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    How hard is it to get this layout on phones & tablets?

    • Started by Wirem
    • 7 Replies:
    • Reputation: 0
    • Registered: 08-Aug-2011
    • Posts: 8

    Hi all,

    Been using Colemak for about a year and love it.

    I'm just concerned that I may have trouble in the future, as the variety of typing devices start to increase. Today we are already seeing phones and tablets on the rise, and more will surely be on the way.

    I still have a $20 phone so it doesn't affect me yet. But I'm curious--how hard is it to get Colemak on these other devices?

    Thanks

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    • Reputation: 214
    • From: Viken, Norway
    • Registered: 13-Dec-2006
    • Posts: 5,376

    Not that hard, no. For the iPhone you'll need jailbreaking but for Android devices you get it with little trouble. See the main Colemak page for posts about both of them.

    Keep in mind though, that touch typing on a tablet won't be as nice as on a proper keyboard. I've a feeling that something will have to happen to account for this problem.

    *** Learn Colemak in 2–5 steps with Tarmak! ***
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    • Registered: 20-Oct-2006
    • Posts: 111

    You'd lose a lot of the autocorrect functionality too, since it picks new words based on letters close to other letters on a QWERTY keyboard. On a tiny smartphone screen, spreading out the most common keys is probably better than putting them all together on the home row.

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    • Reputation: 1
    • From: Sofia, Bulgaria
    • Registered: 05-Mar-2011
    • Posts: 387

    On a touch screen hand alternation is probably the one and only thing you'd be looking for. But since neither Qwerty nor Colemak is terribly good there, there isn't much you can do. My tip would be to stick with Qwerty, cause, as Korivak said, spreading the keys (and also putting more of the often used ones on the top row) is a bit better than having them staggered on the home row and having rolls, which are far from useful on a mobile device. My experience is that it's not hard at all to maintain Qwerty on a mobile device and Colemak on your laptop/desktop. Your brain has no problem switching after a little while.

    So my point: I'd stay with Qwerty. Even though that wasn't your question, I hope you find it useful :)

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    • Reputation: 4
    • Registered: 08-Dec-2010
    • Posts: 656

    I also use Qwerty on my mobile phones & Ipad, and find that fine, since I can't touch type on them anyway.

    We can be bi-layoutal, just as bilingual here (English and mother language).

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    • From: Vista, CA
    • Registered: 31-Jan-2012
    • Posts: 54

    I don't plan to mess with my tablet's keys. Can't touch type on it anyway, so there's no need to have an optimal layout. :)

    SF&F Writer Harper Jayne
    Creating brave new worlds, one word at a time . . .

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    • Reputation: 0
    • Registered: 08-Aug-2011
    • Posts: 8

    How fast can one type on a touchpad anyways? Does anyone here do more than 30 wpm on one?

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    • Reputation: 1
    • From: Sofia, Bulgaria
    • Registered: 05-Mar-2011
    • Posts: 387

    30 is not that high. I'm sure many do better.

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