Tired of the fact that you need to press an extra button when typing the letters instead of numbers? In 2017 we are all about efficiency. Meet PadKeys – an iPad keyboard app that brings numbers and punctuation on the main layout of your screen, just like on a regular laptop keyboard. No need to switch layouts any more.
Natural Designs Software, the company behind PadKeys has announced a port of their popular iPad keyboard app to the iPhone. The port is intended to satisfy requests from users of modern, ever larger iPhones. Since the display area on the current plus series is more than twice that of the original iPhone, there’s just no reason not to have a keyboard where all essential keys are accessible in one layout on the iPhone.
Finland-based development team of Natural Designs Software has already built a prototype. It has the core features: numbers and punctuation on the main layout, along with better autocorrect and cursor keys. But to deliver a truly first-class product they plan to take the prototype to the next level. They plan to add in improved word swipe and customizable color schemes; stir in good ergonomics, so it really works on the phone; and top it off with quick switch between languages for all the bilingual users out there.
To bring the prototype to life PadKeys started a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter. By launching a campaign, they hope to obtain funds for developing the last 20% of the product that takes 80% of the effort and makes 100% of the difference to the final quality. But just as importantly they are looking for feedback and guidance from interested users to help hone the design and ergonomics.
The environment in Finland has been supportive, especially because there is a strong startup culture in the capital region.
“Our products have always been distributed online and marketed internationally, and our employees (all part-time contractors) have come from different countries as well. Current sales of PadKeys Keyboard are about evenly split between the US and Europe, with Australia and Canada also contributing revenue. The environment in Finland has been supportive, especially because there is a strong startup culture in the capital region. The experience of learning Finnish and using Scandinavian keyboards has been crucial in internationalizing PadKeys, although it is Germany that makes up the largest portion of our European user base.” – comments Adrian Robert, CEO PadKeys.
If you believe the idea is worth pursuing, you can support PadKeys here.
