Multi-language support:

This vertion supports six languages, namely English, French, FrenchQwerty, German, Italian and Swedish. By default, English has been installed in your phone and you can use it now.
To use other languages, you also to download a dictionary from Android Market.
There is a link in "ShapeWriter keyboard settings" that will help you to find these dictionaries in Android Market quickly. (The button below can enter "ShapeWriter keyboard settings" directly.)

Globe Key

There is a new "Globe Key" on the keyboard you can press it to switch between two languages. To decide which two languages to switch, you can set them in "ShapeWriter keyboard settings". Only two languages should be enabled at the same time.

User Dictionary Manager

One new tool that can help you to manage your personal user dictionary. You can add, delete, or import words from your phone's user dictionary and contacts. Press the "Menu" key in "ShapeWriter keyboard settings" to access this feature.
When you first run ShapeWriter keyboard, your phone's user dictionary and contacts are automatically imported into ShapeWriter's user dictionary.

Double Click

Double click the "Space" key, you will send one period and space.
Double click the "Backspace" key, you will delete a whole word around the cursor.

 

[Matth3w]

Oh great, I overlooked that. Thanks a lot!

 

[LrdElderon]

If you open Shapewriter via the icon they place in your apps tray, you can click on the far right tab which says "what's new." Here is what they have updated (with typos and grammatical errors in tact lol):

New features in this version:

Support Multi-language support:

This vertion supports six languages, namely English, French, FrenchQwerty, German, Italian and Swedish. By default, English has been installed in your phone and you can use it now.
To use other languages, you also to download a dictionary from Android Market.
There is a link in "ShapeWriter keyboard settings" that will help you to find these dictionaries in Android Market quickly. (The button below can enter "ShapeWriter keyboard settings" directly.)

Globe Key

There is a new "Globe Key" on the keyboard you can press it to switch between two languages. To decide which two languages to switch, you can set them in "ShapeWriter keyboard settings". Only two languages should be enabled at the same time.

User Dictionary Manager

One new tool that can help you to manage your personal user dictionary. You can add, delete, or import words from your phone's user dictionary and contacts. Press the "Menu" key in "ShapeWriter keyboard settings" to access this feature.
When you first run ShapeWriter keyboard, your phone's user dictionary and contacts are automatically imported into ShapeWriter's user dictionary.

Double Click

Double click the "Space" key, you will send one period and space.
Double click the "Backspace" key, you will delete a whole word around the cursor.

I've been using been using both swype and now using shapewriter 2.11 and now this updated version. I must say this. At first I was like many others thinking swype was so much more accurate and so much better...etc etc. But I talked with I believe the head or ceo for shapewriter and found some interesting things out that have seemed to be true for me.

I was told that shapewriter uses a small starting dictionary using the minimal amount of most used words. I think swype perhaps uses a larger set a the start giving the false impression that it's being accurate when its really just the word was already in it's dictionary or lexicon.

I find that the more I use shapewriter and fix errors with words and add them to the dictionary that it's becoming just as fast and accurate as swype with lots of features I really like. I'm really enjoying this new version. I hope people that try it out will try using it for more than a day or two so that the program can adapt and learn the users vocabulary and patterns before deciding if they like it or not compared to the alternatives like swype. It does greatly improve over time from my personal experience.

bleh that kinda sounded like an ad =/ sorry about that. I don't have anything to do with the company I just like that they actually support end users with the software while companies like swype just give us the finger and only want to work with oems.

That's really why I used shapewriter in the first place just to spite those ....... people at swype for such aweful customer relations (good business strategy I suppose) but OI it really makes me irritated.

Anyways I guess competition is always good. I'll def be keeping an eye on both companies and their products.

note: is it always going to be free now? I know it was a paid app before or is the free thing some promotion? not that I mind hehe I'll take a free promotion

 

[Matth3w]

I use shapewriter because of autocap and because it is an actual updated market item as opposed to a leaked probably never updated item.

 

[JonKyu]

Good for you, as much as I love swype you guys convinced me to give shapewriter a try (I tried it on my iPod Touch A Looooong time ago and was pretty impressed with it).

Edite: OOOoook wow, haha I'm actually really liking this, I don't have to do loopy things anymore and the word selection box is much better than swype. The only thing I don't like right now is the line thing, swype's felt "nicer/smoother" but all in all it's realy great!

Edit: Sooo much easier to edit in ShapeWriter, editing in Swype was getting to be a PIA.

 

[jsh1120]

Interesting comments, LrdElderon. In the event that Swype stops working on my Droid, I'll definitely make the switch to Shapewriter.

Have to say, though, that the comments about Swype's "awful customer relations" seem misplaced. Those of us using Swype on the Droid aren't their "customers." They don't owe us the time of day, much less an updated, fully functional app that we didn't pay for. I've awed my friends with Swype and in at least one case prompted someone to purchase an Omnia II (which has Swype) so I figure I'm more or less ethically clean on this issue, but I certainly don't begrudge the folks at Swype the opportunity to follow a business plan they choose.

 

[Flomaster]

OMG YES!

I like Swype because I could add my email address and Shapewriter would never allow it.

I am not switching to Shapewriter or I'll give it another go.

-=Jason=-

 

[LrdElderon]

Interesting comments, LrdElderon. In the event that Swype stops working on my Droid, I'll definitely make the switch to Shapewriter.

Have to say, though, that the comments about Swype's "awful customer relations" seem misplaced. Those of us using Swype on the Droid aren't their "customers." They don't owe us the time of day, much less an updated, fully functional app that we didn't pay for. I've awed my friends with Swype and in at least one case prompted someone to purchase an Omnia II (which has Swype) so I figure I'm more or less ethically clean on this issue, but I certainly don't begrudge the folks at Swype the opportunity to follow a business plan they choose.

I see what you are saying, but I completely disagree. we ARE their intended customers just via proxy of an oem. We are the ones who are going to use their product and we are the ones they should be dealing with. Perhaps I didn't state the relations part as I should have. I've been to their site and the people moderating are perfectly nice and respectable and do in fact seem to answer stuff even for people they know are using pirated copies. But when you completely ignore your ultimate end user, no discussion, no selling.... only the statement that we're only interested in oems.... that's bad relations in my book, verizon isn't the one using swype when push comes to shove, I am.

And I've heard their line a few times about not setup to support all the users at this time.... blah blah blah. well I'd say shapewriter is in about the same position and they seem to do alright working directly with end users selling via the market as well as all the lone developers who are pushing out some fantastic apps. I think if one person doing an app can give some support and product help and updates that a company like swype who (didn't they invent t9 input or whatever the heck that crap is?) would have the money and support to sell directly to us.

Really it comes down to this in my mind, it really is a big f-u to the end users because they want guaranteed money from oems on all devices that are put out. This means that even if the phones don't all sell they make a profit whereas selling to end users can have fluctuating sales...

Maybe I'm wrong who knows. I do like the product I've seen. I really would like to try it, but it's very irksome to know that none of us will ever get to use the final version unless we pirate it or buy a phone with it preinstalled....:icon_evil:

So I say perhaps people should try shapewriter or if that slideit whatever the heck it is comes out finally try that and give the fu right back at swype. or use stock haha whatever floats your boat.

ok im hungry now time for some food. =)

oh oh

I like Swype because I could add my email address and Shapewriter would never allow it.

You can do that in shapewriter just fine. you hit the command key slide finger to L-I-T for literal mode. then no autocaps or spaces so you can do emails. then swipe command lit again to go back to normal. Theres some nice features when you dig into it.

 

[Matth3w]

Nice tip with the emails, I hear that as a "downside" to Shapewriter all the time.

 

[Shaneathan]

I tried the new Shapewriter again because of this thread, and I must say, the word recognition is horrible. I just tried to type the word "ill" (instead of I'll) for around a minute. Each time, it would show up as "ink." I assure you that I went nowhere near the "n," and I have typed the word before, so it was in the dictionary. Shapewriter needs to pick up Swype's word recognition to be anywhere near as useable.

 

[Matth3w]

I just did it on the first try.

 

[JonKyu]

I tried the new Shapewriter again because of this thread, and I must say, the word recognition is horrible. I just tried to type the word "ill" (instead of I'll) for around a minute. Each time, it would show up as "ink." I assure you that I went nowhere near the "n," and I have typed the word before, so it was in the dictionary. Shapewriter needs to pick up Swype's word recognition to be anywhere near as useable.

Just type "il" there's no looping in Shapewriter it auto-detects when you're trying to type without the double letters.

 

[jsh1120]

Don't want to hijack this thread and I did break down and install Shapewriter after the comments above. It will be interesting to compare the two products. (I suspect it may come down adjustment to the peculiarities of each app. We'll see.)

As far as Swype's business strategy is concerned, I find myself in the odd position of defending a politically conservative, free market position here. (I'm usually on the other end of the political spectrum.) It seems to me that arguing that "we" are Swype's customers is a very odd position to take.

I cannot, for example, go to a farmer and demand he sell me his crops for the same price he charges a grocery chain simply because "I" am his (indirect) customer. An OEM manufacturer negotiates a contract with Swype. I don't. Seems to me that a phone manufacturer and Swype should be free to make any arrangement they see fit as long as it doesn't violate the law. If I don't like the fact that I cannot get Swype on a Droid, it seems to me I should complain to Motorola or Verizon, not Swype.

And as far as customer support is concerned, we'll see how well Shapewriter does. I've been in the software business for many years and I can tell you from personal experience that customer support is the single biggest headache in the biz. It NEVER pays for itself and the more successful one is at appealing to a mass market, the worse it is.

Frankly, as a consumer I think it's delightful (in the short run) to acquire software products free of charge. On the other hand, I've already used three products from the Android marketplace that are basically dead at this point because there is simply no revenue to support continuing development and support. I'd venture to say that half of the free products out there won't be supported within a year.

 

[Matth3w]

The product is free, you don't need customer service. It's nice but not like they owe us anything.