Resco has released its new Resco Keyboard PRO 6 for Windows Mobile touch devices, to give us a better software keyboard for typing all our text. Did they get the point?

You may (or may not) that I am addicted to physical keyboard, an that this was on of the main reason I went with an HTC Touch Pro2.

However, being a lateral slide keyboard, sometime is not that comfortable to use it, especially if you want to go one handed. Regrettably, I can’t use very well the default software keyboard of the Pro2, and I end doing many, many, oh-so-many mistakes with or without predictive input.

Default QWERTY keyboard (on an HTC Touch Pro2)

Thus, when Resco offered me to try their new Resco Keyboard PRO 6 I was very happy.

Installation

The installation is really smooth, and the keyboard simply adds to the list of input methods, which are always available at your fingertip form the keyboard pop-up menu.

The Resco Keyboard PRO can be chosen from the keyboard pop-up menu

Configuring the program

The preferences can be configured either from the Windows Mobile Settings or from the program icon.

The program icon opens the program settings

The preferences panel is touch friendly and iPhone like, and the options listed are both clear and useful.

The available choices are:

• Set as default input: to have Resco Keyboard PRO be the default input method
• General settings: we will see these below
• Primary language: to default define the regional keyboard layout
• Secondary language: as the previous one, but relative to an optional second choice
• Skin: changes the look of the keyboard
• About

The preferences panel

In the “General settings” you have:

• Enable xT9: to enable or disable predictive input
• Gestures: to add actions to specific finger movements
• Tap notification: how to be notified about button selection (none, sounds, vibrate)
• Button preview: if to show a big preview of the button you selected

General settings panel                  General settings: Gestures

General settings: Notification               General settings: Preview

The gestures setting is interesting as it allows to perform some actions via the finger swipe.

Choosing “Sliding layouts” you will be able to switch among the different layouts (called “views”) with a left or right swipe.

If you choose “Advanced gestures” instead if you select a key and swipe right a space will be added after the letter. A left swipe will be equal to pressing the backspace key, swiping down will end the line and start a new one and if you select a key and swipe the finger up you will  make a capital letter.

Holding the key you will be able to insert the small character above the key or some special character (i.e. selecting and holding “e” for the Italian layout you will be able to insert “3, è, é”).

Layouts

The Resco Keyboard offers five layouts (six actually, as one has two pages):

• QWERTY: the standard keyboard
• Numbers and special characters: with all the special characters (2 pages)
• Frequently used phrases: tap the cell to type the text, or hold the key to edit the phrase (i.e. to insert date, time, links, and other common phrases)
• Calculator: to make basic calculation without leaving the program with the ability to copy them (also step by step) in the document
• Navigation: to navigate through the text via the arrows and perform one button copy, cut, paste, delete and select all actions.

Special characters layout (pg. 1 shown)            Frequently used phrases

Calculator layout                               Navigation layout

To move from a layout to another without using gestures, you will have to select the corresponding buttons in the layout you are using.

All the layouts are available also in panoramic view.

Panoramic view of the QWERTY layout

Panoramic view of the Special Characters layout (pg. 1 shown)

Using the keyboard

All the above is about the settings and capabilities of Resco Keyboard PRO 6, and shows the care put by the developer in the program.

Let’s now turn to its usage.

The app is snappy and I never had lag during the review. Moreover, the keyboard keys seem bigger than the default and I was more accurate using it. Moreover, the layouts offer a lot of flexibility, with an ease of change from one view to another. The Frequently Used Phrases layout is very useful and the Calculator comes handy too.

I liked the gestures idea, but it turned out I didn’t use it, but this is just a matter of personal taste. I often use the arrows to navigate in Pocket Informant fields and to correct my mistakes, thus I missed the navigation arrows in the QWERTY keyboard layout.

On an ending note, there is a problem which prevents Pocket Outlook to complete the email addresses. For now you can avoid it writing the first letters and then pressing backspace and Outlook should suggest you back all the options.

Summary

In summary, I found Resco Keyboard PRO 6 more accurate than the default one and I liked it more, also thanks to all the alternative layouts.

Thus, if you accept the lack of navigation arrows in the QWERTY view and the address completion trick in Pocket Outlook, there is a lot to like in Resco Keyboard PRO 6.

Resco Keyboard PRO 6 is $9.95, and you can also download a 7 days trial.

Link: Resco Keyboard PRO 6

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