Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Hacker's Keyboard VS Wayland

Compare Hacker's Keyboard VS Wayland and see what are their differences

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Hacker's Keyboard logo Hacker's Keyboard

Are you missing the key layout you're used to from your computer when using an Android device?

Wayland logo Wayland

Wayland is intended as a simpler replacement for X, easier to develop and maintain.
  • Hacker's Keyboard Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-03
  • Wayland Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-10-30

Hacker's Keyboard features and specs

  • Full Keyboard Layout
    Hacker's Keyboard offers a full 5-row layout, including arrow keys, numbers, and punctuation, which is beneficial for users requiring more than the standard mobile keyboard functionality.
  • Customizable Key Settings
    The keyboard is highly customizable, allowing users to tweak key sizes, colors, and functions to suit their specific needs and preferences.
  • Multiple Language Support
    It supports a wide range of languages and layouts, making it a versatile choice for users around the world who need to type in different languages.
  • ASCII Control Characters
    The keyboard allows easy access to ASCII control characters, which is particularly useful for developers and tech enthusiasts.
  • Open Source
    Being open-source, it allows users to inspect the code, contribute to development, and ensure no unwanted data collection or malware is present.

Possible disadvantages of Hacker's Keyboard

  • Complexity
    The extensive options and settings may be overwhelming for some users who prefer a simpler keyboard with fewer features.
  • Interface Design
    The default design and layout might not be as polished or aesthetically pleasing compared to other modern keyboards, potentially impacting user experience.
  • Learning Curve
    New users might need some time to get used to the full 5-row layout and extensive functionality, especially if they are accustomed to simpler keyboards.
  • Performance
    On some devices, the keyboard might not be as responsive or fast compared to other lightweight keyboard alternatives, possibly lagging during intensive typing sessions.
  • Battery Usage
    Due to its extensive features and customization options, the Hacker's Keyboard might consume more battery than simpler, less feature-rich keyboard apps.

Wayland features and specs

  • Improved Performance
    Wayland provides a more efficient and direct communication between applications and the display server, reducing latency and improving performance by minimizing protocol overhead.
  • Reduced Complexity
    Wayland simplifies the graphical stack by eliminating the need for an X server, reducing the overall complexity and potential for bugs or errors that can arise from more complex architectures.
  • Security Enhancements
    Wayland offers better isolation and security by design, as applications only have access to their own buffers and cannot snoop on input events from other applications.
  • Modern Features
    Wayland supports contemporary features such as high-DPI displays and fractional scaling, providing a better experience on modern devices and screens.
  • Consistency
    Wayland ensures more consistent rendering across different applications, as it standardizes the rendering pipeline and reduces inconsistencies caused by different toolkits trying to work with X11.

Possible disadvantages of Wayland

  • Compatibility Issues
    Wayland is not backward compatible with X11, so older applications that rely on X11-specific features may not work correctly without modification or through compatibility layers like XWayland.
  • Limited Customization
    Some users may find Wayland's reduced ability to configure and customize the windowing system compared to X11 to be a disadvantage, as X11 provides extensive customization options.
  • Driver Support
    Wayland's functionality can be limited by the availability and maturity of graphics drivers, as driver support is crucial for optimal performance and features.
  • Adoption and Maturity
    While many applications and environments are moving towards Wayland, it is still relatively newer and may lack the maturity and extensive ecosystem of X11, affecting its adoption in some distributions.
  • Feature Parity
    As Wayland continues to develop, some advanced features available in X11 might not be fully implemented yet, possibly affecting power users who rely on them for their workflows.

Analysis of Hacker's Keyboard

Overall verdict

  • Overall, Hacker's Keyboard is considered a good choice for users who need a more versatile and feature-rich mobile keyboard. It has received positive feedback for its customizability and for providing a familiar keyboard layout for those who frequently switch between desktop and mobile devices.

Why this product is good

  • Hacker's Keyboard is highly regarded because it provides a complete keyboard experience similar to a desktop keyboard. It includes arrow keys, function keys, and other special keys that are typically absent on mobile keyboards. This makes it especially useful for tasks that require command-line input or precise text editing on mobile devices.

Recommended for

    Hacker's Keyboard is recommended for power users, developers, IT professionals, or anyone who frequently uses terminal applications on their mobile devices. It's also a great option for those who prefer a traditional keyboard layout or need additional keys for specific tasks.

Hacker's Keyboard videos

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Wayland videos

WAYLAND: what is it, and is it ready for daily use?

More videos:

  • Review - Testing Wayland & Weston desktop experience in 2020!
  • Review - Wayland vs Xorg | Learn which one to choose

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Hacker's Keyboard and Wayland)
iPhone
100 100%
0% 0
Window Manager
0 0%
100% 100
iOS Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Linux
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Wayland should be more popular than Hacker's Keyboard. It has been mentiond 24 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Hacker's Keyboard mentions (6)

  • No Alternative of Google keyboard in Dictionary, word prediction and Autocorrect
    I use 3 different keyboards 1. For the daily stuff Android Keyboard (AOSP) 2. For when I need Ctrl-C, maths symbols and operators when SSHing into my RPI's Unexpected keyboard https://github.com/Julow/Unexpected-Keyboard. - Source: Hacker News / 10 months ago
  • iPhone physical keyboard from ex-Crackberry guy
    I've tried all kinds of portable physical keyboards but for programming on android you can't beat Hackers Keyboard https://github.com/klausw/hackerskeyboard I've got a fork working with Android 14. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Does any one know where I can download a mobile Na'vi keyboard
    I forked the Hacker's Keyboard app on GitHub tweaked it, and compiled it. (using Android Studio). Source: about 2 years ago
  • A pocket sized open-source AR device for the imaginative hacker
    Does not work with Hacker's Keyboard (https://github.com/klausw/hackerskeyboard). It closes itself after a few deciseconds, whereas usually the permanent notification feature can be tapped to open and use a keyboard anywhere. Or maybe I haven't tried using it on the new Android 11 yet and yet another of my favorite hacks broke.... Now that I try it elsewhere,... - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • Using your phone as a software development platform
    I used to code NodeJS services on my phone quite a lot when I was commuting to an office. I used Termux - https://termux.dev/en/. It was brilliant, and worked far better than you'd think it would. The main problem was the keyboard because the stock Android one doesn't support a lot of symbols. I solved that with https://github.com/klausw/hackerskeyboard. - Source: Hacker News / almost 3 years ago
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Wayland mentions (24)

  • Debian KDE: Right Linux distribution for professional digital painting in 2024
    Wayland is flawless for what it claims to do. The issue is you can't replace X Org with Wayland, you can only use Wayland combined with other software to replace X Org. This is the biggest issue with Wayland: "Wayland is a replacement for the X11 window system protocol,"[0] but you can't actually replace x11 with it. What they should have done is make sure all the features that x11 had were supported by Wayland.... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Session manager Anbox
    Waydroid is rebuilding the original idea behind Anbox with explicit focus on modern Wayland powered desktop environments. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Asahi Linux To Users: Please Stop Using X.Org
    Checkout out the wayland site.( https://wayland.freedesktop.org/ ) The gist is wayland is a protocol that describes how compositor implementations need to behave for clients to use them and clients need to behave according to the waylaid protocol to use the compositor. There are many different compositors. The wayland contributors have a full usable implementation. Gnome has one and I believe KDE has one. So if... Source: about 2 years ago
  • Swingland: Recreating Java Swing for Wayland
    More recently I switched away from X11 & Budgie to pure Wayland for my desktop on the assumption that it's over 10 years old now, and is the default technology underlying current Gnome and KDE desktops.. Everything will be fine right? Kind of.. - Source: dev.to / about 2 years ago
  • Linux is Making Apple Great Again
    Wayland is not a WM. https://wayland.freedesktop.org Wayland is the thing "underneath" a Window Manager. For example you can run KDE on top of X or Wayland. There are a few blurry boundaries in all this but that largely covers it. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Hacker's Keyboard and Wayland, you can also consider the following products

AnySoftKeyboard - Android (f/w 1.5+) on-screen keyboard for multiple languages.

Mir - The purpose of Mir is to enable the development of user interfaces shells.

Gboard - Google-powered keyboard with search, GIFs, emojis and more!

i3 - A dynamic tiling window manager designed for X11, inspired by wmii, and written in C.

Fleksy - Fleksy is the #1 private, white-label virtual keyboard SDK, enabling companies to create unimaginable products.

Y Window System - Y Window System is a platform that allows you to improve the speed, working, and efficiency of the application in your operating system and helps you to increase the responsiveness of applications similar to any locally based app.