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Posts: 1,513 | Thanked: 2,248 times | Joined on Mar 2006 @ US
#242
First of all, there is nothing that cannot be done, given enough effort. However, I didn't try to talk just about the basic differences... Yes, you can do a system with a reasonable effort that shows different size icons and buttons for the UI for stylus and finger, but at least I'm not a fan of doing things halfway, I tried to talk about "optimal" UI's. Optimal UI's should not feel like compromises.
Of course, the UI should be optimal for a handheld TS device. I thought we were already well on our way with the N8xx, only to find out that it's being (mostly) done away with.

Information density is basically split in half for finger vs. stylus, meaning how many controls or UI elements you can put on the screen. If you have a plan how you could design a system-wide style that would automatically accommodate the UI's so that the amount of information and the amount, size and placement of the UI controls in any given view would work for both stylus and finger optimized formats, please let me know about it.
Here we have it - you are eguating "system-wide style" with UI design. We should have a style and UI that is "system-wide", IOW monolithic and imposed on the user- the finger-friendly UI du jour.

Let the apps developer decide what is the best UI for the app. Make the bindings available at the app layer and you don't have to worry about it.


A finger optimal UI won't be stylus optimal UI and vice versa. At least platform-wise, since people are going through different applications, in and out, switching between them, doing different tasks, different views and windows, having some apps stylus-driven (hey, i need to take the stylus out) and others finger-driven (damn, i need to put it back in) will not create a satisfying user experience.
Actually, it will create a satisfying user experience. Those who want to use the NIT as a media player can have those apps with the finger-friendly UIs. Those who want to use the NIT for detailed work, such as a PIM, can have the stylus-friendly UI. Where you fall down is that you think there is one "optimal" UI that will work for all users. This is the anti-thesis of an open device. You should let the UI stay at the app layer not buried in the SW stack.


But also as noted in some of the comments here, nothing basically prevents "you" as the developers from doing otherwise
Really? This is a very general statement. How can I an apps developer use the D-pad or HW keys if they are not there?!?

Thanks for your comments this morning.

Last edited by SD69; 2008-11-03 at 13:23.