SureType Versus multitap
On the 7100 series, you can type text in two ways: SureType and multitap. The regular way — at least we think of it as the regular way — is the multitap approach. The best way to explain multitap is by example: Say you want to type an h character on the 7100. You search out the h on your keyboard but then notice to your dismay that the h shares a key with the letter g. What's a person to do? Do you really want to go through life writing GHello for Hello?
Actually, there's a perfectly easy solution to your problem. To get the letter g, you tap the GH key once. To get the letter h — the second letter in the key's pair — you tap the key twice — hence, the term multitap.
What about SureType? When you are in SureType mode, your BlackBerry tries to help you do the communication thing by figuring out what word you are typing. For example, if you want to type in the word hi, you start by pressing by GH key and then the UI key. Doing so prompts SureType to display a list of words it thinks might be what you're aiming for, as shown in Figure 2-10. If the first listed word is what you want, simply press the SPACE key. The word is automatically selected, and you can continue to type. If what you really wanted to type appears a little later in the list, simply select it using the trackwheel. Over time, SureType learns the words you're most likely to use and sticks those at the front of the list. Yup, that's right — it gets smarter the more you use it.
To: iob@robkao.com Subject: Testing hf
Figure 2-10:
Now, did you want to type hi or gi?
Here are tips to speed up the learning curve on using SureType technology:
i Always finish typing a word before correcting it. This way, SureType learns what you want to type next time.
i If SureType got the word you're typing right on the first try, simply use the Space key to move on instead of clicking the trackwheel or pressing ENTER.
i Type! Type! Type! Because SureType learns how you type, the more you use it, the more adept it becomes at adapting to your style.
One final tip takes some explaining. As you'd expect, SureType keeps all the words it's learned in a safe place — a Wordlist, to be precise. It turns out that you can review your SureType Wordlist — and even add to it — using the Custom Wordlist option. (Using this option to add words or proper names to the list means that SureType doesn't have to learn them when you are in the act of typing.)
To see/add words using the Custom Wordlist option
1. Highlight Options (Settings) from the BlackBerry Home screen and press the trackwheel.
2. Scroll through the list of options until you find the Custom Wordlist setting and then press the trackwheel.
This opens up Custom Wordlist. This is where you can see all the words that SureType has learned. (If just got your BlackBerry recently, there might be only a few words or even no words in this list, depending how often you've used SureType mode to type.)
3. From within the Custom Wordlist, you add a new word by pressing the trackwheel and then selecting New from the menu that appears.
Doing so brings up a dialog box prompting you to type in a new word, as shown in Figure 2-11.
Figure 2-11:
Adding our favorite btw to the Custom Wordlist.
Figure 2-11:
Adding our favorite btw to the Custom Wordlist.
4. To save your changes, press the trackwheel once and select Save from the menu that appears.
Getting people's names right is one of those things that is tough with SureType, but thankfully, you can make sure all the names in your address book are automatically learned by SureType by doing the following:
1. Highlight Options (Settings) from the BlackBerry Home screen and press the trackwheel.
2. Scroll through the list of options in the menu that appears until you find the Language setting and then press the trackwheel.
You now see the Language option screen, where the handy Input Options button makes its home.
3. Scroll to the Input Options button and press the trackwheel once.
This brings up Fast Options screen with the following options:
• Frequency Learning: If turned on, the word used most frequently will appear first in the SureType word list while you type. (Refer back to Figure 2-10 to see what we mean.)
• Auto Word Learning: If turned on, SureType will learn as you type.
• Use Address Book as Data Source: If turned on, SureType will learn all the names in your address book.
By default, all the options in this screen are turned on.
4. Make sure the Use Address Book as Data Source option is turned on. If not, scroll to this field, press the trackwheel, select Change Option from the context menu, and then select On from the drop-down menu.
5. To save your changes, press the trackwheel once and select Save from the context menu.
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