I used each for a few days (ok, I've been using swype for ages) and here are my thoughts.
Swype-
I'm sure everyone know this.
Pros:
*Accuracy is amazing- made even better by having it adjustable in the options.
Cons:
*Editing is a nightmare. This is what made me look for alternatives. If I want to delete a word I have to hold the del key for ages. If I want to delete a sentence, I have to hold, lift, hold- forget it. If I want to correct a misswipe, I have to touch the word, touch the swype icon, then touch what word I want. Choosing the word I want is in a list that's stacked vertically meaning I have to carefully pinpoint the word I want and avoid hitting the others that are less then a half inch away.
*Because we're all using unauthorized swypes, the company added a timeout feature that will render the keyboard useless if left up.
Overall:
The best ABC letter input with the absolute worst editing system. Inputting numbers is ok, but the amount of keyboards you have to cycle through isn't the greatest. And the system of inputting capital letters and repeating letters isn't as streamlined as the others.
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ShapeWriter-
With the last update, usability has increased greatly.
Pros:
*Able to easily switch languages on the fly (untested since I only barely know 1 other unsupported language).
*Nice capitalization system.
*Supports commands (such as select all/copy/paste) via the command key+swiping.
Cons:
*The worst accuracy of the three- much better since the last update, but was off enough that I switched to another keyboard.
*The keyboard doesn't handle slang too well- but you can always add it to the dictionary.
Overall:
If this had the accuracy of swype, it would probably be the best of the three.
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SlideIT-
I believe the newest of the three for android. The 'Lite' version is the only version right now.
Pros:
*Has a grafitti system? (Not useful for me)
*Very good with slang and able to add custom abbreviations.
*Very good capitalization system.
Cons:
*UGLY- looks like all the buttons were upscaled to fit the Droid.
*Also lacks being able to hold a key to get a special character- you have to hit a button to switch to the special character menu.
*Too good with slang. The C-word and the word "chubby" are kind of close with this keyboard.
Overall:
Good accuracy- not as good as swype, but not too much of a noticable difference in my experience. It also has a copy/paste system, but since it's difficult to select text, it's not that useful. No defining pros but not lacking anything.
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After trying all I'm now using SlideIT as my main. The lack of any real negatives made it my choice. I am thinking about skinning it though, my poor eyes :icon_eek:
