Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Microsoft Windows Phone 8.1's Insipid Keyboard

I can't believe how few search engine results there are for the question of how to disable the stupid, pointless, idiotic smileys / emoticons / emojis button on the Windows Phone 8.1 keyboard.  Typing using any method other than the swipe or tapatalk method is absolutely futile - it is the worst touch keyboard I have ever used, and matters aren't helped at all by the inclusion of a "smiley" key.

Located perilously close to the comma, shift, Z, and number shift key, the stupid "smiley" key pops up randomly - usually as I'm expecting a comma to appear, and given that I can type in excess of 80wpm, the result is a string of unintelligible miniature images that add absolutely no value whatsoever to adult businesspeople.  If the kids want it, fine, but why in the heck can we not turn it off - or download another keyboard 'language' that doesn't include this dumb thing?  Why is information on this question so hard to come by?

I know that Ballmer is gone now and that huge companies don't change overnight, but it's difficult to take seriously much of what Microsoft is trying to do as innovators when they don't take themselves seriously.

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