As someone who has been using Apple's iOS devices since the beginning of 2008, I am very familiar with the limitations of a virtual keyboard. While it is possible to use your thumbs with the iPhone's keyboard even if it is slower than typing on a physical keyboard, with the iPad this thumb typing method doesn't really work, particularly when the iPad is in landscape mode. So, I decided to explore other options for improving the speed and accuracy of typing on virtual keyboards.
Wireless Bluetooth keyboards
The most obvious solution for the limitations of the virtual keyboard is to purchase Apple's wireless Bluetooth keyboard. Click on the following link for more information. http://www.apple.com/ca/keyboard/ This is a light-weight, elegant looking keyboard that makes typing long documents on an iPad, iPhone or iPod touch faster and easier, but the $69 price tag may be too much for students on a budget.
The Source sells a similar looking Wireless Bluetooth keyboard by Nexxtech for $49.99. For more information, click on the link below. http://www.thesource.ca/estore/product.aspx?language=en-CA&catalog=Online&category=Mice&product=2605028
Another option for those who want to use a physical keyboard with their tablets and smartphones, etc. is the Hip Street Mini Bluetooth Wireless Keyboard with Tablet Stand ($48 at Walmart). Follow the link for more information. http://www.walmart.ca/Electronics/Computers/Tablets/HS-Mini-BT-Keyboard-W-Tablet-StandThe portable Mini Bluetooth V2.0 Keyboard is compatible with BlackBerry PlayBook, Apple iPad, Samsung Galaxy, and all tablet PC's.
Voice Recognition
More recently, I've discovered another way to quickly and easily input text into an iPad, iPhone or iPod touch with an app called Dragon Dictation (free from the iTunes app store). Dragon Dictation is an easy to use voice recognition application that allows users to dictate text for emails, tweets, documents, etc. Once you're finished dictating the text, you can email it or copy and paste it into an iOS document of your choice. In my experience, Dragon Dictation is very accurate, but you will need to experiment with it to find what works for you. For example, I've noticed that punctuation needs to be verbally stated for the program to record it.
If you're finding typing on a tablet or smartphone's virtual keyboard slow and inaccurate, you may find that using a wireless Bluetooth keyboard or voice recognition software such as those mentioned above solves your problem.