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indigo
QWERTY or touchscreen - which do youprefer? The debate rages on, and a consensus is yet to be reaches.
PDAs with touchscreens have been around foryears, but not until the launch of the iPhone in 2007 did the technology reallybecome usable, and the craze really take off. However, the iconic QWERTYkeyboard still retains its popularity, and the divide has become a source ofcontention between mobile users.
Touchscreens offer a number of advantages.The QWERTY keyboard was originally developed to slow down typists in the dayswhen print hammers could get tangled - touchscreens abandon these outdatedconcerns. The sleekness and simplicity of just one screen is also better suitedto devices largely used for consuming rather than inputting content. However,many tech aficionados complain that touchscreens lack the tactile familiarityof a real keyboard, as well as slowing down the speed at which emails or textmessages can be sent off.
If you do prefer keyboards, there are stilla number of factors to consider. Keys are large enough for your fingers, enoughspace between the keys, and the amount they depress can all affect how easy thekeyboard is to use. Keyboard phones are also likely to be wider than those witha touchscreen, so if compactness is important for you, you might want to thinkagain.
If you're still undecided, perhaps the bestbet is a phone that combines the convenience of a touchscreen with theold-school reliability of a QWERTY keyboard. A number of phones tap into thisneed - for example, the new BlackBerryBold 9790 (otherwise known as the BlackBerryBellagio) offers a responsive touchscreen as well as the classic BlackBerryQWERTY keyboard. A number of Android phones also offer both input methods, butit's unlikely that Apple are ever going to ditch the touchscreen-only buildthat's brought them so much success and inspired so many copycats.
Source:http://www.silicon.com/management/cio-insights/2008/05/22/smart-phone-battle-qwerty-vs-touchscreen-39229699/
