[Windows Mobile Development and Hacking General] frenchglen:
I wouldn't normally drag on about just a SIP but IMHO the design of TouchPal is BRILLIANT and (dare I say) reminds me of how Apple has often packed powerful functionality into simple designs (e.g. the iPod's click wheel).

I feel that TouchPal is simple, powerful, quick and ACCURATE. I feel comfortable with it, and when it pops up I feel that I can get straight into my typing with no problems. IMO it's far superior to any other keyboard out there (that I know of, anyway! I only found this a week ago and it only took ten minutes to convince me to uninstall Phone Pad forever!)

Perhaps you haven't worked out all its functions. Have a little read of their manual. I worked out how to use the keys in just half an hour and was typing super quickly AND WITH NO MISTAKES (:)!) within a few hours. The design is excellent. The predictive input is much better than the T9 design because there are more keys, so there's not many instances of two everyday words with the same key combination. With T9 I would have to select an alternate word many times but with this keyboard, not much at all.

Even within predictive input mode, you can still control it by tapping and sliding each key in a certain direction. Let's look at the one in the middle, with g, h, 8 and <.> (full stop).

- Tap to let TouchPal determine which letter you intend as part of a predictive word

- Tap and slide LEFT to choose g

- Tap and slide RIGHT to choose h

- Tap and slide UP to let touchpal determine which letter (but in CAPS) you intend as part of a predictive word

- Tap and slide UP then LEFT (or tap and slide LEFT than UP, or just UP and in the left half) to choose capital G

- Tap and slide UP then RIGHT (or tap and slide RIGHT than UP, or just UP and in the right half) to choose capital H

- Tap and slide DOWN to choose full stop

- Tap and slide UP then DOWN to choose 8

Isn't that just such a natural, simple and easy way to have all your everyday letters, numbers and symbols in such a small space? If the keyboard

looks

complicated, as soon as you know how each key works, it immediately becomes clear and it becomes like home. It's like looking at a piano and all the black and white keys, but once you learn the notes of the scale you understand why they're there an it doesn't look so daunting to play a melody.

And if there's a new word not in the dictionary (try blu-ray), simply slide each key to the exact letter you intend, press space or select it at the top and it will add it the dictionary! IMO that's amazing and very simple. Phone Pad NEVER ended up working with custom words. I gave up.

What's also great is that the developers LISTEN to the user's suggestions on their forum (even users of the free edition are listened to) and they are obviously constantly improving it and bringing great new options, functions, more power and if you like, more ease of use to this incredible keyboard.

I never usually feel evangelistic about something as trvial as a keyboard, and ultimately you make up your own mind, but I do suggest you reconsider this keyboard. I am thrilled with it. Seriously, I might be sounding like a sales rep with the long post here :o:), but I'm just an amazed user who can't see how this keyboard can be "too hard to get used to...because it has too many functions on one key".