To slide or not to slide?

**AgTitan06** · 10-01-2010, 12:18 PM

Do you prefer an Android with the slide-out keyboard or one without the keyboard? I feel like I'd never use the slideout keyboard because of how nice the virtual keyboard is. Thoughts? Vote in the poll please.

**Addie_Goodvibes** · 10-01-2010, 12:48 PM

OP this is worth a bump. Especially those that are coming from a BB or other mobile platform that are used to physical keyboard.

I came from the entire legacy of palm devices Treo and latest Palm Pre, I finally crossed over to android because of the release of the Epic. A full slide out Qwerty.

However I did not realize how useful Swype could be..

I still favor a solid Physical keyboard but do not like the feel of moving parts on my phone. This may very well be my last Physical kb on a device.

**MBSMD** · 10-02-2010, 12:17 AM

I had a Droid 1. Used the keyboard so infrequently I replaced it with an Incredible.

**dtboos** · 10-02-2010, 12:25 PM

Hardware keyboard is nice for certain things like making it easier to input a password correctly (and more discretely) but other than that, with swype, swiftkey ect, there just isnt much reason to ever use one.

I was a hardcore BB user (and still think they are great phones). I went from the Bold 9000 to the Nexus One (no keyboard). The hardware keyboard on my Bold 9000 was one of the best things ever, and one of the hardest things to let go of. But I got used to the virtual keyboard pretty quickly, and now with swype, I don't even like regular virtual keyboards anymore lol. Its that good.

Just make sure to get a good keyboard replacement because the stock android keyboard is pretty bad. Better Keyboard, HTC keyboard (really nice, can get the .apk installer from xda forums), swift key, and of coarse for gesture/line typing; Swype.

**bclinger#IM** · 10-03-2010, 02:31 AM

I prefer a slider and have learned to almost like the Evo. However, no keyboard is not enough to switch to the Epic.

**zbban1#ac** · 10-03-2010, 06:00 AM

Coming from a BB Curve 8350i, I do miss the keyboard, but am getting used to the virtual keyboard, slowly but surely. I had a BB Torch, but the slider was getting loose and I could see problems developing on down the road, so that's why I would rather have no slider. It's nice that my DX has the rotating screen so that it's easier to type letters in landscape mode - bigger letters, too! : )

**bclinger#IM** · 10-03-2010, 11:33 AM

yep, they are. Thing is, rotating screens are also great - I disabled mine because it rotated at the slightest opportunity it could find.

**Cory Streater** · 10-03-2010, 06:38 PM

I love the idea of slide out keyboards, but have concluded that any phone with moving parts, is a recipe for trouble.

**Zorro1** · 10-06-2010, 01:26 PM

I was one who demanded a keyboard in order to work in spreadsheets, and now pay the price for the bulkier/heavier phone. With Smart Keyboard, nope, I don't even open it now. Ever. If only I could detach it now...but will have to wait 1 1/3 more years to upgrade....

**MANdroid5000** · 10-08-2010, 05:30 PM

3 years on an iPhone has made me a virtual keyboard ninja. real keyboards seem to take a LOT more effort to push down the buttons...makes 1 hand typing much harder.

**qwerty1** · 10-09-2010, 07:41 AM

Big screens, like the Droid X, makes typing easy. No need for extra weight and chunkiness of a keyboard.

**DEman19901** · 10-09-2010, 09:08 AM

Originally Posted by Benji

I prefer a slider and have learned to almost like the Evo. However, no keyboard is not enough to switch to the Epic.

Agreed. I like real keyboards better than virtual keyboards. Sliding keyboards like you said are a recipe for disaster. Then if you have a phone with a fixed keyboard i.e. Blackberry, you give up screen real estate. So therefore I just stick with my Evo. I did see a Verizon Android phone on Androidcentral a couple of days ago with a fixed keyboard and a 3.5" screen that seemed rather interesting. I can't remember the name though.

**shanesol** · 10-09-2010, 09:19 AM

I prefer a slider and have learned to almost like the Evo. However, no keyboard is not enough to switch to the Epic.

Agreed. I like real keyboards better than virtual keyboards. Sliding keyboards like you said are a recipe for disaster. Then if you have a phone with a fixed keyboard i.e. Blackberry, you give up screen real estate. So therefore I just stick with my Evo. I did see a Verizon Android phone on Androidcentral a couple of days ago with a fixed keyboard and a 3.5" screen that seemed rather interesting. I can't remember the name though.

One of the biggest reasons I got the droid was because of the slide out qwerty keyboard. I know it kinda sucks compared to others but really I do almost everything on my phone and a real keyboard helps for writing longer messages. Plus I have never had an issue with the sliding action from my phone. I think that moto did a good job with that for both the droid and the droid 2

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

**2005CTS** · 10-09-2010, 11:32 PM

I don't want the weight, thickness or complexity (something else to break) of a sliding keyboard. Give me a super thin screaming fast touch screen.

**Beezzy** · 10-10-2010, 10:30 PM

The horizontal keyboard on the Droid X is amazing. I occasionally hit the period button. But I'm sure over time I will get used to it. I'm on my phone constantly and to pull out a slider is just asking for trouble because of all the moving parts.

Sent from my DROIDX

**legendary1022** · 10-12-2010, 02:19 PM

Coming from a Nexus One to a G2 and I can say I prefer the hardware keyboard to virtual. The nexus one would frustrate me sometimes due to the calibration on the touchscreen. Having both as options eliminates all frustrations

Sent from my T-Mobile G2

**experiment 626** · 10-12-2010, 03:03 PM

Originally Posted by qwerty1

Big screens, like the Droid X, makes typing easy. No need for extra weight and chunkiness of a keyboard.

I agree. With the advent of 4" and 4.3" screens typing,at least in horizontal mode,is nearly as smooth as a physical keyboard.

**goliath602** · 10-18-2010, 03:48 PM

Virtual keyboards FTW!! All of the touch screen phones that I've owned only had a virtual keyboard. I have no need for a real keyboard. And with my X typing is really easy.

**voghan** · 10-18-2010, 10:28 PM

I want s super light phone so a physical keyboard is out of the question. I have no issues using a virtual keyboard.

Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk

**Kyle Gibb** · 10-19-2010, 06:45 AM

Swype makes a physical keyboard (and all other virtual ones) obsolete.

**scaots** · 10-22-2010, 09:56 PM

Swype rocks, in portrait mode! Without Swype I prefer a horizontal slider on anything smaller than 4". On EVO I couldn't care less about a physical keyboard, but it would be nice if it had backspace, return, and the arrows in standard position. The DroidX multitouch keyboard is good too. Haven't played with the 4" screens enough to know if that is big enough or not. I wish my Nexus had a slider, but I would mostly use it for games and probably still type with Swype. G2 is OK, but I really prefer the EVO screen size.

**lafountain** · 10-24-2010, 10:59 AM

I got the Epic thinking I would prefer the use of the hardware keyboard, since I have gotten the Epic, I have barely touched the hardware keyboard.

**mike340t** · 10-27-2010, 06:45 PM

On my Epic I never touch the keyboard except to play emulators. Coming from nothing but BB's Swype made the transition effortless, but I was able to type one handed without looking at my BB. Something no touch screen can do as you need that tactile feeling... So no more sneaking a message when I shouldn't be lol

**lynk48** · 10-27-2010, 09:42 PM

ok granted my 3g slide is my first android phone but i came from blackberry and i use my keyboard all the time ... though if i had no choice i am sure i could get used to the touch screen but the fact of the matter is i rely on that keyboard a lot and given the choice it would be slider every time ... though i must say i do like my sense ui maybe i am just not nerdy enough to function routed