Which keyboard is the fastest? QWERTY Shootout!

  • Article

Well over the Christmas period I had an idea to test which devices were the fastest for keyboard entry. 

As the number of Windows Mobile based QWERTY based devices continues to increase I thought it would be interesting to see how each device compared in terms of entering a paragraph of text.

I used the Frequently used words test from:  https://www.powertyping.com/typing_test/typing_test.shtml

The paragraph contains 81 frequently used words that people type regularly - the text is below:

could no make than first been its who now people my made over did down only way find use may water long little very after words called just where most know get through back much before go good new write our used me man too any day same right look think also around another came come work three word must because does part even place well such here take why things help put years different away again off went old number

So over the break I borrowed a few devices from friends and timed entering the text on each device!  I picked the K-Jam, HP 6500, Universal as well as a couple of other non Windows Mobile devices.  The Treo 650 as it's the same form factor as the Windows Mobile Treo 700w device, the Nokia 9300 as my Nordic friends are always telling me what a great device this is and finally the Blackberry 7290 device.

 

Device Time Mistakes
Laptop 01:02 6
Imate K-Jam 01:53 3
Blackberry 01:53 5
Treo 650w 01:53 4
HP 6500 01:54 7
Universal 01:55 10
Nokia 9300 02:08 10
Orange C600 02:15 10

My conclusions from the test are as follows:

  • Obviously the laptop keyboard is the fastest - some 51 seconds quicker than a mobile device.  I can type at 94 WPM (Words per Minute) which is pretty quick :)
  • What suprised me was that T9 input was only 20 seconds slower so just over 16% slower than using a keyboard.  I am a faster T9'er though so other people may be much slower!
  • The K-Jam, Blackberry (7290), Treo 650 and HP 6500 were all about the same time.
  • The Nokia 9300 - I found the keyboard really difficult to use as it didn't give me good postive feedback when I pressed keys and my hands were aching after entering the single paragraph of text.