It occurred to me that perhaps this new method of getting the fingerboard is a feature. Whereas in OS2007, it was nearly a guess as to which keyboard you would get when you touched a text box. Now, for me at least, it's consistently touch for a stylus board and d-pad for the fingerboard. Obviously this helps new users to know how to get the desired result, but it seems logically, it should be the opposite. I should touch to get touch, and use hardware to use more hardware.
FOUND IT!! About the thumb activating the full screen keyboard! You have to double-tap with your finger! That's why to someone it was working with two fingers! it was actually registering a double-tap. Damn them, why did they not put it into the help file at least ? I flashed my tablet twice until I discovered it... I've noticed that there was no "pressure" setting near the "activate by finger tap", so.. a ring rang ( ) in my mind...