Related
I'm still having the problem where if I try to change to a 3rd party sip, the default keyboard comes up instead.
Reading around the web implies that it might be a problem wince wm2003, and only if you have more then 1 3rd party sip installed.
I currently use SIPChange to change my default keyboard - but that requires a reboot every time I want to change keyboard.
Is this behavior just me, or everyone? Any known fixes? I have found many people with this problem on different ppc's, but no known fix.
(Just to clarify - I use SIPChange to change my default to Phraze-It. Reboot. Phraze-It works perfectly. I try to change to Fitaly using either the arrow next to the sip, or through the system/personal/input - and the default keyboard comes up. Also, the arrow change takes about 10-15 seconds to give me a list).
Heeeelp.
For extra points, any known way to have 2 defaults - 1 for portrait & 1 for landscape ?
A problem with WM2003? Why have you installed that on your Athena?
I have the same problem.
I have Tengo, CE Star, Penpower, and Happy Tapping Keyboard installed. I am able to switch to Tengo, CE Star, and Penpower anytime without reboot anytime. However, in order to switch to happy tapping keyboard I need to use sipchange to choose it followed by a reset in order to get it working. Without the reset, I only have the default keyboard which is hard to use in 128 and 96 dpi.
I 'm also hoping to find a solution to this problem.
Confucious said:
A problem with WM2003? Why have you installed that on your Athena?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry if I wasn't clear - from my research, it has been a problem since the WM2003 Version of the PPC Mobile software.
Had this problem on my i730, but though it was a specific keyboard with the problem at the time. Tested my i730 - exact same symptoms as I'm having now. Looks like an OS problem as far as I can tell.
eaglesteve said:
I have the same problem.
I have Tengo, CE Star, Penpower, and Happy Tapping Keyboard installed. I am able to switch to Tengo, CE Star, and Penpower anytime without reboot anytime. However, in order to switch to happy tapping keyboard I need to use sipchange to choose it followed by a reset in order to get it working. Without the reset, I only have the default keyboard which is hard to use in 128 and 96 dpi.
I 'm also hoping to find a solution to this problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You had me all exited that there were new keyboard I didn't know about (for anyone reading this thread, the keyboards he mentions are for entering Chinese (kenji?).
At least you can do some of them - I want to switch between Phraze-It (excellent landscape mode), Touchpal (looooving it, but takes up a lot of landscape space), Phone Pad (the T9 thing I just found out about yesterday).
Turning into a MAJOR problem, cause I'm not carrying the keyboard regularly.
polstein said:
You had me all exited that there were new keyboard I didn't know about (for anyone reading this thread, the keyboards he mentions are for entering Chinese (kenji?).
At least you can do some of them - I want to switch between Phraze-It (excellent landscape mode), Touchpal (looooving it, but takes up a lot of landscape space), Phone Pad (the T9 thing I just found out about yesterday).
Turning into a MAJOR problem, cause I'm not carrying the keyboard regularly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry to have got you all excited
Your comment about some keyboard taking too much space is echoed by me. It seems like a contradiction that we want to have big tapping area but not taking over too much real estate. That'a why i'm so happy with Tengo (more specifically Tengo Nano). It takes less real estate than the standard keyboard, yet the hitting area (key size)is bigger than any other on the market other than Tengo 2.1, Tengo Thumb,and free Tengo.
The other thing I like about Tengo is that my thumb or stylus need not travel all over the place,which is not very relaxing.
If you can't get yours working at all, why not give Tengo a try?
The only problem of Tengo is it does not work with any software that tries to find out what you want as you type. It does not work with my Wine Guide, my lexisgoo dictionary, and Tomeraiders 3. That's why I supplement it with happy tapping.
I have no connection with Tengo in any way whatsoever. Just a very happy customer.
Tengo Nano is new to me (opening a new web page as I type). I liked the Tengo approach, but geeze, leave some space for something other then the keyboard!
I'm would prefer a keyboard without using a stylus (or I'd be using Fitaly - or shapewriter if they ever release the dang thing!!) - I'd much rather use thumbs.
I tried Tengo thumb, but in portrait it's unusable cause there is so little screen left. Also, I never found out how to 'scratch' a single letter in Tengo Thumb for entering passwords and the like.
That's why (at the moment) Phraze-it is my choice. It fits well in both Portrait & Landscape, and retains big buttons. The downside is that it takes 2 clicks to enter most letters.
ASAIK, I've tried alllllmost every keyboard made for PPCs. (then i hear about this nano thing)
I like the Touchpal a lot, especially once he gets a few kinks worked out - but it also suffers from the too-much landscape problem. If I could, I would have Touchpal permanently set to portrait mode. I also just found out about Phone Pad (the T9 rip), but can't make it stop playing a beep sound for every new word!
So for now, being limited to one choice, the best I can do it Phraze-It. Will check this nano thing now.
---
And in any case, still having the can't switch problem
I don't see a Tengo Nano - or is that the correct name for the keyboard that is not Tengo Thumb (or Tengo Free). Version 2.10
(assuming that is the case), do you use the stylus, or your fingers?
If thumbs, how do you do the scribing (one letter thing) with your thumbs?
Oh, and how about real estate used in landscape?
Mebbe I'll try a demo - I might have already tried, but I think it was Tengo Thumb I demoed before.
Actually, Tengo Nano is one of the three keyboard options within Tengo 2.1. It is very similar to Tengo. The main difference being the availability of number keys without having to press any toggle key first.
You said that you do not use stylus. I find that interesting. Do you not use realVGA 128dpi or 96dpi? Even with 192dpi, can you really do without stylus? I personally find it rather challenging to fully operate without stylus. Using the XDA forum,for example, I often press to go to the last post of a thread. At 128dpi, it is very difficult to click with my finger. The keyboard is not the only thing to tap. There is always a need to tap on some part of the screen other than the keyboard. There are usually some places too small to be tapped with fingers. At 96of course it is even worse. So, for me, stylus is in most cases necessary. The question is, if i'm already holding the stylus, isn't it much easier to tap with it rather than having to put it away, then type with the finger, then pick up the stylus again.........? It is for this reason that I have reverted back to stylus typing rather than finger typing.
I'm also the type who wants to explore all kinds of keyboard. I'm going to try out what you are using too.
Found the Tengo Nano - I have Tengo installed as a demo. Works pretty good for keys, and looks good in landscape - the 'scribing' a letter with a thumb isn't doable.
(and tengo thumb is huuuuuuge)
I have RealVGA installed, but I hit a lot of compatibility problems with a few programs. In fairness, a number of programs have specific checkboxes to take advantage of RealVGA also (like Pocketbreeze, and iLauncher <off top of my head so I may be wrong>) - but in a day of demoing I hit a lot of weird behavior from different programs.
I'd be interested in how well RealVGA works for you. If it helps, my today screen is currently a combination of WA3, WAD, iLauncher, and Pocketbreeze using a Vista theme, with 4 Virtual Pages Been tweaking it for a week now.
I have thumbprints all over my screen (yes, I have a screen protector on it). I try to use it without the stylus as much as possible. I also use a slip/poch case, and usually don't carry the keyboard. So, when I work, I'm holding the main unit by itself with no case.
I am also using a car mount, and pulling out a stylus to hit a button on the screen isn't so workable.
I got a 3-in-1 stylus replacement, but it's no improvement over the default. I **REALLY** wish there was an extendable stylus, cause the one that comes with the HTC is just too dang short. The tip digs into my index finger around the 3rd nuckle (counting from the tip). I actually got a couple pen / pencil / sylus combos to keep around to use them instead.
BTW, if I could shift resolutions without rebooting, I'd probably use it all the time - like web browsing... and mebbe then the sip screen real estate wouldn't be such a problem.
I wish I remembered exactly the problems I encountered using 128dpi. Mebbe I'll back my unit up, and change resolutions and see what breaks!
I attached my today screen (yes, we're off topic here). iLauncher icons at the bottom are 64. PocketBreeze is juuuust big enough to fit everything in.
The row under the start bar has icon sizes at 32. Icons on that bar are left to right - 1st Virtual Page (the current one) - 2nd Virtual Page featuring Weatherpanel - 3rd Virtual Page with Meters - 4th Virtual Page where I'm messing around with Docks. Then rotate, restart, and power off. Yes, those last 3 are duplicated below, but some of my virtual pages don't have iLauncher on it, so I'm doubling up on those buttons now - it's easier for me to hit the screen then brace the unit to hit the hard power on the side.
I don't have any problems using a finger to hit any of the icons - even the 32 pixel ones. The 64 ones are real easy, or course.
I think I spend more time tweaking this desktop then using the device for anything else so far
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Glad you found Tengo Nano. Yes,even in landscape mode it would not invade too much of the screen. I used to finger type with Nano, and then come to scribing the key, I solved the problem by keeping longer finger nail for my right index finger.
Yes, Tengo Thumb is fantastic for Thumb typing but I don't like it for invading too much screen space, leaving too little visibility, hence largely defeating the purpose of realvga, which is to see more. It is almost as big as the gigantic Finger Touch.
I don't have any issue with 128dpi. I just can't handle 96dpi with my less than perfect eye sight. Also,I find it at times hard to click on the tiny tiny spots on 96dpi screen, even with stylus. It's easy with 128.
The only programs I use in the car is iGO my way. I never need stylus to start it or operate it. It has it's own keyboard,which is hugh enough to be operated with fingers. I map the application to one of the hardware buttons to start it. Alternatively,I could also use finger on my today screen to start all my applications. I could fit all them on the desktop and start them without changing desktop pages. I use icon size 43 for 128dpi. I also use one of the hardware buttons to start the dpi switcher. One more hardware button is for rotating screen, and another is for starting sipchange program, since I can't find any other use for this otherwise unused button.
To sum up, my set up works extremely well for me. I get to see a lot and Tengo does not take over too much real estate,yet providing hugh tapping area for the keys. It also does not require my stylus to travel all over the screen during typing. Most of the time by stylus stays within a 1 square inch area hitting 6 groups of keys, so it is very relaxing and quick. It is very intelligent. However, an intelligent keyboard is not good with intelligent programs such as Lexisgoo as both are trying to guess what I want!
Having said that, I also have to clarify that I can use scrible Tengo keys and still use lexisgoo. It would work. It's just that I prefer to touch the key.
That's why I still like an option (I can also do without it) of a 'dumb' keyboard for 'intelligent' programs. Hence Happy Tapping as it looks cool and not too hugh.
Which should bring us back to topic again. How can we overcome the selection problem with multiple SIP, without having to reboot?
eaglesteve said:
Glad you found Tengo Nano. Yes,even in landscape mode it would not invade too much of the screen. I used to finger type with Nano, and then come to scribing the key, I solved the problem by keeping longer finger nail for my right index finger.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Funny, but I'd never be able to keep one long. I actually bought a pack of Truetips (fingertip stylus), but that's 1 more thing to carry around.. might as well use a good pen/stylus - still looking for a good light one.
eaglesteve said:
I don't have any issue with 128dpi. I just can't handle 96dpi with my less than perfect eye sight. Also,I find it at times hard to click on the tiny tiny spots on 96dpi screen, even with stylus. It's easy with 128.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried changing my dpi again. Only programs with fits were pre WM5 ones - including Photo Contacts Pro (gotta see if I'm on a old version). But I didn't really get much advantage out of it. Many program I ran looked the same, but for a smaller Start Menu.
eaglesteve said:
To sum up, my set up works extremely well for me. I get to see a lot and Tengo does not take over too much real estate,yet providing hugh tapping area for the keys. It also does not require my stylus to travel all over the screen during typing. Most of the time by stylus stays within a 1 square inch area hitting 6 groups of keys, so it is very relaxing and quick.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did notice that when testing it, you can really keep the stylus within a very small area, a defanite plus cause most wrist pain is from lifting and lowering the stylus over & over again. I would defanitly consider it if I made Stylus-typing my primary writing method... but I would prefer 2 thumbs.
eaglesteve said:
Which should bring us back to topic again. How can we overcome the selection problem with multiple SIP, without having to reboot?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've posted on a few forums, but no luck at all with responses. Either we're the few with the problem, or most people settle for just 1 keyboard.
It's actually not the question of having multiple keyboard but the kind of keyboard which caused the selection problem.
I just tried out Phraze-it, and I could not select it unless I reboot after sipchange. Same for keyboards such as happy tapping and finger touch.
However,I have no problem loading Tengo Thumb AND Tengo 2.1 (which includes Tengo nano), AND CE star AND Penpower all at the same time and freely switch from anyone to another without having to reboot.
Tengo used to have similar problems, but that has apparently been resolved with the current version.
BTW when I tried out Phrase-it I noticed that every letter I typed required 2 taps. Is this normal way of using this keyboard or I'm not doing it right? How fast can you type after getting used to it?
For your interest I've also measured the size of keys and also size of keyboard for the following:
Finger touch layout 1
Size of key in portrait : 7.5mm x7.5mm =56.25 sq mm
Size of key in landscape : 7.5x10mm=75 sq mm
Height: 37.5mm
Access to all ABC keys=yes
Direct access to numbers=yes
Happy tapping
31mm height
Landscape mode
10mmx8mm=80mm2
Portrait mode
7.5mmx8mm=60mm2
Access to all ABC keys=yes
Direct access to numbers=no
Tengo nano
key size 18x6 .=108 sq mm
Height 24mm
Access to all ABC keys=yes
Direct access to numbers=yes
Tengo 2.1
key size 25x6 =150 sq mm
Height 30mm
Access to all ABC keys=yes
Direct access to numbers=no
Tengo Thumb
key size 26x14=364 sq mm
Height 53 mm
Access to all ABC keys=yes
Direct access to numbers=yes
Phraze-it
170.4 sq mm key size
Height = 44mm for 3 rows layout, and 46 mm for 2 rows layout. The other layout are too tall for considerations.
Access to all ABC keys=No
Direct access to numbers=No
TouchPal
154 sq mm key size
Height = 44mm
Access to all ABC keys=yes
Direct access to numbers=No
Standard keyboard (small key)
Height 25 mm
5.6 x5mm=28mm2
Access to all ABC keys=yes
Direct access to numbers=yes
Standard keyboard (large key)
Height=25mm
Key size = 39 sq mm
Access to all ABC keys=yes
Direct access to numbers=No
If you do not mind the height of the keyboard, Tengo Thumb is actually the easiest keyboard available for fast thumb typing. With it, you need not scribe as there is a switch to turn off predictive text, so you could type letter by letter for password etc,similar to Phraze-it. You are also able to press all numbers directly without first toggling to it. Look at the size of its key! It's good for even extremely large fingers. You need not press twice to get each letter like Phraze-it.
If you use this for your thumb typing, your SIP selection problem would be history.
edit: I need correct my earlier statement. It IS the number of SIP rather than the identity that causes selection problem. I am able to freely select about 5 of them. ANY 5 of them it seems, after just one initial reboot. Tip: take out the battery just before reboot helps to bring in more selectable SIP. Now I have CeStar, Penpower, Happy Tapping (with iPhone skin), Tengo, Finger Touch all selectable without needing reboot. TouchPal, Phraze-it and Tengo Thumb could not be selected unless I reboot. Of course, all standard ones such as phone pad are all okay.
polstein said:
do you use the stylus, or your fingers?
If thumbs, how do you do the scribing (one letter thing) with your thumbs?
Oh, and how about real estate used in landscape?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay I didn't answer this properly yet . I am able to type with both with tengo 2.1. thumb typing is easier using tengo 2.1 than nano. I also am able to scribe with my finger without any problem, provided I set the scribing sensitivity to either standard or high.
Tengo 2.1 might be most suitable for you, rather than thumb or nano since real estate is important (it is only 2mm taller than the standard keyboard) and you want to use fingers.
I'm able to type VERY fast with my finger if I use tengo 2.1, but slightly slower with nano. The nano keys are slightly smaller, as you can see from the previous post.
This post is typed with my finger using both version of Tengo. No problem whatsoever. The problem is I have to put away the stylus in order to type with finger. Without stylus, I can't easily touch the tiny spots on the web pages., for example to jump to a specific page of a thread.
eaglesteve said:
It's actually not the question of having multiple keyboard but the kind of keyboard which caused the selection problem.
I just tried out Phraze-it, and I could not select it unless I reboot after sipchange. Same for keyboards such as happy tapping and finger touch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First off, thank you *very* much for installing the SIP - I have not been able to get this kind of confirmation for weeks - I still didn't know if this was my pcc, the keyboard, or an O/S problem. If it is in fact the developer, I will be emailing them shortly...
eaglesteve said:
BTW when I tried out Phrase-it I noticed that every letter I typed required 2 taps. Is this normal way of using this keyboard or I'm not doing it right? How fast can you type after getting used to it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not very fast, but I've only been using it for a couple of weeks. But the demo I saw (youtube) was pretty slow too. This keyboard is not designed for speed, but rather for a small amount of big buttons (and minimal screen space). When I need to do a lot of typing, I'm using a different keyboard, but for small quick entry like a web page or small sms it works very well. This is also why I need to figure out this switching problem - so I don't have to reboot when it comes time to type something longer!
eaglesteve said:
If you do not mind the height of the keyboard, Tengo Thumb is actually the easiest keyboard available for fast thumb typing. With it, you need not scribe as there is a switch to turn off predictive text, so you could type letter by letter for password etc,similar to Phraze-it. You are also able to press all numbers directly without first toggling to it. Look at the size of its key! It's good for even extremely large fingers. You need not press twice to get each letter like Phraze-it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed that Tengo Thumb was very good for thumb typing, but the screen size is among the worst height on your list. How did you measure those figures? I'll measure Phraze-It to add to this list (and anything else I have). How big is the screen itself?
I didn't see the option to turn off the predictive text, when one does that I assume you can use it as a regular keyboard?
BTW, I think I had the same switching problem with Tengo Thumb - but I believe my demo is up on it. Also, I assume Tengo & Tengo Thumb are two seperate purchases?
eaglesteve said:
If you use this for your thumb typing, your SIP selection problem would be history.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you have Tengo Thumb installed? Are you able to switch between Tengo and Tengo Thumb (and the standard keyboard) with no problems?
Having 1 company with your "stylus" keyboard and your "thumb" keyboard is a big plus, especially hen they should have similar look/feels.
Given practice on both, I wonder which is faster. Ideally, Tengo Thumb coild be for quick entry, and Tengo w/stylus for longer typing.
In Tengo Thumb, how did u turn the predictive text off - is it easy to turn off & on for entering things like passwords?
I don't suppose Tengo supports macros (so I could do something like "hm" and get my Home Email address?
eaglesteve said:
Okay I didn't answer this properly yet . I am able to type with both with tengo 2.1. thumb typing is easier using tengo 2.1 than nano. I also am able to scribe with my finger without any problem, provided I set the scribing sensitivity to either standard or high.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried Tengo (the normal one) very briefly yesterday. I am now setting it as default - I'll try to use it as my keyboard over the next few days. My brief experience showed that thumb typing on it was hard, and scribing impossible for me. Just to be sure, 2.1 = normal Tengo, default keyboard?
eaglesteve said:
I'm able to type VERY fast with my finger if I use tengo 2.1, but slightly slower with nano. The nano keys are slightly smaller, as you can see from the previous post.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And just to make sure I understand this, Tengo Nano is smaller keys, which means less stylus movement, and you have the numbers on the main screen?
eaglesteve said:
This post is typed with my finger using both version of Tengo. No problem whatsoever. The problem is I have to put away the stylus in order to type with finger.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is an advantage for me
eaglesteve said:
Without stylus, I can't easily touch the tiny spots on the web pages., for example to jump to a specific page of a thread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
[/QUOTE]
I use the Directional pad to hop to links, to avoid the problem.
My kingdom for an extendable stylus that fits this thing!
Thanks again for all your help - Tengo should send you commissions. I'll let you know how it goes!
polstein said:
How did you measure those figures? I'll measure Phraze-It to add to this list (and anything else I have). How big is the screen itself?
I didn't see the option to turn off the predictive text, when one does that I assume you can use it as a regular keyboard?
Also, I assume Tengo & Tengo Thumb are two seperate purchases?
Do you have Tengo Thumb installed? Are you able to switch between Tengo and Tengo Thumb (and the standard keyboard) with no problems?
Given practice on both, I wonder which is faster. Ideally, Tengo Thumb coild be for quick entry, and Tengo w/stylus for longer typing.
In Tengo Thumb, how did u turn the predictive text off - is it easy to turn off & on for entering things like passwords?
I don't suppose Tengo supports macros (so I could do something like "hm" and get my Home Email address?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used a ruler to measure it.
The screen itself is 76mm x 100.5mm
The tutorial shows how predictive text can be turned off.
They are differen purchases. Tengo Thumb is good for word processing and email or sms, but not suitable for excel and web surfing because it invades too much of the screen real estate. If you use fingers instead of stylus, Thumb is faster. If you use stylus, Thumb is slower because the distance travelled by the stylus is unnecessarily longer.
Both are good for quick entries. Both are good for long long fast typing. Yes, I would type a book with both instead of PC keyboard.
To type password, you have more ways than turning predictive text off. You can scribe, which you already know. You can also tap exactly on the correct key, but just ignore the warning feedback, then when finished, choose it from the top right.
It does not have macro. But with such typing speed,who needs it? To get idea of what sort of speed I'm talking about, go to the Tengo website to see how fast the 'Tengo girls' are typing. I don't type that fast, but not very far behind.
Cheers.
polstein said:
Just to be sure, 2.1 = normal Tengo, default keyboard?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes.
polstein said:
And just to make sure I understand this, Tengo Nano is smaller keys, which means less stylus movement, and you have the numbers on the main screen?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, you can use it without the need to toggle it on first.
polstein said:
I use the Directional pad to hop to links, to avoid the problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Will work. Not very efficient though.
polstein said:
Thanks again for all your help - Tengo should send you commissions. I'll let you know how it goes!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's my pleasure.
Ha ha. I wish they just give me free update for life.
I just updated the keyboard height and keysize for happy tapping. Also landscape keysize for Finger Touch . It actually looks very good. even better than Finger Touch for Finger typing. I don't need stylus to easily use it. although not nearly as fast as Tengo.
Strange, now I can select Happy Tapping and Tengo. The only thing I change to make it selectable is to use the blend looking skin. I can't select if I use the iPhone skin.
First, I think I might make a little Excel Sheet/Graph of your measurements. I'll put in columns for letter height, letter width, calculated total letter area, total keyboard height in landscape, and for portrait.
I wasn't expecting the old ruler, I thought you might have had a neat app, or were doing screen grabs and checking them in Photoshop or something). Mebbe I'll do scren grabs of the different keyboard, but it's just such a PITA to reboot between each one.
--
I tried & tried to use Tengo 2.1 last night. Oddly, for landscape mode, I wish the keys were wider - even clicking on the outside of the center keys (toward the edges) I had to stretch a bit to get them.
With effort, I think I could learn to scribe using my thumbs. fter about 15 minutes of practice, I could scribe the correct letter at least 50% of the time.
Mebbe I'm not using the keyboard right - but I had another major problem - it constantly guessed the wrong word! Some key combinations do have many possible words - but I think I entered "Star" and it had like 10 selections, but not the one I wanted.
This problem came up a suprising amount of times. Also, Tengo didn't seem to notice when I used the same word more often and make it higher on the list like I hoped. Using such few "letters" there are just too many combinations!
Anyway, when it missed the word, I used the 'delete last word' key and scribed it instead. Not sure if that's the correct way. I tried to use the tutorials, but the formatting is all messed up on the screen.
So I switched back to Touchpal already. Since touchpal uses 14 letter keys, it gets the word right 99.5+ % of the time. Also, it figures out longer words after about 3 clicks it seems.
My major request to the programmer, was to re-align the special keys in landscape mode, so instead of 5 columns of 4 rows to make 6 columns of 3 rows - that would reduce the overall height by 25%.
[UPDATE: See http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=7141176 in this thread for an updated version of the program, with links to new screen shots and documentation]
[UPDATE: See http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=795753 for the Windows Phone 7 version of this program.]
I've written a program for reading eBooks on Windows Mobile devices. It can read txt, html and (DRM-free) ePub files.
For other formats you can use Calibre to convert them epub.
The program is called 'Freda' - short for 'free reader', since it is free software (both in the sense of 'free beer', as I am not charging for it, and in the sense of 'free speech', as I am licensing my code under the GPL).
It's released now, so please download it and let me have any feeback. (BTW that link points to the WinMo version of Freda; for the Windows Phone 7 version, please go here)
The program uses three third-party libraries, DotNetZipLib, OpenNetCF and the Majestic-12 HTMLParser library; all are licensed on terms permitting their redistribution for commercial and non-commercial purposes. More information is here
Happy reading!
Hi Folks,
It's here: version 1.1 of Freda is now released.
Main new features:
CSS Style sheets are recognised
Controls/gestures can be customised
Line spacing, indent and justification can be customised
Bookmarks and annotations are provided
Dictionary look-up is implemented (using SlovoEd)
See the freda home page for more details, and for download locations.
Any problems or questions, please let me know.
Discussion for this release can be followed from this post on.
Thanks,
Jim
Briljant,
Its the first epub reader that i found on my diamond that is able to render my epub newspaper correctly. Including links and images.
(the standaard is doing a test this week only with an epub version of its newspaper)
A few remarks to help you with the beta version (witch already is a keeper for me)
I had to install freda into main memory for it to start up.
The splash screen seems to to big, the text on it is cut off left and right, i have a vga screen.
The liberary display setting (icons or details) are not saved.
Thanks for the feedback - I'm working on those items now. [fixed in release 1.0]
Thanks,
Jim
Thanks for this program.
I'm a long time reader on PDAs and there was the need for something new.
I've just installed it now and I'll come back with some comments asap.
Looking forward to your feedback. Over at mobileread, I've been getting some feedback that CSS formatting is an important feature, so I'm particularly keen to hear the forum's view on that (because the beta 0.9 version of the program doesn't handle CSS formatting at all).
Cheers,
Jim
this is a really nice app!
I'd like to see an autoscroll in full screen mode if possible, this makes late night reading sessions a bit easier (less chance of being moaned at because of tapping buttons)
I'm not certain how easy it would be to control speed of scrolling on something like my touch HD with virtually no buttons though..
it's replaced mobipocket for me.
Autoscroll speed
Yes I had wondered about implementing autoscroll, but wasn't sure what would be a good mechanism for controlling the speed. I was thinking it would be kind of cool to control it using the acceleromter (gravity sensor) - something like 'tilt more to scoll faster' ... but I've not really throught it through. Ideas welcome.
Jim
Jim Chapman said:
Yes I had wondered about implementing autoscroll, but wasn't sure what would be a good mechanism for controlling the speed. I was thinking it would be kind of cool to control it using the acceleromter (gravity sensor) - something like 'tilt more to scoll faster' ... but I've not really throught it through. Ideas welcome.
Jim
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
one option would be to use the volume buttons to speed up and down, but it may not work in the 6.5.x builds as the MS volume control seems to takeover.
accelerometer is an option, but it could be frustrating when you move the device accidentally, unless you set up a control key such as long press talk/send, to enable the gsensor speed control only when the control key is called.
love Free apps
free apps
Yep. And also it means that it's less of an issue when the customers complain and ask for their money back .
error on my Opal (QVGA).
my 2 cents after one day.
Reader is good, fast and has a good pagination system.
It's really confortable to swipe up the thumb to change page, nice idea. Sometimes i was mad using mobipoket because when you tap, it may happen that you highlight the text instead of changing page. (i don't use hardware buttons expecially during night)
I'm gonna use this reader from now on I think.
Possible improvements from my point of view:
1) i'd like to have an option that allows auto opening of the last read ebook when opening Freda. Why opening the library every time?
2) It would be good to have a couple of presets regarding the color scheme. Usually I use white backgroung and black text during day and black background and grey/red text during night readings.
3) add the possibility to change page by tapping the screen. So, hardware button, or swipe thumb or tap.
Other less important improvements:
4) i usually read in portrait....but maybe add the possibility to read in landscape would be appreciated.
5) it would be nice to add the possibility to change also backlight power in the point 2) presets. IE: during night time low backlight, black background and gray text.
Finally let me add that the improvements I pointed out should help to make the program better (from my point of view) but Freda is really good already as it is, so don't consider them as a critic.
And congrats for the nice work.
TheRem said:
error on my Opal (QVGA).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same error on Touch HD [Energy ROM Leo Build 23081]
TypeLoad Exception error
MrAce said:
Same error on Touch HD [Energy ROM Leo Build 23081]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you get this error after installing the application onto the Storage Card? Because right now (Beta 0.9 version) that doesn't work. The application has to be in main memory. For version 1.0 I will fix that. [fixed in release 1.0]
If you got the error even though the app was installed in main memory, then it's a problem that I haven't seen before. Normally that error message means that one of the program's DLLs or resource files is missing - and I thought that they were all present and correct in the install package. If you could PM me (or email on jim(at)turnip.demon.co.uk) with a listing/screenshot of all the contents of the \Program Files\Freda folder, I will take a look and see if I can spot the problem.
Thanks for the feedback.
Jim
McAndrew73 said:
...
1) i'd like to have an option that allows auto opening of the last read ebook when opening Freda. Why opening the library every time?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good idea. I will do that for version 1.0
McAndrew73 said:
2) It would be good to have a couple of presets regarding the color scheme. Usually I use white backgroung and black text during day and black background and grey/red text during night readings.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
makes sense. I don't want to add too many presets as it could get confusing ... but I guess I can come up with something for v1.0
McAndrew73 said:
3) add the possibility to change page by tapping the screen. So, hardware button, or swipe thumb or tap.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Right now, I need to reserve the 'tap screen' gesture for bringing up the main menu. I guess I could have a mode whereby it's tap-and-hold to bring up the menu, and quick-tap to page forward. I'm a little concerned though that if I have too many different 'command modes' I will end up with something like uBookReader which (though otherwise a fine piece of software) drives me crazy with trying to figure out which mode it is in. Another option would be to reserve tap-near-bottom-of-screen to mean 'page down' and tap-near-top-of-screen to mean scroll up. What do you think?
McAndrew73 said:
4) i usually read in portrait....but maybe add the possibility to read in landscape would be appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This should work already - if you can get the device into landscape mode, Freda will work in landscape mode. Freda relies on the operating system to tell it whether to work in landscape or portrait. On my HTC Touch Pro 2 I can switch modes by flipping the keyboard. For devices without a keyboard, you should try the G-Config application - run G-Config and follow the instructions (i.e. switch to Freda and then insert the stylus, then soft reset). Now, when you hold the device in landscape orientation, Freda should switch to landscape mode. You can find G-Config at http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=487991
McAndrew73 said:
5) it would be nice to add the possibility to change also backlight power in the point 2) presets. IE: during night time low backlight, black background and gray text.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seems like a useful feature. I don't know how to program the backlight settings, but I guess this gives me the opportunity to learn
Thanks for using the app, and thankyou also for the feedback - I really appreciate it.
Jim
Jim Chapman said:
Good idea. I will do that for version 1.0
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
COOL!
makes sense. I don't want to add too many presets as it could get confusing ... but I guess I can come up with something for v1.0
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I can understand. Reading a book should be sometihing really smooth and easy.
Right now, I need to reserve the 'tap screen' gesture for bringing up the main menu. I guess I could have a mode whereby it's tap-and-hold to bring up the menu, and quick-tap to page forward. I'm a little concerned though that if I have too many different 'command modes' I will end up with something like uBookReader which (though otherwise a fine piece of software) drives me crazy with trying to figure out which mode it is in. Another option would be to reserve tap-near-bottom-of-screen to mean 'page down' and tap-near-top-of-screen to mean scroll up. What do you think?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well.....I think that both options are good.....so you should choose the easiest to implement.
I think I would slightly prefer the second one: tap the bottom for one page increase, tap the upper part for one page decrease.
This should work already - if you can get the device into landscape mode, Freda will work in landscape mode. Freda relies on the operating system to tell it whether to work in landscape or portrait. On my HTC Touch Pro 2 I can switch modes by flipping the keyboard. For devices without a keyboard, you should try the G-Config application - run G-Config and follow the instructions (i.e. switch to Freda and then insert the stylus, then soft reset). Now, when you hold the device in landscape orientation, Freda should switch to landscape mode. You can find G-Config at http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=487991
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As I said, I read in potrait so no problem with that. I was just trying to brainstorm in order to get some possible enanchements to Freda.
Seems like a useful feature. I don't know how to program the backlight settings, but I guess this gives me the opportunity to learn
Thanks for using the app, and thankyou also for the feedback - I really appreciate it.
Jim
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank YOU for the program and listening to my comments.
Jim Chapman said:
Did you get this error after installing the application onto the Storage Card? Because right now (Beta 0.9 version) that doesn't work. The application has to be in main memory. For version 1.0 I will fix that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes. it is installed in the Storage Card... i find a 6MB installer too large for the Main memory.
waiting for the fix. thanks Jim Chapman!
TheRem said:
yes. it is installed in the Storage Card... i find a 6MB installer too large for the Main memory.
waiting for the fix. thanks Jim Chapman!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In the meantime, if you have a Windows Mobile 6 device you could try the wm6 version. That's a much smaller install (about 1.3 MB). It's at http://www.turnip.demon.co.uk/jim/freda/installWM6/setup.msi
Cheers,
Jim
Jim Chapman said:
In the meantime, if you have a Windows Mobile 6 device you could try the wm6 version. That's a much smaller install (about 1.3 MB). It's at http://www.turnip.demon.co.uk/jim/freda/installWM6/setup.msi
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
oh... oh... i've installed the wrong file.
ok i'll try that. thanks!
So I was looking for an app with palm rejection for the Transformer Prime. I was kind of looking for something similar to Notetaker HD for the iPad which uses the bezel of the tablet as the palm rejection area.
I couldn't find anything similar on the Android market so I decided to give another try on Supernotes. What I ended up doing was putting a regular computer mouse pad on top of the tablet and using the "Guided Line" feature to make sure that I was on the right spot. So far so good, this is in fact the best solution that I found and works way better than any other app!
However I'm having problems reading my own notes. I can't seem to find a simple Zoom feature on Supernotes, so could someone tell me how to zoom in? If it is not possible, are there other apps that have a similar "guided-line" feature and its as organized as Supernotes.
Thanks a lot!
I am not aware of a way to zoom in SuperNotes either. That has been my biggest problem with it.
Here are some handwriting apps that I have tried on the Transformer Prime that have zoom features that you may want to check out:
LectureNotes: my favorite (so far). Has scroll bars and zoom feature so you can write in the zoomed mode. Has option to enable a "save zone" for palm detection. 3 standard pens, and 12 custom pens that you can configure the size, color, and opacity. Can add multiple layers (overlays) to each page. Can enter text via keyboard. Can add keywords to each page, and search across notebooks for those keywords. Developer is very responsive, and has implemented suggestions and fixes quickly. There is a free trial version (limited # of notebooks and pages), and a paid version.
Writepad Stylus: Very good palm detection. Has zoom mode (can write in zoom mode), and scrolling. 3 standard pens, and 4 custom pens. 4 paper types, but cannot change the pattern size. Can enter text via keyboard, but it's a bit quirky.
Antipaper Notes: No palm detection. Has zoom mode, (can write in zoom mode), and scrolling. 6 pen sizes in 3 colors (15 colors in Pro version). 4 paper patterns, but cannot change the pattern size. No text entry for keyboard. Free and Pro version.
Hope this helps...
Yeah note taking apps on android are really behind ios right now but it seems like things are picking up. Hopefully in few months we will see something comparable to Notability.
Try wearing a glove or long sleeve. Better than carrying around a mouse pad.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using XDA App
4look4rd said:
So I was looking for an app with palm rejection for the Transformer Prime. I was kind of looking for something similar to Notetaker HD for the iPad which uses the bezel of the tablet as the palm rejection area.
I couldn't find anything similar on the Android market so I decided to give another try on Supernotes. What I ended up doing was putting a regular computer mouse pad on top of the tablet and using the "Guided Line" feature to make sure that I was on the right spot. So far so good, this is in fact the best solution that I found and works way better than any other app!
However I'm having problems reading my own notes. I can't seem to find a simple Zoom feature on Supernotes, so could someone tell me how to zoom in? If it is not possible, are there other apps that have a similar "guided-line" feature and its as organized as Supernotes.
Thanks a lot!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried to enable palm rejection using TouchScreenTune app from the market? It should allow palm rejection support everywhere in all apps.
vitalij said:
Have you tried to enable palm rejection using TouchScreenTune app from the market? It should allow palm rejection support everywhere in all apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think that TouchScreenTune requires your device to be Rooted, correct? I've been holding off rooting my Prime, but this may be a good reason to do so.
Hello, I read that many people like the Logitech PRO keyboard. It seems to be a bit heavy. Generally speaking, which is better? The official samsung keyboard or the Logitech PRO keyboard?
Depends on your use. I prefer the Samsung one, much thinner. The logitech makes the whole package too thick.
On the other hand the Logitech has the better keyboard and offers better protection for bothe the front and back.
Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk
Thanks. Do both of them have automatic on/off, copy and paste keys?
The Logitech Pro definitely makes the entire package more book-like, and it also only has one angle setting AND it does not support portrait mode. Those are the only knocks against it, though. I love the keyboard. I use my Note PRO 12.2 for work and having a keyboard every bit as good as a laptop's is the critical feature for me.
The only thing I'm struggling with is trying to remap the hotkeys to my preferred apps. I want the internet key to launch Habit Browser not stock browser, for example. I know it's doable but I haven't had time to really grapple with it.
Hello, unfortunately my options for keyboards are limited. The Logitech PRO is not available in my city.
This is my first tablet. How useful it is to have Android keys on the keyboard? There are two main types:
1) Android specific keyboards such as:
a) Samsung Galaxy Bluetooth keyboard (0.8lb)
http://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/galaxy-tab-accessories/BKB-10USWEGXAR
b) Samsung Compact Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard(not sure if the spec is correct 0.96lb)
http://www.samsung.com/us/computer/pcs-accessories/AA-SK7PWBB/US
I tried this one. It is very light but the keys are a bit too close. Easy to make mistakes.
2) Android compatible keyboards such as:
Logitech Bluetooth Illuminated Keyboard K810
http://www.logitech.com/en-us/product/bluetooth-illuminated-keyboard-k810?crid=26
I tried it today. Not sure about the weight compared with the Samsung's but the keys are very comfortable to type.
I am trying to choose between these three. Any suggestion?
Hello,
Which of the following two Samsung keyboard is comfortable to type and lightweight?
1. Samsung Galaxy Bluetooth Keyboard EE-BT550
http://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/galaxy-tab-accessories/EE-BT550UBEGUJ
2. Samsung Galaxy Bluetooth Keyboard BKB-10USWEGXAR
http://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/galaxy-tab-accessories/BKB-10USWEGXAR
I tried the NotePRO 12.2 Keyboard Cover with keyboard. Although it is light, it is not comfortable to type on due to the long raised strip from the ctrl key to the end arrow key. See the photo:
http://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/galaxy-tab-accessories/EE-CP905UWEGUJ
Does the Logitech PRO keyboard has this problem? Too bad they don't make a white version. My device is in white color.
The Logitech Bluetooth Illuminated Keyboard K810 is very comfortable to type on but heavier to carry than the above mentioned Samsung keyboards.
Thanks.
As a writer, I've been using the samsung bkb10 bt kb and love it. It's light, fast, with great tactile feel, and it has a number of hot keys for the note pro 12.2. It's white and I use it with the great samsung s action mouse. My black 32 gb tab is in a black moko slim case. I didn't want a permanent case-kb like the logitech. I can fit my tab, kb and mouse in a bag a little over an inch thick. Together, the case, kb and mouse cost me $65.00. It's a great set up.
hajime_android said:
Hello,
Which of the following two Samsung keyboard is comfortable to type and lightweight?
1. Samsung Galaxy Bluetooth Keyboard EE-BT550
http://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/galaxy-tab-accessories/EE-BT550UBEGUJ
2. Samsung Galaxy Bluetooth Keyboard BKB-10USWEGXAR
http://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/galaxy-tab-accessories/BKB-10USWEGXAR
I tried the NotePRO 12.2 Keyboard Cover with keyboard. Although it is light, it is not comfortable to type on due to the long raised strip from the ctrl key to the end arrow key. See the photo:
http://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/galaxy-tab-accessories/EE-CP905UWEGUJ
Does the Logitech PRO keyboard has this problem? Too bad they don't make a white version. My device is in white color.
The Logitech Bluetooth Illuminated Keyboard K810 is very comfortable to type on but heavier to carry than the above mentioned Samsung keyboards.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I too am a writer and I'm trying to get by with the Logitech Pro. I opted against the Samsung keyboard because of its raised edges on the lower corners. So far it's a mixed bag. It's just fast enough for me, comfortable and quiet. However, it doesn't put the device to sleep when you close it, doesn't have an obvious (or possibly any) way to reassign macro buttons and the browser macro button always asks you to choose the browser you want if you have more than one installed.
Agrajag27 said:
doesn't have an obvious (or possibly any) way to reassign macro buttons and the browser macro button always asks you to choose the browser you want if you have more than one installed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can try External Keyboard Helper Pro for that
Spere, do you say that because you've found it to work? Frankly, I grabbed the demo and am entirely confused by it. I don't see anything about how to reassign buttons. I tried to scan the keyboard scan code but it doesn't work. Instead of providing a scan code it just loads the app Logitech assigned. Makes me think it's hard-coded.
Agrajag27 said:
Spere, do you say that because you've found it to work? Frankly, I grabbed the demo and am entirely confused by it. I don't see anything about how to reassign buttons. I tried to scan the keyboard scan code but it doesn't work. Instead of providing a scan code it just loads the app Logitech assigned. Makes me think it's hard-coded.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I said it as an idea. I use that app with my old Logitech keyboard. If buttons seems to be hard coded, don't know would shortcut be changeable if you somehow find key codes for those button? I can also try it tomorrow..
For what it's worth, I spoke to Logitech support today and they essentially were useless. They said this keyboard has hard-coded application keys that cannot be changed and that the browser bug isn't a bug. The old, it's a feature! You get to pick which browser you want every single time you hit the button.
Does Samsung Keyboard support Arabic?
hi,
just a quick question, does any of both Samsung Keyboards support Arabic? or can be added in any way?
Thanks
Shaderach said:
The Logitech Pro definitely makes the entire package more book-like, and it also only has one angle setting AND it does not support portrait mode. Those are the only knocks against it, though. I love the keyboard. I use my Note PRO 12.2 for work and having a keyboard every bit as good as a laptop's is the critical feature for me.
The only thing I'm struggling with is trying to remap the hotkeys to my preferred apps. I want the internet key to launch Habit Browser not stock browser, for example. I know it's doable but I haven't had time to really grapple with it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Settings > General > Default Applications
Just change default internet browser
pirata****zu said:
Settings > General > Default Applications
Just change default internet browser
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here's my question: Have you tried this yourself or just basing this on common knowledge? Why do I ask? Because, at least for me and on every Note Pro I've tried with that keyboard (took it to the store to try a few units) that doesn't work.
One of the main bugs of the keyboard is that when you hit the Browser macro button, it doesn't matter what browser is set as the default. It's going to pop up a dialog box asking you to choose the default. No matter what you hit next (Always or Just Once) it will ask again and again and again. It's actually in your best interest to say Just Once. Why? Because wasting your time by saying Always will just cause another box to pop up telling you how to clear the default setting later if you don't want that. Saying Just Once at least skips that step.
I'd be curious to see what would happen if you only have one browser installed but both "Internet" and "Chrome" come preinstalled on the device so there's no testing that unless you root and freeze one of them. I haven't had the need to root yet so I haven't.
Agrajag27 said:
I'd be curious to see what would happen if you only have one browser installed but both "Internet" and "Chrome" come preinstalled on the device so there's no testing that unless you root and freeze one of them. I haven't had the need to root yet so I haven't.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I'm right, you don't need to have root to freeze Chrome
Go settings - general - applications - all - find Chrome from list and choose it - select Turn Off
I don't have my NP with me right now, so I'm not sure if that path is correct, but you'll find it
Spere said:
If I'm right, you don't need to have root to freeze Chrome
Go settings - general - applications - all - find Chrome from list and choose it - select Turn Off
I don't have my NP with me right now, so I'm not sure if that path is correct, but you'll find it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for that. It actually helped gain more insight into the problem but doesn't actually provide a solution.
So, turning off Chrome allows the Browser key to work without annoyance. The only problem is, it only works for the default Browser called "Internet". There is no way to turn off that browser.
It got me wondering about the other keys. I want my own calendar app to launch but turning off the default calendar seems risky.
I have the Logitech keyboard and I really like it. I was worried about the extra weight and thickness but I'm glad I went with this one. It feels more like an actual notebook in terms of utility because it's easier to bring it around with me or throw in a bag without it getting damaged.
There are a couple issues that I did have which may not be specific to this keyboard. One was that when you hit space while still holding down shift it does not insert a space and instead displays the current language which is super annoying (apparently I hit space before releasing shift A LOT). You can fix this by simply changing to a different virtual keyboard app (eg: the default google keyboard or swiftkey). The other issue I had is that the back button is in the position where you normally have escape key but it doesn't always seem to function the same as escape would. I think it is actually a different key code. I fixed that by remapping caps lock to escape (so now I have no caps lock but I never use that anyways).
Has anyone got the F1-F12 function keys to work with this? So far when I hit FN+MACRO it will just open the browser or calendar or whatever.. I was hoping this wouldn't be the case.
The ZAGG keyboard and Samsung keyboard has blue F1-F12 keys on them, so I was hoping this one would function that way also.. It's really annoying when using remote desktop.
So far I haven't been able to find any way to remap the keys on this thing..
I'm really hoping some more keyboard options emerge for this tablet..
I'm afraid we're all pretty screwed with this tablet with regard to keyboards. The Samsung keyboard is fully functional but doesn't hold the tablet. It just sits in a slot in the keyboard so it's unstable when sitting in bed, etc. The Zagg is very low quality and this one is the best of the lot but has a number of seemingly permanent problems that Logitech appears to have zero interest in addressing. I used to have some pull over there years ago but now my e-mail to upper management didn't even get a reply.
TL;DR: No function keys (F2, F3, etc.) makes this keyboard less useful for work (using Epic, Excel, etc.). However, this is the best case/keyboard solution around, which is why I would still recommend it as long as you know the limitations.
So this tablet and keyboard combination is ostensibly supposed to be a laptop replacement, but the keyboard lacks the function keys that would allow it to do that. While the keyboard itself is well-built, holding the tablet well, and the keys actually feel good to type on (despite being not full-sized), not having the function keys (F2, F3, F4) makes it so that working in Epic or Excel is impossible. Samsung customer service confirmed that there is no way to access those keys from the keyboard.
In Epic, you can customize hot keys onscreen to simulate key presses, to include the function buttons, so I just do that and it isn't too bad, since poking the screen at the F2 is about where the actual key would have been...still way worse that if they had included some function keys. No easy solution in Excel that I couldl come up with. You can pull up other virtual keyboards with the buttons, but that gets in the way of workflow.
I'm typing this review on the keyboard right now and touch typing works decently, with the exception being the top row is so condensed that I will mistype the symbols above (need too shift my finger reach a litte to the left for each one).
There ARE keyboard shortcuts! Many are actually context specific (Home screen vs Samsung internet, etc). Hit the Magnifying Glass + / and you'll get a nice list of what you can do. Ironically, some of them refer to using the F4 and other keys that don't exist on the keyboard...
I do use this on my lap quite a bit, but I really wish it had one additional position to lay more flat like my TabPro S.
I thought that I would hate the S Pen holder, but it actually works really well and isn't as annoying as I thought it would be. It is important to push the S Pen into the holder until it clicks.
I set mine up to not launch DeX on docking, as it tends to be less useful for my multitasking since my main work app (Epic) is not optimized for DeX. Detaching from the keyboard automatically sleeps my tablet, not sure how to change that setting.
I do use it folded back pretty often, and the keys on the reverse side don't bug me too much, but that's likely to be a pretty personal preference.
I've tried some keyboards from Amazon that includes a touchpad, but I can't use it on my lap Folding Keyboard I do really like it though for desktop use! It has function keys
Cons:
- Lacks function keys
- No backlight
- Only one position on the stand
- touch typing the number row is hit or miss
- No touchpad/pointer control
- heavy/bulky
Pros:
- Build quality
- Compact size
- Customize tablet attach/detach actions (mine does not activate Dex)
- S Pen holder is actually pretty good
Hope this helps!