 |
Shapewriter Keyboard
Tested version: ShapeWriter 3.0.4
Latest version: ShapeWriter 3.0.9
Requires Android: from 1.6
Summary
Even though my current phone features a hardware keypad, I will still sometimes resort to typing a few words on the screen when I’m in a rush. Although by now there are a few good on-screen keyboards on the market, Shapewriter has appealed to me for quite some time.
Test video
Features & Use
If you’re familiar with Swype you’ll know how Shapewriter-Keyboard works. Rather than typing words you place your finger onto the keypad and “pull” the letters together. If I haven’t described it clearly enough check out the video.
The standard dictionary for Shapewriter is English, but it also comes in German, Swedish, Italian and French. In case you’re installed several dictionaries, you’ll find it’s very easy to switch from one language to another.
Operating Shapewriter Keyboard works really well. Even though a few words are missing from the dictionary, once you’ve saved the word you wanted you can always use it in the future.
Another practical feature is that you can “Copy”, “Cut”, and “Paste” using the keyboard (find out more under Screen & Controls).
There are a few negative aspects: when my Milestone’s keyboard is swung open, Shapewriter Keyboard opens up, too, and can only be shut down using a “Command Stroke” (see Screen & Controls, bellow). That being said, once it’s been switched off it stays off, even if you open up your keyboard again. The annoying thing is that you have to figure out how to switch off the keyboard, as it’s not self-explanatory.
Also, if you’re using Shapewriter Keyboard horizontally on a phone without a hardware keypad, you’ll find that the space for the text is very limited. I’m taking subtracting a star for that.
Aside from that, Shapewriter crashed a few times as I was testing it horizontally on the Milestone. I had no crashed whilst testing it with a G1, though.
So, even though I actually really like Shapewriter Keyboard I’m awarding it three stars “only”, due to these points of criticism.
Screen & Controls
In order to activate Shapewriter Keyboard you have to go to “Settings” and “Locale & Text” (or “Language & Keyboard”). If you want to download additional dictionaries you’ll have to activate them individually, too. Then, if you go to the Shapewriter-Keyboard settings you can chose which dictionary you want to use. As I’ve already mentioned, it’s possible to use more than one dictionary at once.
Once you’ve activated everything, you’ll have to press on the screen for a while and then select Shapewriter-Keyboard under “Input Method” (e.g. in a Notepad).
What’s really appealing to me is that Shapewriter-Keyboard is very clearly structured and that (aside from switching off the keyboard) it’s pretty self-explanatory. There’s a standard QWERTY keyboard and a numerical pad. You can switch from one to the other by pressing a little button on the bottom right. When using the numerical pad you type as per usual, and when you use the keyboard you spell the words out by gliding your finger along the screen. Alternative words will appear in the upper margin, which you select by tapping on them. Every key is allotted with a special character, which you select by pressing on the key a bit longer.
Using a button that looks like a globe you can switch languages—that is to say, dictionaries. In the lower left corner there are two small buttons (an “@” and a “:-)”) via which several other special characters are displayed. These will appear in the Shapewriter-Keyboard’s upper right margin and you can select which one you want to use. The “Full Stop” button next to the space bar also offers this feature.
I also liked that upper and lower case are automatically set in Shapewriter-Keyboard, and that this functions very well. If you want to insert upper and lower case manually, press the “Case” button (on the right side of letter “L”) after writing a word.
In the lower margin you’ll also find the “CMD” button, which has the Shapewriter logo on it. If you activate this you’ll be able to use the help option in the browser, and you can also access the Shapewriter-Keyboard settings via this. Here you’ll also find a brief guide on how to use “Command Strokes”. If you want to use these, just write on the keyboard, but start off with the CMD button. Other options are, for example: cut, copy, paste, select all, as well as close, for when you want to shut down the keyboard.
Bottom line:
I have mixed feelings about Shapewriter. The keyboard isn’t bad at all... But you have to take a bit of time grappling with Shapewriter in order to find out what the useful functions are (like “Command Strokes”, for example), and in order to be able to use them for you benefit. At the moment you can get Shapewriter for free from the market, but that will no doubt change again soon. So this is definitely a good time to check it out.
Speed & Stability
Unfortunately, Shapewriter did not run flawlessly, at least not whilst I was testing it on the Milestone. It crashed several times; at one point I was actually ready to remove my battery, in order to get the phone working again. Furthermore, Shapewriter uses up quite a bit of memory.
Price/Performance Ratio
Shapewriter Keyboard can be downloaded for free from the Android Market.
Reviews of this app in other languages
Developer
No developer added yet.
Are you this appʼs developer?Then check out our developer program right away.
Bookmark / E-Mail
Click on an icon to bookmark this test report. » Send this article via e-mailScreenshots
All Test Reports
- Applications (505)
- Games (300)
Archive
- 2012 (142)
- May (25)
- Songify – Speech to Music
- Money Tab – Everything's Under Control!
- 500px – The Official App
- Get-neutral – Environmental Activism à la Android
- OsmAnd+ – Navigation Made Easy
- TimeTable++ Schedule – What's On Today?
- GRAVITY PROJECT – A Better Temple Run?
- AlarmDroid Pro
- Chord! Free (Guitar Chords) – Crazy Chords
- Rail Maze
- Cartoon Wars
- mSecure - Password Manager – The Ultimate Security Service
- Get Taxi – The London Edition
- Akinator the Genie – Omniscience For Android
- Talking Tom Cat 2 Free – Return Of the Cat
- Solitaire – A Classic
- trainANDtrack! – How fit are you?
- Sonos Controller for Android – Music In the Palm Of Your Hand
- Folder Organizer – Tidy smartphone, tidy mind!
- BMX Boy
- IMDb Movies & TV – Films and Telly Galore
- ICQ Messenger – Chat! Chat! Chat!
- Samurai II: Vengeance – Pure Action!
- Remoteless (for Spotify) – Remote Control for Spotify
- Tiki Kart 3D – Does it compare to Mario Kart?
- April (29)
- March (29)
- February (30)
- January (29)
- May (25)
- 2011 (360)
- 2010 (303)
You must log in or register now,
to submit a comment!
As a logged in user, you can also change the order of the comments.