HTC keyboard on DROID -non-root-

[SSHGuru]

I agree... Swype is fine but at the same time it can be a little clunky. When I'm not using the physical keyboard this is the next best thing.

And the voice to text is AMAZINGLY good. I use it more and more often.

When I was playing with Opera 5.0 today I also found that the HTC keyboard automatically has a .com key added at the right times. It's just well made.

I cannot say enough good things about this keyboard. The keyboard options on my Droid was really the only thing I have not been pleased with. I text a fair amount but I also like to be able to post on message boards like this one when I am on the go and I found myself dreading that because of the keyboard. I really do not like the qwerty one and I was forever hitting the wrong key on the virtual keyboard. I did like Swype and used it for a week but it was hard with Swype to change to a different character screen, at least it was for me.

When I saw this thread here I was hopeful and it has surpassed my expectations. One thing I have found is the accuracy of the voice to text. I find it better than any yet. And I would think some will really like the prediction for physical keyboard So this really is a great little keyboard and I give it a very complementary review.

 

[bloodstains]

Does the HTC Keyboard change anything about the physical keyboard? I installed the HTC Keyboard and LOVE it when using voice transcription and typing in portrait mode, but I do most of my typing on the physical keyboard.

Until I installed the HTC Keyboard I had no problems, but since I've installed I notice it doesn't auto-correct some things that it used to - such as "im" used to automatically become "I'm" and "theyre" would become "they're" - the default keyboard used to help out with punctuation like that.

Also sometimes if I'm typing too quickly on the physical keyboard it'll capitalize my first few letters after I hit shift, instead of solely the first letter. Like instead of hitting shift and typing "This keyboard is good" I would hit shift and it would come out "THIs keyboard is good".

Anybody else experiencing this? I don't want it auto-correcting my spelling on the physical keyboard, just getting the punctuation right.

 

[samredman]

@bloodstains -- You say that your physical keyboard, prior installing the HTC, would correct Im to I'm? I just put mine back like it was to check that out... but, it doesn't make that correction for me without running the HTC keyboard (Touch Input). I tested both typing "Im" and "im" and and "theyre" (without quotes, of course) isolated by spaces and neither test showed them becoming "I'm" or "they're" without running the HTC (Touch Input) It does capitalize the first letter after a period and it capitalizes the personal pronoun, I, when the letter is isolated by spaces, but that's all I ever remember it doing ever. I then put the HTC keyboard back on... and the physical keyboard again worked the way it always has for me.

I also tested your example of typing a sentence (I typed the one you gave as an example ) and then pressing the shift key instead of a period.... but I couldn't get it to double capitalize the first word. I tried it several times.

Could you retest this? That "changing Im to I'm and theyre to they're" would be an interesting feature for the physical keyboard (that does work with both of the virtual keyboard implementations... maybe that's what you recalled), but my physical keyboard doesn't seem to do it, with or without the HTC keyboard running. Now, I did not uninstall the app, merely disabled it in the Language and keyboard "settings" and enabled the Android keyboard. I had all three of auto correct settings for the physical keyboard "checked" for both of my test situations.

I am anxious to hear the results of your retesting.

 

[samredman]

It my previous post, one sentence which I wrote is not entirely clear where I said that the physical keyboard

doesn't make that correction for me without running the HTC keyboard (Touch Input).

.

That sentence should have been phrased, "... the physical keyboard doesn't make that correction for me with or without running the HTC keyboard (Touch Input).

In other words, with the HTC turned off (like the phone is out of the box) or with the HTC software keyboard running... I couldn't get those particular corrections which "bloodstains" described to function. Hopefully, his retests will give a better perspective on his problem (for both of us).

 

[bloodstains]

Hi Sam, sorry for the late response -

I just factory reset my phone to load a new ROM on, so as of now I only have the default Android keyboard on there. Nothing else is on there and nothing has been changed at all from the factory defaults. "I'm going to see what they're doing" was just typed on my end "im going to see what theyre doing". It auto-corrects punctuation in those instances. I am typing, and it is auto-correcting as I previously stated.

I will try installing the HTC keyboard right now and see if it changes it back to what I had previously complained about. I'll let you know in my next post.

 

[bloodstains]

Installed HTC keyboard - exactly as I reported earlier. When I have it on it doesn't auto correct punctuation (im does not become I'm, theyre does not become they're).

When you're testing, try rebooting after you switch keyboards. I know it's a hassle, but I noticed the physical keyboard doesn't change until after the active keyboard is completely killed. Which actually, now that I think about it, gives me an idea - I could start off with the regular Android keyboard (or Smart Keyboard Pro, which also appears to autocorrect contractions for me) and then just switch to HTC keyboard once I'm booted up. That way I would keep the Android physical keyboard and the HTC soft keyboard. Just seems like kind of a silly step, if the HTC keyboard could just incorporate that in, I'd be great.

 

[A.Brooks]

Installed HTC keyboard - exactly as I reported earlier. When I have it on it doesn't auto correct punctuation (im does not become I'm, theyre does not become they're).

When you're testing, try rebooting after you switch keyboards. I know it's a hassle, but I noticed the physical keyboard doesn't change until after the active keyboard is completely killed. Which actually, now that I think about it, gives me an idea - I could start off with the regular Android keyboard (or Smart Keyboard Pro, which also appears to autocorrect contractions for me) and then just switch to HTC keyboard once I'm booted up. That way I would keep the Android physical keyboard and the HTC soft keyboard. Just seems like kind of a silly step, if the HTC keyboard could just incorporate that in, I'd be great.

Works flawlessly for me.

 

[Matt.]

I am completely new to this phone. I downloaded ASTRO from the marketplace, downloaded the file onto my PC, mounted the phone and put the .apk onto the card. I can't find the .apk files anywhere on the phone and don't even know where to access things that I put onto the card. Any help is appreciated!

 

[JLB09]

I'm trying this right and for me the corrections only happen with the physical keyboard using HTC. In fact I actually am liking the physical keyboard now. HTC is awesome.

 

[samredman]

@bloodstains. Well, I was ready to post that you are exactly correct. Then today... miracle of miracles, it suddenly started working with the physical keyboard exactly the way you said it did "out of the box."

It even shows a line of suggestion (predictive) words across the bottom. Now I don't know what I pushed to make that happen... because on subsequent usages... it starts one way then all of a sudden (maybe it was after I used the Alt key for doing numbers... I don't know) it started working the "right" (or original) way. I was typing the term ID and that's what I meant and it showed it as I'd.. (I found that by backspacing after that occurrence, it converted it to what I wanted). I'm thinking that there is a keyboard sequence to trigger this... effect (including the suggested words on the bottom)... this needs more investigation.

@matt - I don't use Astro, because I use the file manager called Androzip. With it... you can see easily that you are in the sdcard (and not wandering all over the rest of the storage). You will see a colorful SDCard tag to click on (if you aren't in there already). Once you are in the SDcard folder, you will see all of the subfolders and if you put your apk files in the SDcard root (if you didn't go back and do it again) you will see them at the bottom (after all the folders).

Then put the touch on each apk filename (one by one) and long press. You will see a pop up menu of options. Choose "install" and the rest is as in those instructions I provided in an earlier post (back a page or two).

 

[ledbetter10]

can this be done on the phone independently?

 

[ledbetter10]

*update* it can - just did it - thanks!

 

[linkboy]

Ok, I'm stuck.

I had .18 installed on my phone and it worked great. Went to upgrade to .19, it uninstalled .18 and will not under any circumstance let me installed .19 (says application not installed).

I have the non-market button checked, and I've tried both the hi-res and low-res install and neither of them work, anyone have any idea.

I really love this keyboard and I'm going to be pissed if I can't get it installed.

 

[linkboy]

Ignore my post above, got it working.

 

[tholt311]

Auto Rotate?

Have had my Droid for almost 2 months now kills my storm, love the keyboard over the stock but is there any way to have it auto rotate and not have to touch to bring keyboard back up using Handcent SMS the stock auto rotates but not this keyboard, thanks