Is It True???? About The Hardware...
 

Are keyboard/slider phones really more trouble than they're worth?

In terms of physical os operations and what not?

Not as in terms cosmetic handling and conditioning...
_

What are your experiences between sliders and candybars? Comparisons between the two and what not, as in again physical operations...

Thanks!

Re: Is It True???? About The Hardware...
 

I tend to think so more every day since I use WP7, where not everything is not 100% landscape supported. Everyday I use it less and less. The onscreen kb on my Arrive is very good and just do not use the physical kb much. The main advantage currently ( waiting for my Titan on backorder) to having a slider is the tilt screen for watching videos when the kb is open. I'd rather exchange the extra weight for a larger screen device w/out one.

Re: Is It True???? About The Hardware...
 

Yea, some girl who used to live next door to me was constantly taking Android "slider" phones back and forth to and from the Sprint store (Because of phone problems) and then one day she came back with just a normal candybar Android phone and said the rep at the store told her physical keyboards were nothing but trouble from the get go...

Which got me to wondering and pondering about how true what the rep had told her was.

I've always loved the actual physical keyboard, no matter or not if there was a great on screen keyboard or not it just felt right to me.

On down the line I've had the HTC PPC6800, Samsung i760 (Which still to this day I love the heck out of it, cause of the frontal numeric keypad) and now the HTC Touch Pro2 and soon to be currently using LG Fathom...

It's always been physical keyboards the whole way through.

Even though I still do question whether or not all that extra hardware has a drawback on the operational side of the os compared to just a standard candybar... I know there would be a few kb's (If that, at all) upon opening and closing and loading into and out of portrait and landscape mode though

Re: Is It True???? About The Hardware...
 

I don't think they are trouble mechanically. I have had the Mogul, TP, TP2, and Arrive and have never had one kb problem. Maybe most general consumers "manhandle" and just don't respect and abuse their devices. I do not use mine like it's a "glass house" however, I used it hard and regular and never had problems. I personally think my Arrive has the best kb I have ever used. The extra extension with the tilt exposes the full keyboard and works very well. Being older at 41 and having many kb phones, I was a lil stubborn at first but have slowly merged to a kbless world since it is obvious that the way it is going, I've really found it very natural.
Maybe the rep just doesn't like the extra moving parts of a kb phone to fix? and passes on the influence? just an afterthought.

Re: Is It True???? About The Hardware...
 

Yea maybe they don't like keyboards... LoL!

I'm the same way with my phones, very gentle with it...

I was just curious of operational performance specs between two of the same phones one without a keyboard, and one without... Same tech specs and all except for that main factor. Which would run faster...

Re: Is It True???? About The Hardware...
 

I would guess that most phones today given the processing speeds ect. this would be more of a software issue? I think most of us that visit sites such as this read and think too much about specs rather than the experience with each phone and its performance. This is only a reference to being a muscle car and hot rodding enthusiast. One can read and read until actually used upon said car. I would assume that many variables still apply and most users would never detect minute differences. That being said most of us here have our devices tweaked for optimal performance and would mostly be undetectable. My Arrive seems to have minimal lag going to landscape compared to my TP2. I think we get soo used to faster that we forget what we used to "deal" with.

Re: Is It True???? About The Hardware...
 

I don't think so. I can't speak from a programming standpoint but I am a fan of sliders and have never had any issues related to a slider keyboard. I can't really use the onscreen keyboard on my Arrive, even in landscape mode. My fingers are just too fat for things like that. Also, I hate the loss screen area when using it. Now that nearly everything out there is touch and not stylus based, I have to have a physical keyboard

Re: Is It True???? About The Hardware...
 

Ive sent over 1,xxx,xxx,xxx texts on my phone according to the ##3282# on my tp2.

I'd safely bet 9o % were physical keyboard.

On top of that I let my nails grow out a bit, not a lot, but enough to press keys with the tips of my thumbnail.

And even after all that, my device had absolutly no issues.

Every button works, the leds light up, and no paint chips missing from any letter.

I love my tp2...
Texting on this EVO is sooooo much harder lol

Sent from my PG86100 on the PPCGeeks App

Re: Is It True???? About The Hardware...
 

i have phone with/without physical keyboards, the only benefit for not having one is it's thinner/lighter...

but when I want to type something, i like having a real keyboard. I'll use onscreen keyboard for short things like google searches but for texting/typing longer things I like having the keyboard. Even with things like swype, I feel more comfortable hitting buttons. Plus I can rest my hand on key while I'm thinking about how to say the next time. If i did that on virtual keyboard, it'd make the phone confused

Re: Is It True???? About The Hardware...
 

LoL!! Yea I'm the same exact way man... The physical keyboard just feels right and natural to me. OnScreen keyboards I tend to feel handicaped kinda, but I still use them, especially if I'm doing something with the other hand.

I work as a sign shaker for a gold buying company and have to wave, so I type on screen texting or whatever with my free hand and wave with the other. hahaha

They don't care what I do just so as long as I'm waving.

Re: Is It True???? About The Hardware...
 

Oh, then you wouldn't be able to use my solution. It takes 2 hands. Still, I jus' gotta tell my story:

Over a decade ago, I saw one of these:
http://bellsouthpwp2.net/m/r/mrg2nz2/EarlyBberry.jpg
And I knew I just HAD to get my hands on one, or something like it. Soon, I ran into things called PDAs by Palm. Saw another unit with a slide-out keyboard, and thought... Hmm, moving parts, that's asking for problems, also makes it bigger and heavier. No thanks, not for me. Then I found something called iPAQ with a screen nearly as big as the entire front surface area, and I wondered... where's the keyboard? Maybe on screen? How wonderful! That way you have a bigger screen that you can still use part of, for a KB when needed. I bought it, learned how to use the stylus in about 1 second flat, and still love this method on my Vogue:
http://bellsouthpwp2.net/m/r/mrg2nz2/FaveKB.png

I'm not willing to carry anything bigger than this little device (less than 4 inches long, less than 4 ounces light). But enough about what works for me. What could work for you, n1nj4Lo, just might be one of the voice input solutions. Have you considered voice-to-text programs, bluetooth headset with microphone, etc.?

Re: Is It True???? About The Hardware...
 

I've had about 5 TP's now, and every single one of them had a KB issue, requiring it to be replaced... I just had a KB replaced again.. was shocked a local sprint store still had parts for the Touch Pro lol, but am grateful. I just refuse to pay double for the same data plan I have now, with these newer devices, and NO 4G in the area. Call me stubborn. This is one of the few smartphone devices they DO NOT require you to change your plan with.

Re: Is It True???? About The Hardware...
 

It depends on the phone. I would never get a phone like my Fathom without the keyboard, because an on-screen keyboard for many resistive touchscreen devices is a nightmare. and I've never had a single problem with the sliding mechanism, even though I've dropped it numerous times.