iPhone - FutureTG.com

• Backspace ( V). This key actually has three speeds.
Tap it once to delete the letter just before the blinking insertion point.
Hold it down to “walk” backward, deleting as you go.
If you hold down the key long enough, it starts deleting words rather
than letters, one whole chunk at a time.
• „. Tap this button when you want to type numbers or punctuation.
The keyboard changes to offer a palette of numbers and symbols. Tap
the same key—which now says ABC—to return to the letters keyboard.
Once you’re on the numbers/symbols pad, a new dark gray button appears,
labeled =. Tapping it summons a third keyboard layout, containing
the less frequently used symbols, like brackets, the # and % symbols,
bullets, and math symbols.
Because the period is such a frequently used symbol, there’s a little shortcut
that doesn’t require switching to the punctuation keyboard: at the end of a
sentence, just tap the Space bar twice. You get a period, a space, and a capitalized
letter at the beginning of the next word. (This, too, can be turned off—see page
311—although it’s hard to imagine why you’d want to.)
• Return. Tapping this key moves to the next line, just as on a real keyboard.
(There’s no Tab key or Enter key in iPhone land.)
Making the Keyboard Work
Some people have no problem tapping those tiny virtual keys; others struggle
for days. Either way, here are some tips:
• Don’t be freaked out by the tiny, narrow keys. Apple knows that your
fingertip is fatter than that.
So as you type, use the whole pad of your finger or thumb. Go ahead—
tap as though you’re trying to make a fingerprint. Don’t try to tap with
only a skinny part of your finger to match the skinny keys. You’ll be surprised
at how fast and accurate this method is. (Tap, don’t press.)
• This may sound like California New-Age hooey, but trust the keyboard.
Don’t pause to check the result after each letter. Just plow on.
• Start out with one-finger typing. Two-thumb, BlackBerry-style typing
usually comes later. You’ll drive yourself crazy if you start out that way.
The Guided Tour 21