Swype is cool, but is it really faster?

[hutch3837]

I was very excited to download Swype a week or two ago. Played with it for a day, and got frustrated with it. A few days later, I tried it again and started to connect with it. Learning something new is fun, and it's a great idea. After using it for sometime, last night I was having an in-depth text conversation (we both hate talking on the phone) and I switched back to the android keyboard. Wow, I was kidding myself that I was typing faster with Swype. Not only do I type faster with the standard Android keyboard, but the auto-correction is much better in my opinion.

Do I just need to stick with it longer?

One thing I would like to see stolen from Swype is the long press of numbers and punctuation. This flows much better for me than switching screens.

How is Swype really going for you? Is it just fun and cool, or do you really thing you are inputing faster?

 

[fishepa]

I guess the only way to tell if you type faster with Swype is to type out a paragraph both ways and see which is faster. I just personally like swype better.

 

[Another_Dude]

I'll never give up my Swype.

 

[dezymond]

swype is great, but if you want to type regularly on the keyboard it reads funny. it's great for answering a quick text when driving or when you got only one hand open.

 

[myriad46]

It does force one handed use. Also, if you are not very familiar with the keyboard, you're scewed. Hunt-and-Peck users, need not apply...

That being said...very cool technology. It's suprising how well it works.

 

[broosewee]

swype is great, but if you want to type regularly on the keyboard it reads funny. it's great for answering a quick text when driving or when you got only one hand open.

I hope you don't mean texting and driving at the same time... :icon_evil:

And swype may not be a whole lot faster, but it's a hell lot more convenient especially one handed.

 

[jdougal]

I'm coming from a history of blackberries and their physical keyboards (sans Storm). Because of that I type all of my long messages with the physical keyboard. One handed texting however was awful prior to swype and was near impossible for me. Although I still prefer the physical, when one handed usage is required or convenient, I prefer Swype.

 

[backlash]

It does force one handed use. Also, if you are not very familiar with the keyboard, you're scewed. Hunt-and-Peck users, need not apply...

That being said...very cool technology. It's suprising how well it works.

I think this is KEY!!! I find I use swype a lot better if I use my index finger instead of my thumb.

 

[thetastelingers]

I am undecided wether to keep swype or not.
Some things I am faster at the android keyboard and some faster with swype.
I can always switch back and forth to find out.

 

[kaboyd]

I'm not much faster on it than a normal keyboard. I just think it's more user friendly(except for the auto-correct. That sucks).

 

[Danthok]

I personally think Swype is faster, but like hutch said it does need some work. Just little things like no auto-capitalization for the first word in a sentence and not automatically adding a space after a comma. The auto-correction works pretty well in my opinion, it just needs a little optimization and it would be flawless.

We should probably get the developer on this forum ,if they are not already, and tell them about the little nuances so they can add it for the official release.

 

[hutch3837]

Just did a test...

Just took a posters advice and did a timed test.

Wrote out a longish sentence with some numbers and punct. I was about 15 to 20% faster on the Android keyboard, and less frustrated (thou when not timed, I find Swype-ing fun).

Think I'll use both for a while longer and see which one kinda organically ends up as the winner.

Granted...one handed, Swype is obviously the winner.

 

[LordKastle]

Depends how fast you can type...is flying or driving faster? Swype you are on the ground, dragging to every point...its faster if you are not fluid enough with the virtual keyboard. Virtual/Physical Android is going from point to point...so if you are knowledgeable with the keyboard it can turn out to be faster.

 

[HAWK88]

I just searched the Market & couldn't find Swype?

 

[actrack03]

I just searched the Market & couldn't find Swype?

Thats because its not in the market.

I love swipe but it does have it's little annoyances like no auto-caps and not very good with slang. I haven't had the time or patients to teach it words. I would love to see an option to have swype in portrait mode by default and then the android keyboard in landscape. Probably too much to ask especially since speech to text will be in the official 2.1 release. I just got the 2.1 with speech to text as I am writing this so it may turn out to me of little point which is better soon depending on how well it picks up my voice.