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User profile for user: SilvaLazarus
SilvaLazarus Author
User level: Level 1
15 points

Portuguese Keyboard Support on iOS

About keyboard support, I have 2 iPads (generation 1 and 2) and I still am unable to use it daily for work because of the lack of language support on the keyboard layout. That standard keyboard on iOS is fine for messaging but not for any article writing, since you need to have full character support.

Recently, on advice from a friend I bought the EasyKEYKeyboard app from the iTunes Store and it shows that a pratical full language keyboard is possible on a touch screen device such as the iPad. Unfortunately the app is a word processor on its own and does not bring that keyboard to the rest of the system. As a word processor is buggy and unreliable (no Save and it crashes, making you loose everything you wrote... Scary, never used it again).

Why doesn't Apple understand that iPad will only be used worldwide for serious work unless you bring full language keyboard support?


I can believe that millions of non-english users will feel the same...

iMac, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.2), English System

Posted on Dec 9, 2012 6:53 AM

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16 replies
User profile for user: SilvaLazarus
SilvaLazarus Author
User level: Level 1
15 points

Dec 9, 2012 7:22 AM in response to Diavonex

Thats what I have and every other user will have.

Its not a full keyboard.

Good for messaging like in the iPhone.

Useless for serious writing since it does not show the standard keyboard layout with all the characters.


I have already understood that this a problem that no English user will ever understand because they have never seen another language keyboard. Also I believe Apple is not sensible to the problem, otherwise it would have been solved a long time ago - after all, they did chinese and other languages...


JimHdk:

My question is about any other solutions like EasyKEY that shows that it is possible to write an app that enables you to have another system wide keyboard on iOS...

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User profile for user: JimHdk
JimHdk
User level: Level 7
28,874 points

Dec 9, 2012 7:30 AM in response to SilvaLazarus

There are only users here. Apple does not read these forums. No one here can answer questions that start out with, "Why doesn't Apple understand that...".


Provide your suggestion with details on why the current Portuguese keyboard isn't adequate to Apple at:


http://www.apple.com/feedback/ipad.html


Note that, due to iOS security sandboxing, that it isn't possible to write an App which provides a system-wide keyboard.

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User profile for user: Tom Gewecke
Tom Gewecke
User level: Level 10
115,894 points

Dec 9, 2012 7:27 AM in response to SilvaLazarus

SilvaLazarus wrote:


That standard keyboard on iOS is fine for messaging but not for any article writing, since you need to have full character support.


You seem to be unaware of the standard iOS system for creating accented characters. It is to hold down the key for the base letter and then to select from the popup menu that appears the version that you want. You do not even need to activate the Portuguese keyboard for this, English will work fine. But the Portuguese keyboard will give you Portuguese spellcheck and autocorrect.


The iPad has been enormously successful worldwide with a huge volume of sales, and a large number of languages supported in the OS interface, the keyboard, and the autocorrect system, which you can see listed in the tech specs.


http://www.apple.com/ipad/specs/


If you find the screen keyboard too cumbersome for serious work, you can use a bluetooth hardware keyboard.

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User profile for user: SilvaLazarus
SilvaLazarus Author
User level: Level 1
15 points

Dec 9, 2012 7:46 AM in response to Tom Gewecke

Hi Tom


"You seem to be unaware of the standard iOS system for creating accented characters".

I am fully aware and it doesn't work.

It takes forever to wait for the character to appear by holding the letter... I type fast without looking at the keys, like I believe everyone that writes...


"The iPad has been enormously successful worldwide..."

Yes it has. I bought two iPads.

That doesnt mean you cannot make it work better and language issues are key.


"If you find the screen keyboard too cumbersome for serious work, you can use a bluetooth hardware keyboard."

I already do. Its the only way so far...

Its sad nevertheless that you are able to make a proper keyboard with chinese or arabic characters and not a keyboard with latin characters such as Portuguese...

That EasyKEY app clearly shows its possible to do better.

But as JimHdk pointed out, it seems that it is impossible for another developer to create a proper keyboard working system-wide.

Sad really, because this is major issue...

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User profile for user: Tom Gewecke
Tom Gewecke
User level: Level 10
115,894 points

Dec 9, 2012 7:57 AM in response to SilvaLazarus

SilvaLazarus wrote:


Its sad nevertheless that you are able to make a proper keyboard with chinese or arabic characters and not a keyboard with latin characters such as Portuguese...


Nonsense. The Arabic keyboard uses the same system, there are various characters where you have to hold down the key and select something from the popup menu. Chinese has thousands of characters so special systems are always required to generate them using a small number of keys.


I think you greatly overestimate the importance of this issue, and the chances of Apple doing what you want are extremely small. So it may be best to move to a different device where they have the kind of screen keyboards that meet your particular needs.

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User profile for user: SilvaLazarus
SilvaLazarus Author
User level: Level 1
15 points

Dec 9, 2012 8:18 AM in response to Tom Gewecke

Thank you for the clarification on Arabic and Chinese keyboards.

So that means that those users are also not happy.

I do not "overstimate the importance" of this issue.

Its because I know this to be a serious issue that I am looking and working actively on finding a solution.

I will not look at another device.

I already have a MacBook Pro (my fourth MacBook by the way) thank you.

Hopefully your view does not represent Apple's view since I (still) believe Apple to be a company that understands the needs of their users - english or not.


I restate my point.

Since an external app like EasyKEY shows that it is possible to have proper language keyboard support on the touch screen, I am hoping that this will be available system-wide on iOS.

My question goes to anyone interested in the same.

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User profile for user: K T
K T
User level: Level 7
23,877 points

Dec 9, 2012 10:49 AM in response to SilvaLazarus

Apple encourages raising of these types of issues, as it helps all users in countries such as yours. I suggest you to contact Apple Support in your country and discuss with them - at the very least, your question will be logged so that Apple can gauge the need for any changes, etc.


Good luck and thanks for bring this up 🙂

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User profile for user: SilvaLazarus
SilvaLazarus Author
User level: Level 1
15 points

Dec 9, 2012 11:05 AM in response to K T

Hi K T


Thank for your polite reply.

I wonder sometimes why other people reply to this threads if they have nothing helpfull to bring.

On the topic of Apple Support I have obviously sent suggestions to Apple before but I never thought of contacting them. There is no Apple in Portugal so I wonder about where the support will come.

By I will try it.

Thank you.

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User profile for user: SilvaLazarus
SilvaLazarus Author
User level: Level 1
15 points

Dec 11, 2012 1:36 AM in response to Tom Gewecke

Thank you for the suggestion Tom Gewecke.

I have downloaded International Keyboard and I have been using it for the last 24 hours.


It is basically the same paradigm of EasyKEY although much better in Saving/Sharing/Copying text.

No Speller check but I can live with that... at least when I am writing in Portuguese, my native language.

Problem is the Portuguese Keyboard is a joke - basic things out of place and the "~" symbol in the position of the Return key, who would have thought of that?


So, if we could have the excelent Keyboard layout of EasyKEY and the Save, Load, Copy, Mail menu of the International Keyboard app that would work.


Meanwhile I still didn't suceed on getting Apple Support contacts.

Portugal (European Union) is listed on Apple's website as "Other Countries" and you just get the message "If your country is not listed, support is not offered through this web tool."

As I thought...


A good friend of mine working at a local Apple dealer sent me a comment saying that Apple is aware that the present system keyboard does not allow for any serious writing and they are not willing to change that since they know that would the begining of the end of laptop computers...


On my opinion, that would not happen unless iOS had a normal file system.

Since the iPad exists I have been trying to do basic things such as update facebook pages and so far I found it impossible because there is no way to get a pictures, edit, resize, save diferent versions for web, write a simple text, publish pic with text and a url link. I still have to use a MacBook for that.

So, nothing to worry Apple...

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Portuguese Keyboard Support on iOS

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