I don't get the complaints with the keyboard.

[Cernunnos]

Everyone keeps saying the the keyboard is so horrible etc. I bought this phone yesterday, and after 4-5 hours of constant use I'm now pretty much typing faster with the keyboard than I ever did on my 5800. Maybe not as fast as a normal alpha-numeric phone, but still pretty fast.


Anyone agree, disagree?

[jaark]

i agree, the keyboard actually seems better to use than the one on my N810, which is sigtnificantly quicker - once you learn the keymap you can type reasonably fast.

[filologen]

I find it very good. In Vim, where I have defined quite a lot of abbreviations, I can type 50+ words per minute, which is more than enough for me.

[biggzy]

Befor the n900 i had a n97 and that keyboard was great, but n900s keyboaer is better now im used to it,

[tissot]

I haven't really heard complaints about N900 keyboard from the users.
I prefer the spacebar placing on the N900 and most of all keys got great tactile feedback. Lack of it can kill 5 row keyboard that got everything else right(problem with Droid and N97 i have tested).

[Thor]

The keyboard has been fine for the most part. The only problem is when I have to use alternate functions on keys (eg. the numbers). Otherwise it is fine. Although I can't find a better phone keyboard than the Blackberry Bold's, but that wouldn't fit in this form factor.

[vietn900]

once you get use to it ... its not so bad ... it feels like the htc touch pro (first one) i find that the way the space bar is located is awesome to me lol most people are annoyed by it ... but i don't know why it it works great for me ... like im natural at using it :)

[slender]

Only thing that bothers me is that i have to use fn key to get numbers.

[twaelti]

The keyboard is great IMHO.

[Cernunnos]

Well, I can agree with you on that slender, but double tap fn key helps alot.

[benny1967]

I found the English keyboard is just right the way it is. The German layout I use on my main device suffers a lot from the fact that we have 4 additional characters that somehow need to find a place. I have to admit that Nokia really found the best possible solution and I couldn't find one single key I would have assigned differently.... but still: It means we have symbols like "," and even letters (!) on blue Fn-combinations. The thing with the arrow keys has already been discussed here... I personally don't find it that bad in practice, but there are situations when you would like "arrow up" to be a key of its own. (Press [Shift]+[Up] when [Up] is [Fn]+[Left]...)

So yes, the size of the keys is OK, they are good to type on, they have a nice rubbery feeling,... but I wish I wouldn't need the [Fn] key so often. Give me more keys. So: Give me a 4th row!

[Cernunnos]

I'm on a Norwegian version myself, we have 3 extra characters. And yes, scrolling up and down without using FN would be nice, I agree.

[verhagke]

Not bad the way it is, but I'd love to see a 4th row for entering numbers.

[etuoyo]

Everyone keeps saying the the keyboard is so horrible etc. I bought this phone yesterday, and after 4-5 hours of constant use I'm now pretty much typing faster with the keyboard than I ever did on my 5800. Maybe not as fast as a normal alpha-numeric phone, but still pretty fast.


Anyone agree, disagree?

Keyboard is great save for the lack of dedicated number keys which I find really annoying

[colnago]

Only thing that bothers me is that i have to use fn key to get numbers.

Coming from a Motorola Q, which I still have, and a brief stint with the Droid (which I actually liked typing on, either holding it in the air, or more so by lying it on a table) its not so much having to use the Fn key for numbers, as much as its a problem that they are aligned in a row, instead of "keypad" layout...for me anyway. I think it would be better served with a 4th row, for numbers and whatever is left over for symbols/functions.

The physical keys however, as far as size, spacing, and shape, are more than fine, and would be a great addition on something like the Droid.

[Jack6428]

i think the N900's keyboard is great !

[lma]

The feel of the keyboard is great, the complaints are mostly about it having too few keys for most use cases and the resulting inevitable compromises.

[That One Guy]

I don't mind the keyboard. But honestly, I like the keyboard to my E90 a little better.

Either way, I'm not *****ing about it. It is what it is.

[Magel282]

No issues with the keyboard either. Having come from a Tytn II this was a simple transition for me. Couldn't imagine using a phone without a keyboard now.

[okv]

I don't mind having the number keys behind the FN key. What annoys me in the keyboard layout, though, is the fact that Finnish layout doesn't have the full arrows as the English does.

Now every game that has been made to use the arrow keys (such as Ur-Quan Masters) can't be played with the Finnish keyboard layout. This can be fixed by changing the keyboard layout in the settings, but it is annoying to have wrong text written on the key, and switching between English/Finnish all the time is not very nice either.

[damion]

I find it painful to hold compared to the n97. The actual keyboard is fine, if a tad noisy and clicky. I prefer the fn being on the left for entering symbols and numbers. I'm unsure about losing the cursor pad compared to having cursor buttons.

[Spudboy]

The keyboard is good. You do have to angle your thumb on the top row a bit. Placing your thumb flat does cause it to hit the metal rim on the screen (I have medium sized fingers - what ever they are). Room for improvement, but not bad at all.