Review: Is Zoomboard up to speed?

Posted by: Ragart on Jan 12 2008

Ever since the release of the iPhone there has been a huge influx of software claiming to help you operate your Windows Mobile device without the use of that pesky stylus. Riding this wave is a new SIP (Software Input Panel — e.g., the default Windows keyboard) called ZoomBoard. The product, developed by VITO, claims to:

- let you type more accurately by sliding your finger across the keyboard

- offer a Zoomed preview while typing

- keep typos to a minimum

It’s clear that VITO is trying to ease some of the iPhone envy out there. But just how well do they fare?

Hit the jump for the answer!

[Note: VITO released ZoomBoard 2.0 and we have some quick impressions of this second version here.]

Before getting into what ZoomBoard does, it would probably best to describe what it tries to emulate. The iPhone keyboard features an auto-correct, predictive text system that minimizes typing errors. It also magnifies the key that’s currently pressed, so finger typing is never a problem. VITO has taken notice of this general formula and presented us with their own approach to a SIP.

 

Installation

You install Zoomboard through a provided .exe file that uses ActiveSync to set up the program for your device. The program installs to main memory, which is where a SIP should reside anyway. You then have 14 days to try out the program, after which you can opt to activate it online or offline. The program took up about 1.26 MB in my Program Files folder, but there’s likely a bit more data in the Windows folder as well.

Keyboard Layout

At its core, ZoomBoard’s keyboard is the standard QWERTY layout, so there won’t be any surprises for your fingers as you’re typing. A particularly nice detail is that the left and rightmost keys are a comfortable distance from the edges of the screen, which means that you won’t have any trouble hitting them.

 

 

ZoomBoard also includes some unique function keys, including a quick language layout switcher, a shift key, and a symbol pad key. Pressing twice on the shift key toggles caps lock, and pressing the symbol key switches the layout to symbols and a d-pad. The only strange layout choice was the size of the language key (for switching to a Hebrew, Russian, or German layout) — which for some reason is not aligned with the rest of the keys.

 

 

 

 

 

The layout also works well enough in landscape mode, with just enough space for the magnifying glass at the top of the screen.

I really have only one other gripe with ZoomBoard’s layout: the inability to customize it. For example, the placement of Enter and Backspace are a significant change from a core QWERTY setup. Most of the keyboard is aligned with a real QWERTY keyboard, and yet these keys lie at the bottom, instead of on the middle-right side. Although users can get accustomed to this setup, it would definitely be a boon for this software to include customizable layouts.

Features — Zooming in

VITO’s solution to accurately navigating such a small keyboard (as opposed to big-key solutions like SPB Fullscreen Keyboard) with your fingers is the magnifying glass. This works by showing a magnified view of the area of the keyboard your finger is currently touching. This is a live view, so whatever key you’re pressing will be shown magnified just above the keyboard. The only part of the keyboard that doesn’t trigger the magnifying glass is the bottom row of keys. The only way to zoom in on them is to hold on any key above them and just drag your finger down on them. Aside from this, though, the magnifying glass does a good job of keeping up with a speedy finger going back and forth across the keyboard without lagging out.

Features — Zooming around

You zoom around the keyboard by holding down on a key, moving your finger to the key you want, then let go, thereby selecting the key to input. This allows you to correct your mistake, should you tap on the wrong key. Doing the same thing on the default keyboard just cancels your selection altogether — so this is definitely a useful feature for correcting mistakes when you make them. Otherwise, writing with ZoomBoard is exactly like using the default Windows Mobile keyboard. You’re still spelling every word out, and the only automated help you get is Windows Mobile’s own auto-correction system (which I’ve never found particularly helpful).

Actual Usage…

First things first: ZoomBoard works exactly as advertised, and I’ve been using it as my primary SIP for a little over a week. I’ve yet to experience any major technical problem. However, I have not experienced an increase in proficiency either. It usually takes me about a day or two to get into the flow of a SIP (where I start to type faster and feel more comfortable), but this is something that hasn’t happened with ZoomBoard.

I thought it was just a matter of getting into the swing of things, like how Apple states that the iPhone’s keyboard requires some practice before users can become accustomed to its design. However, sliding and releasing with one finger is just too slow for me. The only other method I can think of is to use two fingers to quasi thumb-type, and although this solution is faster, it’s still slower than if I were to just whip the stylus out and tap on the keyboard — which nullifies the very premise of the product altogether. This really highlights my main issue with the software: although the magnifying glass helps greatly with accuracy, I think users care for speed just as much. This is something that ZoomBoard just doesn’t offer me with their first version.

Some Criticisms and Comparisons

The magnifying glass gives ZoomBoard a cool factor, but it also slows it down. To thumb type effectively you need to be able to easily identify your keys and then hit the next ones in quick succession. The zooming ultimately slows me down because I need to press and hold each key before I can see it. SPB Fullscreen Keyboard (shown right) or hardware keyboards like the HTC TyTN’s don’t suffer from this because of keys that are big enough to press and see at the same time.

The other mainstream solution to accurate thumb-typing is to allow you to just mistype certain keys and correct them with auto-correct and predictive text. These two features work hand-in-hand and are becoming extremely popular, as can be seen with the actual iPhone keyboard or new XT9-based SIP’s for the HTC Touch Dual. This extra help is something ZoomBoard lacks.

The other thing about the magnifying glass is that, although it presents a a bigger picture of the keyboard, you still have to manoeuvre over tiny keys with precision. Seeing precisely where you are and hitting a small key precisely with your fingertip are two different things. I believe I might have an easier time typing while zoomed if the keys were a bit larger. I also tried using ZoomBoard with the default Windows Mobile auto-complete and auto-correct software, but the software pop-ups are just too small and don’t quite jive with the concept of a finger friendly SIP environment.

Does it improve on Windows Mobile?

ZoomBoard is a definite step up from the default keyboard offering, enabling the user to forego the stylus for typing altogether. It is, in essence, a replacement for the stylus-based keyboard in Windows Mobile (hence the direct comparison). In this regard, ZoomBoard is an undoubted  success.

However, when looking at ZoomBoard as an iPhone-inspired SIP (shown right), it falls short in its attempt to effectively emulate Apple’s accomplishment. I have had many chances to use the iPhone keyboard, and I can definitely attest to a large difference between the two products. Although it is a finger friendly product, ZoomBoard still lacks extra support features such as auto-correct and predictive text to make typing easier and, more importantly, faster.

 

In fact, the freeware PocketCM Keyboard (shown below) bears a much closer resemblance to the actual iPhone experience in terms of speed and usability. In other words, it provides the features I felt were missing in ZoomBoard.

The PCM Keyboard features large keys that expand when held,

a predictive text system that offers alternatives and auto-correction,

and even customizable layouts (which are completely user configurable).

Zooming Out

ZoomBoard is a finger friendly keyboard that works, but it lacks the depth which allows a user to become more proficient with time and use. Ultimately, the Zooming features that make Zoomboard appear slick and stylish are the very features that slow it down, and this is something that must be addressed before the product can evolve.

Product Info:

Name: ZoomBoard

Version: 1.0

Price: $9.95

Availability: iWindowsMobile, JAMM Store

Some images were taken from iWindowsMobile.com and SPB Software House

Technorati Tags: ZoomBoard,VITO,iWindowsMobile,SIP,software keyboard

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