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SGS2, why does everyone love it? Here's why I don't...

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Puddle Jumper said:
I'd agree for Blur and Sense but I actually like TouchWiz 4.0 quite a bit more than stock Gingerbread. Unfortunately Samsung is the only manufacturer that actually seems interested in using their skin to improve Android.
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I hate Blur, it slowed down the droidX to a crawl. However I liked the keyboard because it was one of the first android devices to have multi touch. I like touch wiz, but I like stock the best, especially ICS.
 
Zaap said:
For me, nothing beats Thumb Keyboard.

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Choice rules. Lack of it sucks.
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Agreed. Thumb keyboard rocks the house.
 
Development takes a while, yes; but tweaking like this is paramount to a good user experience. I'm quite close now to just going to iPhone. These android makers are handing us to Apple on a silver platter, make it too easy...
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It sounds like you should run as fast as you can back to the store and jump back into the Apple ecosystem. If you want your phone to run exactly like everyone else with that phone, don't bother looking at Android devices. For me, if I had a major issue with the keyboard or texting app on any Android device I would spend about thirty seconds figuring out it sucks, then a few minutes swapping to one that doesn't.

If you don't want a choice about how your phone operates, get an iPhone.
 
I think I'm lucky that I like how everything works on an iPhone at stock, if I didn't, I would get an Android.
 
MrX8503 said:
Wow thats teribad. It reminds me why I don't have an Android phone. Its little things like this scattered all over the OS that drives my frustration up a wall. The SGSII is a solid device but software is mediocre. If I make a transition to Android, I'll have to research a device for days so that I can avoid these software annoyances.

EDIT: One thing that annoys me with keyboards is the suggestion bar that pops up above the keyboard that tries to predict what you're typing. It takes up screen real estate, for goodness sakes, get rid of that damn thing.
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I have an Atrix 4G and while I love the hardware I am seriously considering finding a slider. It removes the suggestion bar, removes this OSKeyboard, and lets you actually see what you're writing.
Back when I was using my OGDroid even the useless status bar at the top annoyed me in landscape mode.
 
zerocool84 said:
Ger said:
You can add http://www.netwares.com to the list of cheap refill sites. Pretty good service. You can save a lot of money going the refill route, especially if you do quite a bit of color photo printing.
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Swiftkey X is my favorite. I think I might even recommend it to my mom as I got her a Galaxy S II today. The prediction is unmatched on it.
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lmao.

lmao2: sarcasm, you also getting mom phone and saying I should suggest skiftweyX as well?
SwiftkeyX is good, but not perfect...
 
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I would just question why I would have to install a third party keyboard.

But, after 5 years of constantly tinkering with my Windows Mobile phones I left that shit behind and went iPhone in 2008. I'm tired of playing with my phone and just want my phone to work.
 
bearxor said:
I would just question why I would have to install a third party keyboard.

But, after 5 years of constantly tinkering with my Windows Mobile phones I left that shit behind and went iPhone in 2008. I'm tired of playing with my phone and just want my phone to work.
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Because third party keyboards give you features that a stock keyboard doesnt? Swype has a new method of typing, thumb keyboard has a new layout for more efficient typing, swiftkey has one of the best auto correct algorithms out there.

Just because you don't like having choice to optimize your experience to the way you like it, doesn't mean other people don't.
 
I have the tmo version of the sgs2 and always message in portrait. I can see where i would be pissed off if I messaged in landscape. I love my phone but the PPI/DPI does kinda suck, especially when reading emails as the client, either built in or K-9, doesnt scale properly.

I miss Better Keyboard 8. I bought it a couple of years ago but since I got my new sgs2 its off the market. 🙁
 
NikolaeVarius said:
Because third party keyboards give you features that a stock keyboard doesnt? Swype has a new method of typing, thumb keyboard has a new layout for more efficient typing, swiftkey has one of the best auto correct algorithms out there.

Just because you don't like having choice to optimize your experience to the way you like it, doesn't mean other people don't.
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That was directed more at the "I would wonder what the point of having a smartphone is if you don't want to install anything though."

I can understand swype, since it's basically a different method of input. But having to try out different keyboards because the stock keyboard seems to blow so hard just strikes me as ridiculous.
 
bearxor said:
That was directed more at the "I would wonder what the point of having a smartphone is if you don't want to install anything though."

I can understand swype, since it's basically a different method of input. But having to try out different keyboards because the stock keyboard seems to blow so hard just strikes me as ridiculous.
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OP's complaint is not so much the stock keyboard as it is the messaging client that I guess was touchwized. I don't remember having that problem with stock gingerbread on my DROID 1.
 
bearxor said:
That was directed more at the "I would wonder what the point of having a smartphone is if you don't want to install anything though."

I can understand swype, since it's basically a different method of input. But having to try out different keyboards because the stock keyboard seems to blow so hard just strikes me as ridiculous.
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Do you leave your PC with the stock programs on it or do you find the programs that suit you best?
 
as I read this thread, all I can think is what the fuck is with these fucked up keyboards people are using? is android that bad and can't deliver a good typing method that we need all sorts of weird keyboards?

i'm all for customizing, but some people just go too far.
 
DLeRium said:
as I read this thread, all I can think is what the fuck is with these fucked up keyboards people are using? is android that bad and can't deliver a good typing method that we need all sorts of weird keyboards?

i'm all for customizing, but some people just go too far.
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Thumb keyboard is pretty sweet for landscape typing on a tablet. I think it's weird to use the split layout in portrait mode, but I suppose once you develop some memory for it it wouldn't make sense to switch.

There's nothing wrong with the stock keyboard either, it's just nice to have things like long presses for punctuation and what not.
 
WelshBloke said:
Do you leave your PC with the stock programs on it or do you find the programs that suit you best?
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You're trying to make a comparison where none exists. Of course I install applications I need. I install applications I need on a smart device.

What you're talking about would be akin to me saying, "you know, the windows start menu is shit, I'm going to download a bunch of start menu replacements until I find the one I like."

A keyboard is simply a vital system component. It's not an "app". I shouldn't have to spend any time at all trying to find a replacement for it. It should just work and be usable for the ultra vast majority of people.

Of course, we're going to disagree on the ridicilousness of switching out keyboards, and that's ok. That's why there's Android and thats why theres iOS/Wińoes Phone. So we can both try to find ways to make ourselves happy.
 
bearxor said:
A keyboard is simply a vital system component. It's not an "app". I shouldn't have to spend any time at all trying to find a replacement for it. It should just work and be usable for the ultra vast majority of people.
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Actually it is just an app. You're just stuck on a system where you can't change that app.

What is 'just work'? To me, not having any choice of layout, or long-press alternate characters isn't 'just work', it's just fail. So then what? I'm supposed to just be stuck with that?

Some people don't want a bike where the training wheels are permanently attached. Fine that others do, just not all of us.
 
DLeRium said:
right. thumb keyboard works well for tablet typing, the split layout is really weird esp for phones lol....
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Not on a phone that doesn't have a postage stamp sized screen. 😛

This must be why I can almost tell what phone friends of mine I chat with are using based on how slowly they respond, or how some can't seem to type much more than "c u l8r". (The iPhonies). It's all about some silly sense of 'fashion' rather than using a tool that actually allows them to communicate faster. That's all it's really about.
 
Zaap said:
Not on a phone that doesn't have a postage stamp sized screen. 😛

This must be why I can almost tell what phone friends of mine I chat with are using based on how slowly they respond, or how some can't seem to type much more than "c u l8r". (The iPhonies). It's all about some silly sense of 'fashion' rather than using a tool that actually allows them to communicate faster. That's all it's really about.
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I don't know, my wife seems to speedtype on her iPhone. I'm super slow because I'm too accustomed to seeing the case of the letters change on the keyboard. On her iPhone, I keep thinking stuff is going to be in upper case. Really, once you get used to it, I think it's all equally speedy.
 
DLeRium said:
as I read this thread, all I can think is what the fuck is with these fucked up keyboards people are using? is android that bad and can't deliver a good typing method that we need all sorts of weird keyboards?

i'm all for customizing, but some people just go too far.
Click to expand...

Theres nothing wrong with most of them, its just different people prefer different input types.
 
bearxor said:
You're trying to make a comparison where none exists. Of course I install applications I need. I install applications I need on a smart device.

...
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Right so you dont have a problem with installing things on your phone.

Do you have a problem with there being more than one type of each app available?
 
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