Re: Where is Nokia - no announcement no product - still in hibernation
 

Data of what?

Of what the device currently is? If you have a d-pad in the device and ask users if they use it, yes some will use it. If you have an ice cube maker in a refrigerator and you ask the users for use cases or use patterns, yes some people will use it.

But so what? People want faster horses.

You want faster horses. The improved N800 would exactly the faster horse, and you've talked about that several times. (Now, there's nothing wrong with wanting them, but I'm sure you know what the saying implies.)

A more meaningful test is to give two devices to users, let's take one with a d-pad and one without a d-pad and designed for touch, and then do comparative analysis on the strengths and weaknesses of these alternatives and the things that the users prefer in them.

Re: Where is Nokia - no announcement no product - still in hibernation
 

Well, yes, if a hardware solution balances this, i.e. takes away a particular point on the touch screen that the users would press all the them then I agree. the iPhone HW home key does that, supposing that the alternative would to have the Home button on-screen, on a fixed position.

Then again, of getting back to the key we were discussing: I don't see the d-pad doing this, though. Inputs that the d-pad would replace fall rather evenly on the screen.

Re: Where is Nokia - no announcement no product - still in hibernation
 

Well, this only shows that people are different. I have an S60 phone and find using its UI easier (and, above all, more efficient) than that on my N800 when I'm actually walking/riding the bus/.... Its's just press key, keypad up/down, keypad center. Done with the thumb while I hold the device in my hand. It's the holy grail of interface design for a mobile device.


I never quite understood what liqbase is supposed to do (learning now it's an e-book reader is interesting - maybe I should re-install it), let alone how to use it. So can't say much here. (Maybe except that "at least the device is usable without a d-pad" doesn't seem a very strong point against having a d-pad.)

Re: Where is Nokia - no announcement no product - still in hibernation
 

My post was just a bit facetious. I could put forth my own opinions on the topic at hand, but I might as well detail a case for why my favorite color is superior to all others.

Pot shots at the proud folks who won't touch an N810 for fear of contracting inferior D-pad location cooties though?. That's good, clean fun.

Re: Where is Nokia - no announcement no product - still in hibernation
 

benny, liqbase is just me learning and trying out a lot of ideas and principles I've thought about for a while.
Its evolving again and being cleaned up and has been split into specific apps (one of which is a book reader).

Re: Where is Nokia - no announcement no product - still in hibernation
 

Thus allowing the screen to last longer. Good point! ;)

Re: Where is Nokia - no announcement no product - still in hibernation
 

Sounds good, except for the chronological refresh fallacy. When a company refreshes hardware, it's generally perceived that all changes are improvements. I'm assuming, of course, that the n810 was an n800 refresh. Thus, exclusive n800 users would be unaffected and hybrid n8x0 users would be tainted. Exclusive n810 users wouldn't count. So, no, any n800 owners would be aloud to participate in a d-pad discussion, but more weight would be given to exclusive n800 owner comments. :)

Re: Where is Nokia - no announcement no product - still in hibernation
 

My statement refers to browing with S60Browser compared to MicroB. Both the stock browsers of the devices. My statement is not about S60 with touch screen interface, nor about S60 in general. I love using the d-pad through my messages on S60, and I love using GNU Screen. But, there are good, practical alternatives.

I tend to lean that a designer has to pick either one. Go for non-touch, with a keypad and keys and with a tree in which you can navigate fast. Or, something more visual and aesthetic which makes use of finger-based touch screen. A stylus toch-based screen design is a dead path IMNSHO.

I am not saying is d-pad is required, or useless. I am saying that, if properly designed (and with existing references) it is possible to not have one and still have a different yet good (potentially better) experience. Is this easy to achieve? No. Is it possible? Yes, since others have archieved this as well.

Exactly, and when you walk you don't hold the screen still. For touch-based usage this is a problem. A stylus requires accuracy though, and you'll notice this is easy to achieve for the finger optimized paradigms even when walking; but those optimized for stylus are even difficult when walking or in general being on the move.

Not so sure about that given the failure of Nokia N96 and rising popularity of HTC Diamond Touch, iPhone, iPhone 3G, Blackberry Storm and many other touch/finger screen based smartphones. It implies theres room for both. BTW, its interesting to look up the hardware design there. Some have less hardware keys, some still have a d-pad, some are slideout.

That is one of its many features. Its like a swiss army knife suitable for many things.

If you want to experience smooth scrolling on your N8x0 device, try Liqbase as e-book reader. There are even demos which show this.

This experience is very much different than the robotic d-pad which isn't smooth. Smooth is harmonic/peaceful, like round. It also allows one to read with no interaction because of the speed of the smooth scrolling.

Fennec also demos this, and Clutter will allow it even easier... :)

Re: Where is Nokia - no announcement no product - still in hibernation
 

And let the fun continue. What if the n810 came out first? I can just imagine what the n800 owners would say to the n810 owners, "Wudda ya mean, 'Where's the keyboard?' It's inside the screen, silly."

Re: Where is Nokia - no announcement no product - still in hibernation
 

liqbase works with the dpad as well ;) and its personally what i use more for actual reading.