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SureType vs. MultiTap Typing -- Which Is Better?

by Leila Brillson on March 3, 2010 at 01:00 AM


As a Pearl user with small fingers, I rely solely on 'SureType,' the predictive-text typing system that lets me type fast, while occasionally leading me astray when I'm really tapping away. On the other hand my boyfriend has a Curve and since he tends to use irregular words (and types in several languages), he prefers 'MultiTap,' where each key stands for a letter (or letters). There are advantages to both, depending on personal typing style and the model of phone.

SureType: This typing input system is predictive, which means that as you type, word suggestions appear in a drop down bar. You then have the option to scroll down and select your intended word, rather than fully type it out. If you type long e-mails, or perhaps make a lot of spelling errors, SureType can be very handy. Since my Blackberry has two letters per key (as do most Pearls and Pearl Flip models), I only hit each key once, and letters are suggested as I go. If I were to use a strange word -- say, "Batman" -- I would type in B-A-T (one push per key) and select, and then continue with M-A-N. The word would show up in italics, meaning its a word the phone hasn't seen before, and I would enter it by hitting the track ball.

MultiTap: Probably familiar to those who have texted on regular cellphones, this method is slightly more time consuming in that each key stands for more than one letter. Tap a key once and it produces the first letter on the key into your message; quickly tapping it again will produce the second letter. So, since 'E' and 'R' both share the '1' key, to get to the 'R,' you'd tap twice. This obviously works better on larger phones with full QWERTY keyboards., where each key represents one letter.

To switch between the two input systems, go to the text field and hit the 'Menu' button, and choose 'Enable MultiTap' or 'SureType.'

Tip: To add a difficult word that you use a lot, like a last name, use the 'Menu' button when you are typing text, choose 'Edit AutoText,' hit the 'Menu' button again and then input your desired word.

Bottom line: For older phones, Pearls, key-burners, and people used to predictive text, stick to SureType. For full keyboards, complicated words, or those used to typing on a computer, then MultiTap is definitely the way to go.

Tags: bbm, BlackBerry, cellphone, multitap, Pearl, smartphone, SureType, text, Texting

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