[Sigia-l] A New Way to Write

[Boniface Lau]

For BlackBerry Users, a New Way to Write

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/09/technology/circuits/09stat.html?pagewa
nted=print

BB> Most of the keys have two letters painted on them; for example,
BB> the top four keys are labeled QW, ER, TY and OP. You just hammer
BB> away at the keys you want, ignoring the gibberish that may appear
BB> at first. By the time you complete each word, the phone's software
BB> has consulted its database of 35,000 words and deduced your
BB> intentions. It's a crazy, way-out plan, but it actually works. 
BB>
BB> For example, suppose you want to type the word pig. You'd tap the
BB> OP, UI and GH keys. Of course, those combinations could also
BB> trigger words like OUG, PUH and OIG - but pig is the probable
BB> choice, so that's what you get on the screen. 
BB>
BB> But what if you really want "pug," which requires the same three
BB> keys? (Maybe you raise dogs for a living.) 
BB>
BB> In that case, you watch a second, highlighted display just below
BB> your insertion point. It shows all possible letter combinations,
BB> no matter how strange-looking, that could result from the keys
BB> you've pressed so far. If the software starts to go off track, you
BB> highlight the correct interpretation using the side-mounted thumb
BB> dial or the Next button.  


Boniface