Shapewriter VS Swype Keyboard

[SCUBA-GUY]

Hey all, thought I would contribute something here as opposed to asking yet another question.

So I jumped through the hoops, found and installed the Swype keyboard a while ago. I liked it but it had some issues that bothered me. I would add words to the dictionary but they would not show up in the available words to choose from. Or I would swype the word Don't and it kept defaulting to dint. Small little issues here and there that would slow me down.

I heard of the Shapewriter keyboard and downloaded it but was resistant to trying it out. Finally got fed up enough with the Swype keyboard that I decided to give the Shapewriter keyboard a shot.

I am very glad that I did. It is much better than the Swype keyboard. It has nearly every feature I liked in the Swype keyboard and adds a few very nice ones. It is better at predicting what I wanted if I did not swype a word correctly. It is much easier to add a word to the dictionary and they actually show up as an option when you swype the word again.

The only real limitations to it that I have experienced is it is difficult to use some of the not as common punctuation marks. Can't find the underscore anywhere for instance. Also it does not have a standard "shift" key. Instead you swype the word and then hit a button that acts as a toggle. Hit it once and it capitalizes the first letter. Hit it again and it does the whole word, a third time sets everything lower case. Takes a little getting used to.

Overall though it is loads better than the Swype keyboard. I highly recommend you give it a try.

 

[Droman]

SlideIT - Absolute Genius Keyboard

I have been testing shapewriter and generally like it, but I prefer SlideIT.
The tap mode is more flexible and I like the graffiti portion. The intuitive is easier to modify and affect. Plus, it is not on sale for only 7.99 on the Market. For that price I was willing to give up the shapewriter and get SlideIT.

 

[Andr0id]

I haven't tried Swype, but I too used Shapewriter and found it really accurate! I then switched to SlideIT, which I really liked. There are a few layout difference and I found that Shapewriter was lots better at getting my words right. I can't remember why I used SlideIt instead. It was something to do with the layout of the main keyboard I think. Either way, both of them semmed to be really good IMO. I have since gone back to the stock hTc keyboard, but think I'm going to grab one of these from the market again! Another thing to show off on my Incredible

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

I really like Swype I have been using it for awhile. It was a bit buggy when I first started using it but it has beenmy primary keyboard for months. Not sure about the others but I like how I can use different color Swype keyboards. Thats just me though

 

[issues636]

Just downloaded ShapeWriter and its awesome. Just wish you could make it not auto capitalize. I never cap and it gets annoying having to hit the button to lower case it all the time. I never tried swype and its not on the market how do you get it



Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

 

[PriestSyrinx]

I used ShapeWriter for a while, but ended up going with the HTC IME Keyboard Mod (I like the voice-to-text feature and am much faster with it than stock). ShapeWriter was very nice and accurate in its predictions for me, I just prefer tapping to swyping...

 

[Zandar]

Not sure which version of Swype you have, but if you have the official beta it ought not have the problems you referenced. Also, it will learn your word preference over time (much like ShapeWriter will).

I have tried both, and I found Swype (official) to be far more accurate than ShapeWriter, as well as having easier to use punctuation. SlideIT was the worst of the lot for recognition, from what I experienced.

I really hope Swype comes to the Android Market soon. I'd gladly plink down $10 for it.

 

[aaf709]

Just downloaded ShapeWriter and its awesome. Just wish you could make it not auto capitalize. I never cap and it gets annoying having to hit the button to lower case it all the time. I never tried swype and its not on the market how do you get it



Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

There might be a setting in ShapeWriter that'll change the auto capitalization.

To get Swype you Google for their website and sign up for their beta program (which I understand has re-opened). You'll get a link in an email; click on it on your phone and it'll take you through installation. There's a rumor that it's coming to the Market (supposed to have been yesterday), but it hasn't happened yet.

I use Swype myself, but I have ShapeWriter because it was in the Market and Swype was in Beta. Today I got a notice of an update for ShapeWriter which said:

We plan to take ShapeWriter off the Android Market on June 20 for an indefinite period of time. We ask you to update your ShapeWriter to version 3.0.9 which will not expire.

No reason was given.

 

[jhom]

I've used both Swype and ShapeWriter for several months. For me, Swype is more accurate and convenient of the two. I can be more "sloppy" with Swype and get good word selection. With ShapeWriter, I need to be more precise in my initial and ending finger movement. I find that ShapeWriter often selects a less commonly used word over the more frequent word. Regardless, both apps help speed up my text entry process.

 

[RgnKjnVA]

I'd prefer if Swype would present alternative words in a horizontal format like Shapewriter. Also, I somewhat like Shapewriter's capitalization key in certain situations. However, I really like Swype's arrow key/cut-and-paste interface (not sure what to call that [short swipe across the Swype-SYM keys]) . Makes it easy to get right to the letter you want to fix and/or cut-and-paste. I'm growing weary of the clunky Beta installs although the latest was the easiest so far. Wonder what's going on with Shapewriter. Did Nuance buy it just to port to iPhone?