T9 should be PROACTIVE as well as predictive!

[Donny Bahama]

On my Pocket PC, as I typed in letters, it would start to suggest entire words after just 3 or 4 letters. If one of them was the one I wanted, I'd just tap it and the remainder of the word would be typed for me.

Why in the world doesn't T9 do that? You need it all the more on a Smartphone!

[Kris Kumar]

I don't know why the T9 on the HTC based Smartphones don't complete words. :? :evil:

I have a MPx220 also, it has iTAP (a T9 variant), it suggests the whole word, infact even sentences. :)

So to answer your question, some Smartphones have 'em, and some don't. ;-)

[Mike Temporale]

I have often thought the same thing. It's a great feature, why is it not already in there? :(

[Donny Bahama]

I wonder if there's a commercial version of either T9 or iTap. Maybe it would include additional desirable features such as sticky input mode... I woundn't balk at paying for something that would save me so much time on data input. Anyone know if it exists?

[Donny Bahama]

Interesting article on iTap/T9 predictive text: http://www.inference.phy.cam.ac.uk/mackay/itprnn/itap/ It eve has a comparison of the teo at the bottom.

[Donny Bahama]

Sent the following e-mail to T9 support...
Subject: T9 word suggestion

I just bought an Audiovox SMT5600 and was dismayed to learn that, unlike my Pocket PC, T9 does not offer to complete words for you after it sees a few characters. This would be a big time saver (and saving time on data input on a smartphone is crucial!) Is there a commercial version I can buy that will do this? If not, are you in the process of developing this feature - and if so, will you make it available as a ROM update?
Got this response:
Hello Don,

Word Completion is a feature we offer in our newer versions of T9. This version is implemented by some phone manufacturers while others are on older versions. This is not something you will be able to load onto your phone as the manufacturer has to have the proper software to make this feature available to the end user.

I apologize for the inconvenience.

[Kris Kumar]

Amazed that you got a response. Sounds good. But in the end doesn't really help. :-(

[Kris Kumar]

Mike, how does the T9 work on SP5? Does it predict words and predict sentences?

[Donny Bahama]

Apparently Tegic has just released a "T9 Mobile Suite", it offers word completion and (apparently) something similar to what I described in this thread (http://www.smartphonethoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=9824). Regrettably, they appear to be making this available exclusively to phone manufacturers, but I'm going to do what I can to try to convince them to sell it as a ROM update.

They have to be made to understand that, typically, people sign up for a 2 year contract in order to get a good deal on the phone. I've got a year and 51 weeks before I could buy (without a substantial penalty) a phone that has T9 Mobile Suite on it! It's simply not good business to exclude huge groups of people (like me!)

[Kris Kumar]

The Windows Mobile 2003 SE Smartphone operating system is designed, it is not easy to extend it to add additional input extensions like Tegic. Plus Tegic must offer something that is compatible with Windows Mobile.

[Donny Bahama]

Tegic makes T9, and since T9 is already on my phone, I'd say it's pretty compatible! T9 Mobile Suite is specifically for Windows Mobile (and maybe even for Smartphones running WM.)

[Mike Temporale]

Mike, how does the T9 work on SP5? Does it predict words and predict sentences?

Nope. Sorry. :(

[Kris Kumar]

Tegic makes T9, and since T9 is already on my phone, I'd say it's pretty compatible! T9 Mobile Suite is specifically for Windows Mobile (and maybe even for Smartphones running WM.)

I didn't know that the version that is on our Smartphones is made by Tegic. Or that Tegic had a Windows Mobile version.

If they did make it for the Windows Mobile Smartphones, then it can be a ROM update.

Overall I don't know how the licensing is. If it is per version or per product. If it is per version then it is not easy for HTC to get updates without re-licensing. Since Mike, mentioned that the newer SP5 don't have word completion. It seems they haven't re-licensed. Just a thought.

But I agree it is annoying. I like the word prediction and sentence prediction feature on my MPx220. Combined with the bigger key pad. It makes text entry easy. Something that every Smartphone should have.

[Donny Bahama]

I didn't know that the version that is on our Smartphones is made by Tegic. Or that Tegic had a Windows Mobile version.

If they did make it for the Windows Mobile Smartphones, then it can be a ROM update.I can't say for sure, Kris, but AFAIK, if it says, "T9", it's from Tegic. According to things I've read, there are only two such applications available - T9 from Tegic (75% market share) and iTap (a Motorola product for Moto phones.)

I know it can be a ROM update. The problem is convincing Tegic to offer it that way. A ROM update is a whole different can of worms than an installable product. My experience (with the very large software company I work for) has been that manufacturers have a VERY low opinion of the intelligence and capabilities of end users.

Beyond that, convincing Tegic to offer this as a retail product means that they have to establish an entirely separate division for sales - as well as tech support. I can see them balking at that. And even though they would go to great lengths to put out disclaimers and warnings that say, "Back up first - we're not responsible if you screw up your phone," inevitably, there will be idiots that screw up their phones, then come whining to Tegic tech support. But Tegic won't have Ior have access to) the original ROM for restoral to factory defaults - they'll have to refer pissed off customers to their carriers.

A far more likely scenario - and one we may be able to convince Tegic to do, is to offer the update through the various carriers (whose service centers would do the updates - and assume liability if anything goes wrong.) Every phone's ROM is customized, to some extent, for the particular carrier. Ergo, it would be the carrier that would have access to the original ROM (to restore if something goes wrong with the installation of Tegic's T9 Mobile Suite.)

It's up to us to lobby our carriers to make this available. (I'm certainly willing to pay for it.) If push comes to shove, the threat of a class action lawsuit (not just against the carriers but you could slap Tegic's name on there, too.) might motivate them to do so. It would be an appropriate suit, too... "Your honor, new technology is available that would make this product far more usable, but Cingular/Orange/Verizon Wireless has locked my clients into two year agreements and given them no other way to get this updated technology than to break their contracct and buy a new phone." Has a kind of antitrust ring to it, doesn't it?