It seems that the creators of 8pen have been listening intently to user feedback on their radical new input method (see our original post for a video demonstration), because yesterday they released a rather nice update. One of the main issues of contention that Android users had with 8pen was that it was not free, and simply took too long to get used to to trial fairly within the Android Market's 24-hr refund period. It appears that 3qubits have either made enough money from 8pen already, or are planning to pursue a different revenue model, since this update removes the entry fee altogether.

Changes/Additions:

Along with this striking out of the price, several other changes have been made to 8pen, all quite capably addressing the complaints of the previous crop of users:

  • A hovering swipe-board preview now appears above the entry pad, showing  you what letter you have currently selected. This helps to alleviate the "trying to look through my thumb" problem for new users still learning the letter layout
  • Enabling of voice input is now available in the settings, along with enable/disable auto-space on lift
  • There is a new dark theme to choose, along with the white and transparent themes previously included
  • The height of the board can be altered, with four sizes now available
  • Improved dictionary support
  • Bugfixes for FCs and support for the HTC Wildfire

Stealth mode: now making 8pen even more obscure

All in all, it's hard to find a fault with this update. The majority of users' grievances have been addressed, and you can't complain about a free price. Let's hope we see more neat features included in 8pen in the future.

Download:

[qr]com.threequbits.android.eightpen[qr]

Click QR code for market link.

Source: AndroidCentral; 8pen Changelog