Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 NOOK For Dummies

Chapter 3

Typing by Tapping and Talking

In This Chapter

Moving, changing, and generally messing around with the keyboard

Practicing penmanship

Dictating instead of typing

The first time most people lay hands on a tablet, they’re impressed with the screen and the ability to tap an app and read the web or consult email. But then comes the inevitable question: How do you get your thoughts and wishes from your brain to your fingers and into the tablet?

Here are the words you need to know: virtual, handwritable, voice-recognizable, plus a bit of intelligent prediction. Oh, and swipeable.

• Virtual, as in an onscreen keyboard that appears when you need it; usually at the bottom of the screen where you need to enter text, but in most situations you can also float and move it.
• Handwritable, as in a touchpad that changes your writing — block letters or even most forms of cursive — into words.
• Voice-recognizable, as in the tablet listening to your voice and putting your words onscreen.
• Predictive, as in the ability of the tablet to make an educated guess about what you’ve started typing.
• Swipeable, which is somewhere between handwriting your characters and tapping them. For reasons known best ...