Tablet Virtual Keyboards: A Typo Comparison

I have been surprised at how capable my iPad 2 has been at content creation.  The virtual keyboard and autocorrect are surprisingly efficient at capturing meeting notes, jotting down thoughts, etc.

Over the course of the last few weeks, I have had a Motorola Xoom to play with as well.  I have been using both my own iPad and the Xoom at work, alternating which I use at meetings.  I’ve been astonished at how much better the iPad is at typing.  It’s surprising, given that both keyboards are roughly the same size; actually the Xoom is slightly wider due to the screen aspect ration.

This is far from scientific, but as a demonstration, here are a few sentences I typed out on each tablet.  The only corrections were autocorrect.  I explicitly prohibited myself from using backspace:

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation.
iPad:  Four sore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation.
Xoom:  Four score and seven years avoum our fathers brought fir kn thus continent a new nation.

The quick brown fox jumped over the two lazy dogs.
iPad:  Te quickl brown fox jumped over the two lazy dogs.
Xoom:  The quick briuwn fix jumlex over the two, az div.

Which is better, the apple keyboard or the android one?
iPad:  Wich is heather, the apple keyboard of the andoird one?
Xoom:  Which us better the aop,e mdybkarx ir the andkjd kind?

Why does the apple keyboard routinely miss the second letter of a word?
iPad:  Why dos the apple keyboard routinely miss the second letter of a word?
Xoom:  Why did the aooke keyboard routuneky miss the second letter if the word?

So many words typed on the android keyboard don’t even resemble real words.  Why is that?
iPad:  So may words tped on the android keyboard don’t even resemble real words.  Why is that?
Xoom:  So many words tyoed in the android keyboard don’t even resebke real word, why is that?

So far it looks like the biggest problem on the apple keyboard is missed keystrokes.
iPad:  So fear it looks like the biggest or Len on the apple keyboard is missed keystrokes.
Xoom:  So far t kijs like the biggest lripen in the aooke keyboard us missed meystrijds.

No doubt there are plenty of typos is both.  But the iPad performed significantly better than the Android tablet.  It also appears that the Android spell-check is a Scandinavian person who hates Apple.  In three attempts at typing the word “apple” on the Android keyboard, all three failed.  Conspiracy? 

 

T

For Hulu Users, an Apple Acquisition is Bad News

There has been a lot of buzz over the past several days about Apple acquiring Hulu.  Surprisingly, a lot of people are in favor of it.  As a cable cutter and Hulu user, I don’t see why.  An Apple acquisition would be the end of Hulu as we know it.

Apple is a company that is fueled by organic growth.  That’s not to say they don’t acquire, but their acquisition strategy is clearly to buy companies for their technology, patents, people, etc. and use those assets to bolster Apple’s core products.  Apple does not buy companies to operate subsidiaries at arms length.

So what does this mean for Hulu?

It means that if Apple bought Hulu, it would have no interest in maintaining the free catch-up TV service.  An acquisition would most likely be used by Apple to bolster TV episode rentals in iTunes (expanded content partnerships, shorter lag between airing and web availability, etc.).

What’s also unclear is how Apple’s ecosystem approach would impact Hulu.  Hulu+ Android Apps – gone.  Hulu on a PC – probably safe but you have to use iTunes (@#$%@!).  Hulu on Roku, Boxee, gaming consoles, etc. – kiss them goodbye.  On the flipside, however, those that are already Apple ecosystem devotees (or prisoners) would probably gain some benefits such as the expanded portfolio of content.

What does all of this mean for Hulu users?

It means that instead of watching free catch-up TV, you would be paying Apple $0.99 per episode.  All of sudden my cable cutting would become more expensive than a cable subscription.

At the end of the day, Apple, Apple fanboys and fangirls, and cable operators should be happy about this prospect.  Hulu users, however, should be worried and thinking about the lesser evil – Apple or Comcast.

T