Is the thickness worth having the hardware keyboard?

[ScrapMaker]

I just installed a VGA skin on my pocketcm keyboard, and wow, this phone responds so much better than my old Touch did. There is no delay when typing, like there is when typing on the hardware keyboard.

I can type out the typical text message on pocketcm almost before I rotate the phone, open the keyboard, and get half-way on the message...

I'm starting to debate whether the Pro is really worth being this thick, and having the keyboard--which is just something that can break. It already slides around a lot when it's closed... making me think the build quality is a bit IFFY.

Is anyone else thinking similarly? I REALLY thought that having a hardware keyboard would be a huge step up. I thought that all the times I was annoyed with my SIP before would magically be better... but I find myself MORE inclined to use the SIP for most input sessions... like changing a setting in a program, or typing in a quick URL, etc...

I find it HIGHLY annoying to use the hardware kb in most programs, because you have to wait for the screen to rotate and re-draw... it's especially annoying in Opera, because when you close the keyboard, the screen rotates back to portrait, even if you are holding it in landscape...

I find that the Pro gets very hot during phone calls, much like the Diamond does, and if it has nearly the same performance, I wonder if the Pro is worth the premium in price, and in size...

Just thinking, out loud, on a forum

[Insoc]

I tell myself:

1. The camera Flash is nice.
2. I hope the pro gets more attention and updates being a business phone.
3. The size is not THAT bad compared to older phones.
4. The Card Expansion slot is nice.
4. The larger memory is nice...

So... Umm... yeah, I am going to wait a few weeks before making a final decision, but so far I think I am keeping the pro, even if I use TouchPal more then the built in KB...

[mharvey]

I was considering the Diamond until I saw the Pro. For me the factors that pushed me to the Pro were the keyboard but also the micro SD card slot. I have read some reports that the Pro has more memory than the Diamond but I am not so sure of that.

[phistyle]

to be honest it's just up to you...you have to feel it in your hands...I just got a diamond for my dad and I really like the feel of it...The outer part of the diamond feels better too..it's not as slippery as the pro...plus the diamond is a lot lighter than the pro....with all that said I still like my pro though...

[Jackalo]

I like having a hardware keyboard, so for me, I'd say that it's worth it to have the Touch Pro. Every person is different.

As for the heat issue, mine has been significantly cooler than the Diamond. With the Diamond, a five minute phone call would produce boiling hot coffee. With the Touch Pro, a ten minute phone call would produce a warm coffee, just like most smart phones.

Funny story. I paid $370 for the Diamond through Tele Sales (hadn't done the rebate yet), and when I returned that, I got the Touch Pro from BestBuy for $260 after tax with no rebates. It's fun to think that the Touch Pro actually came out to be cheaper for me.

[Edwood]

Physical keyboard is so much better for me. I'll take the added thickness and weight. Because the CDMA Touch Diamond is significantly thicker than it's GSM counterpart, the decision to get the Touch Pro was even easier for me.

[MadlyAlive]

My motto in recent days on SmartPhones: No Hardware Keyboard, No New Phone.

I'll never go to another SP that doesn't have a hardware keyboard.

[TurboFool]

I need the keyboard, the microSD, and the flash is great. All in all, yes, the extra width is worth every difference, not that the width bothers me in the least, anyway.

[ScrapMaker]

Jackalo, assuming you are holding your pro in portrait mode viewing a text message, and decided to reply... would you be able to write the following message faster in PCMkeyboard, or by rotating/opening/typing/closing/sending? ::

"hey i will be there in a minute. get me a table. thanks!"

just out of curiosity. becuase I am a VERY fast typer, on mostly any device I touch, whether it's a laptop, PDA, palmtop, regular phone, touchscreen, whatever... and I cannot seem to do it faster on the hardware keyboard... there is just a lot of wasted time rotating and whatnot...

Not saying I dislike the phone--just kinda brainstorming while I'm in that potential "returnable" phase...

The Diamond lacks the flash? that really sucks--although, it's a PITA to re-enable the flash EVERY time I open my camera... and where the hell is my dedicated camera button? It's one of the best cameraphones HTC has ever created, and I have to slide my finger, open the camera tab, wait for the images to load, then click the little itty bitty camera icon... YAWN...

again... just brainstorming...

other than the keyboard, flash, memory slot, and added heat, are there any downsides to the Diamond?

(I can't imagine the Diamond being any hotter, because this is INSANE.) My Vogue never got half as hot as my pro... Maybe my Pro is defective...

[Young_breedent]

Originally Posted by ScrapMaker

(I can't imagine the Diamond being any hotter, because this is INSANE.) My Vogue never got half as hot as my pro... Maybe my Pro is defective...

Well believe it because my Diamond got waayyy hotter than my pro does people aren't just making this up. I read somewhere that htc forgot to put a heat plate behind the screen in the diamond and are discussing this with sprint as we speak. (Don't know if this is completly true so take with a grain of salt but it does make sense) But to answer the question in your first post i think the extra thickness is more than worth it. The lag you see when typing (which i dont have unless im turbo typing ) will be fixed when we finally get some custom roms. We already see how much custom roms have improved the diamond as far as speed and functionality goes. Give the Touch Pro a chance and you will not be disappointed.