Navigating without D-Pad (Physical or Optical)???

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Hi all!

I am currently using the Touch Cruise, upgraded to it from an Artemis, and i love it. Now am planning to upgrade to the Touch HD. I really loved the device looks and screen size!

But my biggest doubt is - How exactly do we navigate around?

The iPhone is totally different and made in a way that u wouldnt need the dpad at all ever. But the Windows Mobile OS isnt like that.
For example - in the Dialer screen, how do i go down the call list, in the dialer mode itself (not in call history) and well, more small things like these which actually require a "d-pad" or atleast an optical dpad.

I was also considering the SonyEricssion Xperia X1, but dropped it due to the lovely screen of the Touch HD. But now i am thinking again.

Please help guys, please do give ur comments as to what is the technology behind the HD for better navigation - without a dpad.

Thanks.

Originally Posted by Insane Devil

Hi all!

I am currently using the Touch Cruise, upgraded to it from an Artemis, and i love it. Now am planning to upgrade to the Touch HD. I really loved the device looks and screen size!

But my biggest doubt is - How exactly do we navigate around?

The iPhone is totally different and made in a way that u wouldnt need the dpad at all ever. But the Windows Mobile OS isnt like that.
For example - in the Dialer screen, how do i go down the call list, in the dialer mode itself (not in call history) and well, more small things like these which actually require a "d-pad" or atleast an optical dpad.

I was also considering the SonyEricssion Xperia X1, but dropped it due to the lovely screen of the Touch HD. But now i am thinking again.

Please help guys, please do give ur comments as to what is the technology behind the HD for better navigation - without a dpad.

Thanks.

yeh, i would really like to know too! For example, the moneycontrol.com app in JBed works only with the dpad, so this will pretty much be the deal maker/breaker for me...anyone?

For the most part, you'll be swiping the screen with with a stylus or any of your fingers.

In other parts, wherever you're able to pop up the onscreen keyboard, you can use the added directional keys on the onscreen keyboard.

I think as long as one is shielded by Touch controls from the underlying WinMobile controls the HD will shine. Without a Dpad one will have to use the stylus even more. That is one of WinMobile's weaknesses vs. OSX iPhone - it is not Touch from the ground up. But maybe a G1 ported Android for the HD will change this for us...

Hmm...
Thanks for ur comments guys, in that case, it looks that the SonyEricsson Xperia X1 is much better than this "usage" vise, and the Touch HD is more a cosmetic thing, wherein u get a bigger screen than the iPhone, but actually is slowing down ur working!

IF i am to take out stylus often, then its definately a bad phone! Thanks to the Dpad cum scroll wheel in the Touch Cruise, my phone usage is so much easier! i had problems slightly with the P3300 (Artemis) but this is like one step advanced to that.

Now the Xperia X1 is coming wtih a physical DPAD, AND also an Optical dpad/joystick! which i think is fantastic!

What do u guys think of it? Should i go for the Xperia X1 rather? or would the Touch HD be better than that?
Thanks.

:bump:

So how DID people adjust. I played around one briefly in the Orange shop yesterday, but I'm still not convinced.

I'm moving over from a Nike (touch dual) so use the D-Pad quiet a bit. Most when texting!

Thoughts please people!

i miss the dpad too on my htc thd..

speaking of popping the onscreen keyboard and using the direction buttons, is there a software which acts as an input method? just the arrow keys only to use as a dpad.. if not someone cud develop it.. i wud really do if i knew

mayb that wud make matters better for thd users.. wel hey, its better to hav just something rather than nothing at all

I'm still very new to my HD and pretty new to these fancy gadgets in general. From the little bit of research I've done so far though you can use 3rd party apps to remap the volume buttons to move up and down, and there's another app or 2 that is attempting to turn the g-sensor into a virtual d-pad as well.

I'm guessing it won't be long before these issues are perfected.

For the most part though, we're able to just swipe around the screen to scroll through the contact list, programs, etc.

Generally HTC has attempted to make it easier to use the device without the stylus, but Windows Mobile wasn't made that way, so you will almost certainly need to use the stylus.

Case in point - how did HTC/MS allow this to happen?
Start contacts, navigate down to the contact you want to call, but somehow, call the Work telephone number, NOT the default mobile number.
Normally you'd D-Pad down to choose the contact, d-pad left and right to choose the contact number (w for work, m for mobile etc), and dpad in to dial it. Try doing that with the blackstone.

Sigh. It's a lovely piece of hardware, but you miss the dpad when you don't have it.

But, at least HTC's modfications are a good start (elphantine start menu, menu for notification icons etc, menu for volume adjustment). I just can't stand them!

I've remapped a long press of the power button to bring up a virtual dpad instead. It makes life so much easier - makes me feel at home on the device, and the extra long screen resolution means it hardly interferes with normal usage when it's on screen.

V

Originally Posted by vijay555

Start contacts, navigate down to the contact you want to call, but somehow, call the Work telephone number, NOT the default mobile number.
Normally you'd D-Pad down to choose the contact, d-pad left and right to choose the contact number (w for work, m for mobile etc), and dpad in to dial it. Try doing that with the blackstone.

When you get to the contact swipe left or right to change the number/email or whatever before tapping the contact.