Will anyone make an onscreen keyboard app free?

[windowsisslow]

Just switched from iphone to pre. This phone's keyboard isn't bad but I prefer a touch screen keyboard. I just got the phone but I worry with all these posts that the phone isn't going to survive if they can't make a few simple things happen.

1. The onscreen keyboard!
2. More apps
3. Better marketing

overall I like the OS very much and want to see the phone stay around.

[HairyPalm]

there is a patch you can install for the virtual keyboard; you tap the gesture area 2x to bring it up & 1x to remove. AFAIK, the install requires that you install preware, and patch should be removed prior to next phone update of os. There is a good walkthrough just Google "palm pre virtual keyboard install"

[windowsisslow]

Why does the pre not come with one from the start? Don't you think that was a mistake?

[max.swell]

yes. that's why there's a patch for that

[aveksler]

Why does the pre not come with one from the start? Don't you think that was a mistake?

I don't think it was a mistake. Palm was competing to beat next generation of iPhone (remember June?). The company was under pressure to get it out the door. Many features were left behind for one reason or another, but they did pretty good job getting the unit out the door. Considering this is all new OS.

Just a matter of time when you will see your keyboards and videos and everything else we've talked about here

[windowsisslow]

I want the phone to do well, without the onboard screen keyboard texting is much slower than an iphone, that's why I feel it was a mistake. They need to incorporate one with the OS on an update that is optional. A lot of users who are older might not understand how to get the virtual one that's out there with preware if they don't follow forums like these. Then they get turned off because the keyboard isn't up to what they like and the other WebOS phone doesn't have wifi (bad decision by Sprint).

Anyway I think the phone has a lot of potential to appeal to a lot of people if they made some minor changes.

[Lapis]

I actually type a lot faster with a physical keyboard than an onscreen one. Once you get used to it you may also.

[aveksler]

Its nice to use vk in landscape mode.

[Thunderwang]

It's funny - I remember just a few months ago when folks here were railing against a virtual keyboard. Now it's a wanted feature.

[chris]

I'm all for a virtual keyboard if it's good and if it's the default keyboard on a yet-to-be announced webOS device. I think about the Droid -- where the onscreen keyboard is a fall back for the physical keyboard. Onscreen keyboard for me was the lesser of two evils.

Of course, Palm supports multi-touch in the browser, so they'd support it for an onscreen keyboard. I certainly wouldn't mind seeing a slab type webOS phone -- no physical keyboard. iPhone, but without the iPhone.