I think I get it now. i am not supposed to hit the gold keypad made of metal, I am supposed to use the plastic border around it.....Wow, now that is intuitive.....
I am going to try this for a while to see if it works better for me.....When using the physical keyboard for texting, why don't I see auto-correct, etc activate?
I have Better Keyboard turned on for my virtual keyboard. Could that be the cause of does the phone simply not provide this functionality when using the physical keyboard?
Stop using better keyboard, as that is just a skin with few user enhancements to the stock.
I would try smart keyboard Pro - its the most accurate (although the autocorrection isn't as good), and it comes with a autocorrect for the hardware keyboard.
On the fingers side, I am 6'3" and 270 lbs, and have nice big german heritage field laborer hands, and typing for me isn't that much of an issue. Keep working at it, and try using the tips of your fingers instead of the pad. I had to do that as well on my old Curve, and regardless of the phone, I feel it helps me type easier.