Where did all the keyboards go?

[takeshi]

So, was there a reason for removing the physical keyboards and opting for virtual as the primary?

Trendiness. There are those that don't prefer physical keyboards as well.

Even though I came from a Blackberry 8310 and opted for the Droid partially because of its physical keyboard, I'm convinced now that I could make do without one. Prior to using the Droid (and Swype) I wouldn't have even considered that as a possibility. These days, I only use my Droid's physical keyboard for games.

 

[tonton]

I for one like my D1 physical keyboard. that is the main reason I bought it. I have used the virtual maybe 5 times since I got it, the day it came out. I have played with Swype on my brothers DX and it's not bad. I will still want a physical board when I get my next phone, I just hate how much screen space I lose when the virtual keyboard is on.

 

[furbearingmammal]

The screen space (and the fact that the landscape keyboard takes up the whole screen so if you're trying to carry on an IM conversation with someone you can't see if they're typing while you're typing) is my main reason for not liking the virtual keyboard, but with my thumb damage I can't use the cramped keyboard very well.

But that's academic. Hardware keyboards are about as advanced as they're going to get in many levels while the software continues to evolve. That gives the appearance of "next generation" and "cutting edge".

 

[Jasonjohns]

I use SwiftKey and love it, predictions are incredible. Sometimes it tells what I'm doing tomorrow! Also has swipe to minimize. I think all I use the hard keyboard for is holding x & signing in.