Android Useful Apps

[faniebraai]

Does it support priority inbox?

Not directly, but has its own implementation of it called Focused.

Not quite sure how it works yet.

 

[BigAl-sa]

There was some discussion on shopping lists last week and I mentioned colornote. However, colornote's synching is a bit iffy. So, looked at the recommendations here, but didn't like any of them and ended up with Our Groceries
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.headcode.ourgroceries
It's minimalist, but whoever built it, put a lot of thought into it.

 

[BigAl-sa]

For those of you who are interested in handwriting keyboards, especially those with Note devices, you may want to try MyScript Stylus Beta.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.visionobjects.stylusmobile.v3_2_store
It's far more efficient than the default Samsung keyboard, and it has an Afrikaans dictionary. It works like a dream on the N7000, which has a really lousy implementation of Samsung's keyboard. lt should also be independant of TouchWiz, so you should be able to use it with any ROM. One disadvantage though, it has no quick way to swop to a standard keyboard.

 

[Chingha]

It does work well but I ended up using it a lot less than I expected, just use SwiftKey

 

[Piesang]

Nothing compares to SwiftKey. I bought the premium version years ago and I still use it.

 

[Bryn]

Nothing compares to SwiftKey. I bought the premium version years ago and I still use it.

Not true. I used Swiftkey for years and imo Swype has become the better keyboard.

 

[Piesang]

Not true. I used Swiftkey for years and imo Swype has become the better keyboard.

You can't say it's not true just based on your opinion. ???

 

[Bryn]

You can't say it's not true just based on your opinion. ???

It's not true because there are alternatives that compare to Swiftkey. Which one you actually prefer and use is a matter of personal preference obviously.

Although I can't understand anyone preferring Swiftkey. Swype does everything Swiftkey can but doesn't make entering web and email addresses a chore, has more useful shortcut actions, let's you control which words are permanently added to your dictionary and has a better dictionary to start with.

 

[CranialBlaze]

You can't say it's not true just based on your opinion. ???

I would have to agree, swype is horrible, swiftkey has a market to prove it is the best, they sell their technology to the big boys like Samsung to use with their stock keyboards. Same cannot be said about swype.

 

[CranialBlaze]

It's not true because there are alternatives that compare to Swiftkey. Which one you actually prefer and use is a matter of personal preference obviously.

Although I can't understand anyone preferring Swiftkey. Swype does everything Swiftkey can but doesn't make entering web and email addresses a chore, has more useful shortcut actions, let's you control which words are permanently added to your dictionary and has a better dictionary to start with.

Maybe its a chore for you, but i have never had any trouble with web or email address, autocomplete does not trigger in any email or web app I have used.

 

[Bryn]

I would have to agree, swype is horrible, swiftkey has a market to prove it is the best, they sell their technology to the big boys like Samsung to use with their stock keyboards. Same cannot be said about swype.

On what basis do you say Swype is horrible? I've owned both keyboards since they released and I'm very certain that Swype has gone from being decidedly inferior to decidedly superior.

As I said, it now does everything Swiftkey does. So at the very least it's on par.

The fact that Swiftkey owns the market is down to the head start they enjoyed more than anything.

Maybe its a chore for you, but i have never had any trouble with web or email address, autocomplete does not trigger in any email or web app I have used.

Then you use very few email and web apps. Pressing full stop in Swiftkey after entering the first bit of an email or web address autocorrects it more often than not. Some apps classify the field correctly and Swiftkey disables autocorrect, but this isn't the norm.

The fact that both my parents complained that it was driving them up the wall reaffirms to me that it wasn't unique to my Swiftkey. I installed Swype on both their phones and now they're happy.

 

[CranialBlaze]

On what basis do you say Swype is horrible? I've owned both keyboards since they released and I'm very certain that Swype has gone from being decidedly inferior to decidedly superior.

As I said, it now does everything Swiftkey does. So at the very least it's on par.

The fact that Swiftkey owns the market is down to the head start they enjoyed more than anything.



Then you use very few email and web apps. Pressing full stop in Swiftkey after entering the first bit of an email or web address autocorrects it more often than not. Some apps classify the field correctly and Swiftkey disables autocorrect, but this isn't the norm.

The fact that both my parents complained that it was driving them up the wall reaffirms to me that it wasn't unique to my Swiftkey. I installed Swype on both their phones and now they're happy.

My apologies, you are absolutely right, I HAD NO idea it was 3 whole people.

 

[Bryn]

My apologies, you are absolutely right, I HAD NO idea it was 3 whole people.

Clearly you're not a person capable of an actual discussion. I'll leave things here.

 

[faniebraai]

Clearly you're not a person capable of an actual discussion. I'll leave things here.

Can swype have a dedicated number row on the top of the keyboard?

 

[Bryn]

Can swype have a dedicated number row on the top of the keyboard?

I've never tried adding one so I don't know. Why would you want one though? It just takes up even more space than on-screen keyboards already use. I set Swype to have a very brief hold-down time delay when accessing symbols, so I can almost type numbers naturally using the top row of letters. If I'm entering a string of numbers I'll use the numeric keypad, which is just a touch away and laid out better for such a task.

 

[SYNERGY]

Does anyone else get lag with Swift Key?
It takes couple seconds for the keyboard to pop up.

Fine with stock keyboard.

 

[faniebraai]

I've never tried adding one so I don't know. Why would you want one though? It just takes up even more space than on-screen keyboards already use. I set Swype to have a very brief hold-down time delay when accessing symbols, so I can almost type numbers naturally using the top row of letters. If I'm entering a string of numbers I'll use the numeric keypad, which is just a touch away and laid out better for such a task.

My screens are big enough so the number row don't matter.

Gave it a serious try this morning. Missing features making me not swop permanently is the 'number row' at the top, as well as the swipe left and right on my '.'-key to shortcut a ! or ?

I did like the more suggestions in the suggestion row though, and to correct a word is easier (swype click anywhere on it, and pick from suggestions - swiftkey you have to be at the back of the word otherwise it replace on the part of the word left from where the cursor is).

I'll stick with swiftkey until they can bring in those features.

 

[faniebraai]

Does anyone else get lag with Swift Key?
It takes couple seconds for the keyboard to pop up.

Fine with stock keyboard.

The latest update fixed a lot of the lag. My biggest lag issue is when I click send in whatsapp and immediately start typing again, it tends to miss my first character as if it wasn't ready yet.

 

[Chingha]

Settle down ladies, I merely compared the keyboard I use and a pen based input, which, while works amazingly well doesn't compare to keyboard input IMHO.
Keyboards = Useful apps.
Let's move on

 

[Bryn]

My screens are big enough so the number row don't matter.

Gave it a serious try this morning. Missing features making me not swop permanently is the 'number row' at the top, as well as the swipe left and right on my '.'-key to shortcut a ! or ?

I did like the more suggestions in the suggestion row though, and to correct a word is easier (swype click anywhere on it, and pick from suggestions - swiftkey you have to be at the back of the word otherwise it replace on the part of the word left from where the cursor is).

I'll stick with swiftkey until they can bring in those features.

How big is your screen? Mine is 5.5" and I wouldn't want to lose additional screen space to my keyboard. You don't have to hold down for '?', '!' etc. in Swype - just drag the symbol to the spacebar. It's a very quick movement. Don't forget Swype also has other awesome gestures, used for selecting text, copying, pasting, changing capitalisation for a word after it's been entered etc.