Some of you may be wondering what T9 and abc are, well they are functions on a cell phone. The T9 function is where you begin to text a word and the dictionary within your phone, attempts to complete the word you are trying to spell. In relation to texting, the abc function allows you to spell the word letter-by-letter. The T9 function, I like to believe is there to help with the speed of texting as if you were speaking the words. Whereas the abc function slows down how fast your text will be sent out and would sound robotic if you were to speak it. Of coarse there are many other ways in which to improve the speed of texting, like a better quality phone with keyboard type keys.
I also like to think that the short step of T9 helps preserve on the life of your cell phone battery and abc would use up more of the battery power. This can very well be true because you use less buttons to spell a word with T9, by the dictionary helping with a variety of words to choose from. Abc function gives you no other word but the one you are spelling and you must push every letter in the word. Now with a little understanding of the two functions, now I must tell you the interest of T9 and abc. My sister asked to use my cell phone to text our mom when she discovered she knew nothing about T9 and had always used abc.
The first thing my sister had to ask is how can I let the phone think for me. I asked her how so, and she liked to believe if you are texting a certain word why let the phone start putting other words in your head and then you pick what the phone thinks is a quicker or faster choice of word. Regardless of how many more seconds it may take she believes T9 does not let you think for yourself it will change your thoughts. I thought she was being silly at first until I started texting a few hours later. I realized I started to text a word and other words that I have used in the past started to come up to see if I wanted to use one of them. There are many short cuts with CMC that everyone uses and some short cuts are more useful than others.
3 comments:
I never considered that using T9 would make my battery last longer. That is an excellent idea expect for that when I text faster, I may also text more. I like it for the speed factor, but it also aids me with my horrible spelling skills. I certainly do not think that using T9 is letting your phone think for you. You have complete control over what you type; it just aids you in speed. I often feel annoyed when T9 does not have a word that I wish to use so I switch to ABC temporarily. You are correct when you say these methods of text messaging may serve as a help or a hinder for users.
I really don't think the T9 functions has the cell phone think for you; at least in my case it doesn't. Before I send out a text I usually think of what I'm going to say in my head and type it in with the hope that T9 has the words that I want to say. If not I just go into abc mode and type in the word I want. It definetly does increase the efficiency of texting but I wouldn't go as far to say that it thinks for you since you are still in control and put down what you want in your text message.
T9 is definitely a useful resource. T9 makes CMC more efficient and quick. I never thought to consider the fact that it can make a phone battery last longer. It is also nice that T9 keeps words stored if you have used them previously.
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