Smartphones and tablets have overwhelmingly adopted software keyboards like Adaptxt. But some folks still prefer to have a bit more tactile feedback when using these touchscreen devices. What’s interesting, though, is that two products that have focused on hardware keyboards have made recent changes that are a nod to the power of software keyboards.
Microsoft recently updated its Surface Pro 3 tablet. The Surface line has in many ways been defined by its magnetic covers that provide physical keyboards. However, with the Surface Pro 3, the company made a change to its kickstand to allow the Surface to lie very low, making it easier to type using its software keyboard.
Why would you want to do this? For one, since Microsoft’s Type Cover is an accessory, not everyone who has a Surface owns one. And typing on the glass allows you to use the Surface while taking up less desk space.
Another company that’s been strongly identified with physical keyboards has been BlackBerry, which recently introduced the Passport, a wide phone that includes a hardware keyboard. But the Passport keyboard is quite unlike past BlackBerry keyboards because it has an extra row of “keys” that appears on the screen. This allows the phone to take advantage of some of the flexibility of software keyboards, but there are a few tradeoffs. For example, the period key is one of on-screen keys, which makes for an unusual placement.