Thread: Suggestions for User Interface Improvements
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Traecer is offline Traecer
2008-01-08 , 18:22
Posts: 165 | Thanked: 9 times | Joined on Jul 2007
#11
Originally Posted by spidy View Post
The Home Screen:
This needs to be redone. I would much prefer to see a modular space like igoogle.com implementation. Each module is defined in usable areas and layout options can be selected for each applet. ie full module or collapsed
Maybe even a tab structure that can be filled with application shortcuts or mini versions of the apps.
NO, NO, NO. There needs to be a way to lock things in place, but I like being able to put applets wherever I want on the screen. And tabs? Yuck.

Screen Off Feature:
There needs to be an easy way to turn the screen off and locking it but not turning off the device. I would follow the iPhone usability for this feature, where the power button turns the screen off and when you hold it down you turn the device off.
On the N800, this is a short press of the power button followed by a press of the select button (middle of the directional pad). To take it out of this mode is the same button combo. I know some are experiencing a bug in OS2008 where this doesn't work, but it does for me (and always worked in OS2007).

Finger Vs. Stylus:
The finger usability should not compromise the stylus input. This can be address by using input size comparison. If you are using the stylus the input size and pressure is concentrated in a smaller area and if you are using a finger the input are is much larger and should enable a response system for finger use.
Well, OS2007 had that and frankly, it didn't work well. Hitting the menu icon with my thumb almost always brought up the tiny stylus menu that was too small to use with my thumb. Same with text fields and the keyboard. In truth, this is something even the iPhone doesn't do. The iPhone says to you, "Use your finger, no stylus." I agree this would be nice, but apparently being able to tell the difference between stylus and finger is more complicated than we imagine, and Nokia (and Microsoft and maybe Apple) is apparently still working on it.