maemo.org - Talk - View Single Post - Why the stylus isn’t dead

	devu	2010-05-09 , 18:08
	Posts: 431 \| Thanked: 239 times \| Joined on Apr 2010 @ London	#76

Originally Posted by ysss

@devu: on small items, particularly full-sized web pages, I would say the main difference is mobility. For a mobile device, it's only natural to have many use cases where the user is not confined to standing still or sitting down.

For the effort and time that you spend manipulating the stylus (with both hands tied to this process) and trying to click something that I assume is on the edge/outside of the normal ergonomic envelope on a 3.5" screen; a finger-friendly interface can accomplish the same with one hand and an additional click or two.
ie: on the iphone, you double tap on the areas that you need to zoom in and you can click on the intended button; all under 1s. all this can be done while your other hand is preoccupied with something else and the user not having to stop or sit down....

Here, you can also double tap to do the same thing. I can't see the lack of this functionality while I'm on the way but still I can use my nail to determine better precision. Maemo Interface itself doesn't force me to use stylus at all. But when I will sit down waiting for my plain in comfy chair I can enjoy better precision.

I don't really understand pointing out the GUI design regarding to the screen technology. I believe designers did the best for each. Capacitive screen is trendy only because of iPhone. From GUI designer and developer point of view has more restriction and limitation. It's impossible to develop more sophisticated GUI for strategy games for example when you have a lot of options and windows.

Typical GUI designer looking at limitations of the technology and saying.. Ok let's see what we can do on 3,5 inch screen when finger is a pattern. Not to much really. And believe me I know what I am taking about. I am facing this dilemma now during my work on cross platform WebOS. Trying to do finger friendly navigation for devices without stylus in mind anyway. More I am thinking and solving issues related to this I see the bigger advantage of having stylus jut in case.

As GUI designer I also have to say, Maemo GUI designers are did amazing job here. I understand that portrait mode is something missing for many people. But this can be done by software implementation. But the way how whole GUI functioning was dictated to technical aspects of this platform and its clear if you are stop for a while and ask yourself why, or did you could develop this better way? If so, how.. oh no, because that solution could cause that problem and so on, all will be clear.

I'm not saying that iPhone GUI has been designed bad way. No!
It' good for this technology for sure. but as for GUI designer N900 has less limitations so... more possibilities. Is it not good reason enough?

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