After using the N810 non-stop for about 4 days, I find myself more and more using the on-screen keyboard for text entry. The keypad is useful for me sometimes, but I find that the keys are difficult to press and differentiate from one another causing many typos. Additionally I find it cumbersome to slide open the N810 for each text entry operation as I prefer to have the unit closed. The on-screen keyboard on the other hand occludes the entire screen, but since I'm forced to look at what I'm typing in either case, this isn't generally an issue (aside from long text entry).

I originally thought that I'd like the keypad more than the on-screen keyboard, but now, my intuition is being handed its hat.

What are your thoughts?


YARR!
}:^)~

Capt'n Banana

Should you add poll choices for N800/N770 users? For stylus versus the big finger keyboard? Or do you want to expressly exclude N800/N770 users?

Great question.

I was careful in how I worded the poll options as to not exclude anyone. For example, an N800/770 owner can select, 'I own a tablet and prefer keypad entry', expressing his/her preference despite being limited to on-screen entry (minus any external devices). I wanted to focus on entry preference more than brand loyalty, so I left the specific devices out of the equation. Additionally, I consider finger/stylus on-screen entry, though my personal preference is finger.

The rest is left to discussion!


YARR!
}:^)~

Cpan't Crorput

With an N800, I would probably become comfortable with on screen fingering.

With my N 810, I get fairly good feedback from the slightly convex keys, so long as my hands are warm.
In chilly weather my typing goes bananas.
I would like to feel the center of a key more precisely.
And I have yet to find the grip that makes reaching T-G-B comfortable.
I still make too many typos, but they are decreasing.
I do tap passwords with the stylus.
( On my Acorn Archimedes I could set the keyboard repeat time ! )

The N 810 usually rests on my (left) 4 fingers and my (left) thumb pulls the screen up/down by the middle of its lower edge.
( Someone mentioned trouble with the connecting flat cable on this forum.)
In full screen mode I often find the menu key quicker than the window size toggle key.

In advocacy of the keypad -- for the command line, its tops!


YARR!
}:^)~

echo Capt'n Corrupt > /dev/null

I generally keep the n810 locked and prefer the slide action to unlock it, I almost never use the lock key, too small/awkward for my fingers. I exclusively use the hw keyboard (typing this on it ). Didn't like it that much at first, but with practice it became much better than stylus action (I hate finger typing so that it never was an option). Another reason I prefer it is that it does not take up screen space.

I own an N800, but I voted for keypad because I use a bluetooth kbd whenever possible. The (stylus-) virtual keyboard is my 2nd choice, because it is most complete and best suited for all applications.

Only if absolutely necessary (like when chatting in a taxi) i take the thumb keyboard. I find it frustrating to use because it requires you to constantly switch between tabs. Also, it totally lacks some characters you'd want (like the quotation marks „ and “ we use in German or accented characters you need for writing things like à la carte, Café, Tête-à-tête,...).
What I find most annoying about the thumb keyboard is that it takes you completely out of the context: There's no tab completion in the terminal. When I write this text with the thumb keyboard, I can't select a word and then click on the icon above to insert a link or make it bold. There's no way to do this, you'd need to write [ and B and ] manually. It feels very broken.

I'm looking forward to the next device so I can have a real hardware keyboard, too. I know Maemo5 will no longer include a real VKB, only the thumb variant, but maybe this time they'r doing it right. Or somebody comes up with a 3rd party VKB.

I've had exactly same thoughts after I bought n810 when my n770 died.
The truth is - tablet OS is designed with on screen keyboard in mind so it's realy easy and comfortable to use it for let's say - url input or search via google.
The other thing is Ctrl+[ ] and for example - my Polish letters. It's a pain to type national chars using on screen keyboard and it's relatively easy with hardware one.
Typing errors because of lack of keys separation was my issue for 2-3 months. Now I use my n810 for about 8-9 and I got used to it.
In terminal apps hardware keyboard is excellent because there is no need for screen change - consider using apps like kismet and midnight commander.

I'm on an N800 and almost never use the thumb virtual keyboard. Then again, I use the stylus for very nearly everything (only exceptions are like Pause and Play in gPodder and Canola).

It's very disappointing to me that Maemo5 is not going to support the N8*0 line (do I understand that right?) and if it turns out that it does support the N800, I'd be bummed if it supports only the thumb virtual keyboard and not the stylus keyboard.

As for thumb on screen keyboard - I tried but it's not practical to me.
Maybe when using n8x0 in a car but let's face it - one probably would kill oneself during Wayfinder/Maemo mapper configuration when driving
To sum up - tried few times - for me useless.