Palm Pre webOS Virtual Keyboard Install Guide

Posted By: Tim Carroll Tuesday, August 25, 2009 8:10:06 AM

palm pre virtual keyboard webos Got a Palm Pre? Want a software keyboard? Got 10 minutes? Then you're in luck! Alan Rodriguez has posted a (relatively) simple how-to video, detailing how to install emoney_33's sharp-looking virtual keyboard on webOS, which is activated by a simple double-tap on the gesture area. The only caveat is that this process does require some rooting action and its a good idea to take in some of the keyboard documentation before blazing ahead.

You can catch a video of it in action after the jump. (Jump to 6m15s for a demo of the virtual keys) Although not demonstrated in the video, it also works just fine in landscape mode as well.


YouTube Link


YouTube Link

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Make it a Reality Palm!

LiveFaith @ 8/25/2009 1:06:19 PM # Q
Palm,

Please make this a reality for future WebOS action. While I like the slide out keyboard OK, I would love to have the "benefits" of a software keyboard.

I know that for many the h/w board is preferred and to them I say great. But I (and a gazillion iPhone owners) like the prospects of a thin tablet device with software based data entry. Either make it ultra thin in the iPhone form or a little thicker with killer battery life and you have a winner.

No, VKs are not as intuitive at HKs, but I personally will take the tradeoff. I believe that screen size is the biggest hinderence to handheld computing value. Saved hardware keyboard space could use that extra space for an increase in screen size and an increase in necessary power requirements.

There is a literal retail cash cow waiting for Palm if they will produce a non-phone tablet with Wifi(n), BT2.2+edr, digicam, mic, sd-micro, 3.5mm, and at least 3.5"+ HVGA or better screen with excellent connectivity to BT phones. Just like the netbook craze they could offer data from the big 3g carriers, and even offer the same FF in a regular carrier based phone. C'monnnnn.

If they would do it, I would sit in line

Pat Horne

RE: Make it a Reality Palm!
justauser @ 8/26/2009 12:09:06 AM # Q
Sorry Pat. Couldn't disagree more. Regardless of your OS preference: The Pre's size and form factor is good enough to be considered a positive. The battery is replaceable (unlike some). The screen is big enough and pretty enough to be considered a positive (for a phone). Now we're given the option for a virtual keyboard, I think it's a bit unreasonable to view the continued presence of the slide out keyboard as a negative - unless you have some sort of keyboard-phobia.
RE: Make it a Reality Palm!
LiveFaith @ 8/26/2009 1:48:38 AM # M Q
Sorry. Thanks for helping me me know what I really want.
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In the immortal words of Van Halen...

freakout @ 8/25/2009 4:37:34 PM # Q
...I want the best of both worlds!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jt7MH9UpMU

(Sure, it's Hagar-era, but it was still a friggin' great song.)

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Both

cnote1287 @ 8/25/2009 7:20:58 PM # Q
The best way for palm to go is to have BOTH HW and SW keyboards. Some ppl love hardware keyboards (me being one of them) but there are also those who swear by software keyboards.....its all a matter of preference and to please most people the only way would be to give both.
RE: Both
LiveFaith @ 8/26/2009 1:49:47 AM # M Q
Yep.
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The software keyboard is a good start

bhartman34 @ 8/26/2009 7:40:52 AM # Q
The only thing I'd like to see now is a landscape implementation. In portrait mode, the h/w keyboard is good enough. I don't know how major a tweak it would be to implement it in landscape mode, but that would be awesome. :)
RE: The software keyboard is a good start
bhartman34 @ 8/26/2009 7:43:19 AM # Q
Just to clarify something included in the article:

After I installed it, the keyboard did not work fine in landscape mode. In fact, I can't get it to come up in landscape mode at all.

RE: The software keyboard is a good start
freakout @ 8/26/2009 7:44:49 AM # Q
apparently it does work in landscape mode, or so Mr. Rodriguez told me on Twitter: http://bit.ly/mutWa

Couldn't find any good screenies though, or videos for that matter. willing to be a guinea pig for us? :)

RE: The software keyboard is a good start
freakout @ 8/26/2009 7:45:33 AM # Q
haha, simultaneous posts! guess that answers that.
RE: The software keyboard is a good start
bhartman34 @ 8/26/2009 7:50:20 AM # Q
Actually, I sit corrected. I thought it didn't work, but it does seem to come up in the Web app. It's just a little slow. Sorry! :)
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