While I was on the hunt for a keyboard with swipe functionality on #fdroid, I stumbled upon a #8pen keyboard. After an initial video on the concept of how it works, I quickly got the hang of it.
One thing I can agree with the developers is that it is a much quicker method of learning how to type without looking.
Currently the only initial downside is that one is constantly pressing the screen thereby creating soreness. Additionally, it is not ideal for typing texts with numbers or non-typical special characters like one would find by passwords.
#DailyBloggingChallenge (02/10)
After using #8pen for about two days, I came across some conclusions:
- If one makes the center circle a bit bigger one is less prone in over rotating the key selection plus on learns to go further out from the center to choose the correct letter.
- Initially always ended the word/phrase in the center, which would then automatically make a SPACE there after. This became quite painful when writing a password, since after the substring a SPACE happened and one would need to delete it before continuing. So if one had lots of these substrings where one frequently needed to jump between letters and numbers/special characters the process became painstakingly annoying. Simple solution: just end outside of the circle.
- Instead of doing a full circle to get The capitalized letter, it is much easier to hit the SHIFT-
- The letters located on the third ring are the hardest to navigate to.
- Still trying to figure out how to add emojis.
- Still inconclusive if I am missing the auto suggest feature of words.
- Navigating is a bit flimsy and haven't figured out how I accidentally trigger it.
- Sometimes I wish I had a visual confirmation that a key or functions was activated like on the other pages of the keyboard.
The theory claims once you are familiar with the layout, you won't need the keys anymore. Once this state happens, one technically could keep one's phone in one's pocket and swipe away the next new novel or short story.
I am just imagining, you are swiping away in your pocket and onlookers think you are masturbating in public...
