Category: Geeks r Us
OK probably some people are saying 'Enough iPhone topics already?'
But I posit the following for two reasons:
First, I'm game for any tips
Second: Here's an excuse for you to show off and some of us, at least, won't complain. We know you type / text a mile a minute on these things anyway.
I've got the iPod Touch, same screen real estate as the iPhone. Have decided against a Solona screen protector and am increasing speed just using the onscreen keyboard.
So, if you remember, how did you get fast at it? Is it thumbs or index fingers? What position do you hold it when typing? Portrait or landscape?
For the record, I started with index fingers but am finding using the thumbs to type seems to increase the speed. Possibly because it's anchored in my hands. Also Landscape keyboard does seem better, at least how I'm doing it.
So, how do the pros do this? For the first time in human history, the pros are between 14 and 25? The rest of us are just rookies ... lol
Thanks for any suggestions
Often I use a combination of thumbs and index fingers. I am not super fast, but I have certainly improved over time. I have, so far, used only the portrait orientation.
I have definitely used portrait, and i have used index with touch typing mode.
One item of note, and as I say the younger ones probably laugh at us, but someone around my age on the net found the following:
Apparently Apple and Steve Jobs recommend that user (obviously sighted in this case) not look at the keys on the touch screen, but look at what it is they're typing. Goes along with what all the research is showing regarding muscle memory even in a touch screen environment. It's all about the crills / repetition I suppose.
Hannon exercises, anyone?
Anyway, I guess the way that translates for us is don't always wait for the voice to catch up.
Here's another one, and again, the young ones who can't punctuate or capitalize probably don't struggle with this but still:
Rather than push the buttons to deliberately switch to the numeric keyboard just for the apostrophe, use the autocorrect to your advantage.
I still wish Autocorrect were like the Japanese Input Method Editor in Windows where you get a list rather than one option, but still, it's right nore often than it isn't.
So here go:
Just write havent, doesnt, (without the apostrophes) and push space.
For words like we'll, he'll, i'll, just use an extra letter on the end:
h e tripple l, w e tripple l, etc.
And use Word completion as often as possible. I don't know if that's what Apple calls it, but basically you type part of a word, the bubble comes up (for us there's a bubble sound), and for us the voice announces the correction, you just press either space or the numbers button to go get your comma, period, or whatever punctuation you want.
I'm finding that I know now what words it will try and complete, so I can pick up on it earlier.
I wish that it would also complete with the suggestion you usually use.
One example, the signature greeting in the Coast Guard when broadcasting to a lot of people is 'Shipmates'.
I start to type s h i p m and it wants to do 'shipment' or eventually 'shipmate' but what it doesn't do is prioritize by what I've used in the past.
Anyway still finding Landscape faster for some things but portrait is all you get in other places.
ok cool! thanks 4 the tips.
I no longer use Landscape.
I had been persuaded by someone when I learned to text last summer on my old Winblows phone to use my thumbs. First text took me fifteen - count 'em fifteen - minutes - but I was told you benefit from greater dexterity with the thumbs.
Anyway I use Portrait now on the iPod, and still type with my thumbs but am starting to try one-finger with the index finger as for some things it sure does seem to be more accurate.
i usually hold my phone in one hand and use my other hand's index fingetr to type. touch typing is a blessing. use portrait mode, and alway shave. infact have my phone locked in that mode
I either use the index finger, or I do it blackberry style, cradle the phone between both hands and use my two thumbs.
This method works in either portret or landscape, and I'm sure if I perfected it, i'd get alot faster than I am now.
how do u get get your phone to lock in portrait mode? thanks
Double press the Home Button, then continue to three finger swipe right, like flipping a page, until you get to Page 1 I think it is, which has the orientation lock. Since I discovered that I have been using it.
thanks leo this will def help. Have had the iphone for about a week now and really loving it.
i use my index fingers since it's easier for me to use the touch screen. I type faster using my index fingers rather than my thumbs. I prefer the portrait mode because of the convinience of holding it in 1 hand.
Leo. I too also use the index finger when typing and i use touch typing mode. I will admit I am a huge fan of autocorrect when the bubble comes up since it usually has the word I want to get right on the bat. Some people say landscape is easier because you have a longer row of keys but in my oppinion they're too close together that way. Still others get bluetooth keyboards for their iPhone which I am planning on getting in the near future possibly. also, unless you absolutely need vo repeating back to you everything turn off the key echo and word echos, ffor me anyway it gets cumbersome, do this though once you have your keyboard memorized better.
I hold the phone in my left hand and type with my right index finger. I think typing with thumbs is kind of weird. I also have a bluetooth keyboard.