Disclaimer: It's my first Windows phone - I've been a Blackberry user for a few years, and might have been conditioned to using it.
A few impressions: I like the Vox very much. Although it feels a lot slower, it has the small size, has the "normal" phone pads where the 2=ABC, 3=DEF - I missed it a lot on the Blackberry, has WiFi, a 2MP camera (which I doubt I'll use much), and a truly useful Bluetooth (the Blackberry's default profile set is painfully small)
On the other hand, there are a lot of minor things that makes using the Vox a pain compared to the Blackberry...here're my top rants:
1. I've been looking for ways to display the day of week on the home screen. Why MS leaves it out is very baffling.
2. You have to press "unlock" to unlock the phone. On the BB I could just start typing the passwords.
3. Four fixed profiles - I'd like to define new profiles, please. It should be easy?
4. Autotext: I miss tremendously the eagerness of the Blackberry to prevent me from having to hit "shift". Pressing the space can mean a dot, an @ sign, etc. at different places. Pressing and holding a key means capitalizing, double space inserts period, "br" means open bracket, etc.
5. Backspace key on the slideout keyboard is not doing what it is supposed to, at least in pocket IE and Quicknote- pressing and holding does not repeat the key, so to delete the URL on the address bar I have to press the backspace X number of times...or just hold the backspace key on the numeric keypad.
6. On each contact I have to choose "Last, First" or "First Last" instead of a global setting...WHY?
7. I thought the phone should be smart enough to enable the "traditional" English IME when the keyboard is slided out. The "smart" English IME only has its place when the phone keypad - when you have the full keyboard, why guess and force me to hit "Enter" after every word? I should be able to use the arrow keys any time to confirm what I have already typed without "Enter".
8. Those annoying sounds - Wifi turns off, initiating a call, etc. Why?
9. Networking Wizard - that tells me my carrier is not in its database, offers me "Don't ask me again" checkbox that I cannot find a way to check.
10. Ending a call does not automatically bring me back to the home screen. That's annoying.
11. No page up/page down anywhere. It's a PITA in pocket IE.
I know it's a lot of rant - I don't know which ones of these things are fixable and which aren't. After searching for a bit I know #8 is fixable via registry hacks. Don't know about anything else.
I'm really trying to move away from the trusty Blackberry, which is getting old (but holding very well after surviving countless, vigorous abuses like dropping down subway platforms, flying towards brick walls, etc.). So by putting the shortcomings of the Vox together in one message, I hope someone may point out ways to tweak/fix it.
Sorry for the long rant. I'm really trying to use the Vox - or is "life after Blackberry" an oxymoron?
Some good news:
#1 is solved. HKLM\nls\overrides, add "ddd" to SSDte. Mine is now "ddd yyyy-MM-dd" and it works perfectly. Now when I try to update the time in the setting menu, it automatically updates the DOW too!
#4 - I read there's something called "Kai's Autocorrect" - is a pay-software, but it might do what I need...anyone knows some other proggie that can replace-as-you-type?
#6 - still trying - although it looks like there's a registry hack for it.
#8 - easily fixed thru widely available reg hacks!!
#10 - I just realized it does, but I don't want the 5 seconds or so delay. Maybe there's a tweak somewhere...
#11 - Have I overlooked? Pgup/Pgdn are there - maybe I'm asking for too much to use "space" as Pgdn?
Related
Has anyone come up with working solution for mapping hw keys?
I found this thread on Diamond, but no help:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=398280
I am using AEKMap to enable both latin/cyrillic input on my TP's hw keyboard. You may google it and give it a try.
There is no need for additional software, just follow this post and you'll get the answer. Worked for me.
Try AE Button Plus.
B.
I think you did not quite follow me here.
I dont mean to change layout of QWERTY, but hw-keys like "Back" and "Home" at front panel of TP.
This is becaus I find home and back quite useless and would much more prefer to have ALT+TAB (change program) and close program (REALLY close them, not leave running background as back seems to randomly do).
Taajuus said:
I think you did not quite follow me here.
I dont mean to change layout of QWERTY, but hw-keys like "Back" and "Home" at front panel of TP.
This is becaus I find home and back quite useless and would much more prefer to have ALT+TAB (change program) and close program (REALLY close them, not leave running background as back seems to randomly do).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And that is EXACTLY what i also want to know....
The total lack of hardware-keys on this device is already disturbing enough, but being locked out of the option to remap any of them is truely horrid...
Anyone know of any reg-hacks maybe?
I've got Spb PocketPlus 4 installed btw, and it's got a button mapping function as well...
But when i go into the buttons map, some weird black icons appear with no name attached to it. Can anyone make anything of this? As you can see i've been able to map one thing only: the Spb close-button-contex-menu, which allows me to switch task KW-buttons only....
But this is not enough for me, i need ALT-TAB aswell and off course a VoiceCommand button.
And regrettably the Rapael doesn't have that many HW keys to start with...
I want also to use Home/Back buttons for different purposes,but I didn;t found a solution yet.
Gotten a step closer to what i really need over this weekend:
In the button dialogue (with extra generated buttons by Spb PP+4) there was only one other button that had a name...
So i tried this one and go figure: it seems to be the " <= " (or 'back') button. In the dialogue it's called the OK button. I've got it set to the close contaxt menu now, and mapped Voicecommand to long-pressed answer key...
So far, this setup is to my satisfaction, and after two months of use this phone finaly behaves completely the way i want it to...
Hi, guys.
See my post here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=2743845#post2743845
Hope this helps!
Cheers.
helped realy much !!! big thx for that nice instructions
You're very welcome, tk_berlin.
You be sure to let me know if anything in there doesn't make sense or you need any help with it.
Cheers from Canada!
ah cool to see a reply that fast ,)
hmm u got any further with finding out how to set the home button and the backwards button ?
Since the other htc user ,) wrote
In the button dialogue (with extra generated buttons by Spb PP+4) there was only one other button that had a name...
So i tried this one and go figure: it seems to be the " <= " (or 'back') button. In the dialogue it's called the OK button. I've got it set to the close contaxt menu now, and mapped Voicecommand to long-pressed answer key...
so it works with SPB PocketPlus ?
there must be a way to get it work wit the other tool
ah cool to see a reply that fast ,)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol. I was on my machine all morning and had XDA open in one of my tabs.
Yes, you can map practically any button in AEBPlus no problem.
hmm u got any further with finding out how to set the home button and the backwards button ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AEBP will also *learn* any keys it doesn't have. So you could use the "Add Button" option, press your Home key, and away you go.
The way I have it set up, holding down the phone key will activate voice command (default behavior).
But remember, assigning commands to the Home or OK buttons (that "Back" button is actually an "OK" button) doesn't unmap what they normally do so you will always go home first and then it will perform <x>-function that you assign.
Personally, I don't like to program the Home or OK buttons because I find that they are "trickier" to press. What I mean is, if you tap the OK button near it's center or close to the left, it doesn't register a press. If you tap it sort of with the long part of your thumb (which is more natural when holding the device in one hand), it registers it. I've tried this with two TP's now and the button behaved the same way on both. Due to this, I find it unreliable to map anything to it.
In any case, as I mentioned earlier, the Volume buttons, Phone and End keys will be unmapped once you attach AEBP to them but the others will not.
Oh -- I forgot to mention, you can map the directional pad as well if that is your thing.
so it works with SPB PocketPlus ?
there must be a way to get it work wit the other tool
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It does work, but it sends an OK command first.
I wrote a little utility for hard-coded buttons such as these for another Pocket PC I had (an ASUS P527) called "DoNothing.exe" but we can't apply that work-around here. What I would do is replace the EXEs of apps the hardware keys called with my DoNothing.exe, but in the case of the TP, we definitely don't want to replace START.EXE (which I believe to be the likely EXE (haven't tested this)).
If I find a way to map those buttons reliably, I will let you know, tk_Berlin. So far tho, I've been quite pleased with just using the four buttons I mentioned. The more I use this device and the more I ponder my decision to stay with TFL3D instead of the normal WM interface, the more I realize that I don't need half the add-ons I used to use prior to having TF3D. I am accustomed to very, very, very *heavily* customizing my device, but the setup I have now works great and I really haven't lost nething from my old WM world. In fact, prolly gained a few CPU cycles and memory to boot.
I don't miss the Today Screen at all!!! Now that I think about it, I never really looked at it.
Cya!
I've disabled all of the auto-correct and suggestion SIP options on the TP and that works great, HOWEVER (heh, heh)...
Is there any way to turn off that annoying "what-you're-typing-preview" that always appears on-screen as you type? It is such a waste of screen real estate.
Do you know what I mean? I'll explain...
For example:
Code:
PREVIEW STYLE 1
1. Start a new text message.
2. Pop out your physical keyboard
3. Start typing!
You will see what you type appear in a little "preview window" at the bottom of your screen.
Now here's the REALLY annoying one...
Code:
PREVIEW STYLE 2
1. Open an existing SMS message (threaded view)
2. Pop out your physical keyboard
3. Start typing...
You will see the preview appear *above* your text this time. Even MORE annoying since it's taking up real estate in the typing area this time around.
I've been scrounging for a solution to this and really hope one exists.
Thanks for everything, guys!
press ctrl + space and choose abc
Thank-you VERY MUCH, Brendo!
I thought that I had already done this but I realize now that it was probably in my dreams.
(YES -- I dream about my TP -- don't lie -- YOU DO, TOO!!!).
Lol.
Take care.
Hi Guys, probably very silly of me, but 'choose abc'. Do we have a 'abc' button? I can't seem to find out what you mean with this. Also pressing cntrl + space and typing abc does nothing (obviously). Help me. I also find the typing preview window quite annoying, especially since I have been so happy to be able to turn the auto correct options off.
It can be found on the SIP - pop up keyboard, providing you have "full keyboard", phone keyboard etc selected and not the windows default keyboard. You will see a button marked ABC->T9. Make sure T9 is not selected.
Gee thnx ardsar, this was clear and worked. Indeed I had to change the layout of my pop up keyboard, as I hardly ever use it and had it in the default keyboard mode.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU (yes, I'm shouting )
If there was anything that pissed me off on this phone, it was the goddamn useless preview!
Why do they expect that you're a retard, if you bought HTC phone? I thought these phones were for smart people
That's kool that it will take the dialog away but while I'm in programs it still types the letters in the background and causes them to skip. Is there any way to disable the typing of keys in the background while still reading the keystrokes. Let's say I'm using PocketNES while I'm in the game it reads the hardware keyboard as typing letters when I'm not trying to type any message. I would just like to use the letters as buttons instead. Hopefully someone has found a solution to the problem!
I posted this in the other Auto Correct thread (found here). That thread got so long that it was requested that I start a new thread with this info so it is easier to find this fix and how to do it.
I have a FUZE and mainly ONLY use the actual physical keyboard and not the onscreen keyboard. The fact you can not set up normal Auto Word Correction words was driving me crazy. So through a lot of people a fix was found. Credit goes to a lot of people who suggested different things (like Bugsykoosh), and then I put a few different programs/tweaks together and it works very well.
Here is how you do it.
1) Disabled T9 completely by installing the cab found at http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=2914474&postcount=8 . After installing the T9 button will no longer work.
2) Change your onscreen keyboard to "keyboard" as the default. You will no longer be able to use the QWERTY keyboard, but that was fine for me since I mainly use the actual keyboard. For this to work you MUST switch your on screen default keyboard to "keyboard" or install the Happy Tapping keyboard.
3) Install DictMgr for Windows Mobile that can be found at http://mobile-sg.com/software/?p=DictMgr&platform=ppc . It is FREE. This program is the key to making this work.
4) Only parts of DictMgr works with our version of Windows Mobile. After installing open up the program and launch the Word Corrector part of the program. It looks exactly like the traditional word replacement entry screen you see on your PC. SEE ATTACHED PICTURE.
5) Add the words you want to auto correct and hit save. It requires a soft reboot.
10) After the reset try to type something using the actual keyboard and you will see the word correct work the way it is supposed to.
I am VERY positive right now about this working so far.
Some other Feedback/Notes:
1) I use MyMobiler so when connected to my PC I can view my phone screen on my desktop. This makes entering all the auto correct words I want MUCH easier since I can use my normal keyboard.
2) I entered as MANY as I could at one time because a soft reset is required each time you save the file.
3) I have started entering all the basic ones like
i --> I
monday --> Monday
mon --> Monday
tuesday --> Tuesday
tues ---> Tuesday
(and all the rest of the days)
jan --> January
feb --> February
(and all the rest of the months)
4) on the onscreen keyboard I did go to the Touch Input Setting and check all options. See attached image.
5) I also went to the Options-->Word Completion Tab and checked "Enable Auto Correct. See attached image.
Everyone, this SEEMS to be a real EASY fix for this issue I am happy to report.
There is a solution to still use the Full QWERTY Keyboard. The complete text is located here: http://www.fuzemobility.com/?p=1527
After disabling T9 you must toggle the T9-ABC button back on. To do it press the button then hit the ABC123 button and keep going until it stick. If that fails go into landscape mode and try toggling. Once you get it to change it will stay that way. The one downside is it only works for odd numbers so it works on the first, third and fifth letter you enter and on the second letter no autocompletion appears on screen. The autocorrection (ex spell check) still occurs either way that.
Thanks TVDinner -that was fun
sweet! This issue now has 2 solutions. I love when a plan comes together!!!
So with this fix can I still use the physical keyboard/Full QWERTY soft keyboard/Phone Keypad like normal?
NeroDan said:
So with this fix can I still use the physical keyboard/Full QWERTY soft keyboard/Phone Keypad like normal?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi NeroDan;
With bugsykoosh's fix you can still use the on screen Qwerty keyboard.
With my fix you have to choose the onscreen "keyboard" option, or install the happy tapping onscreen keyboard. You can not use the qwerty keyboard with the fix I described.
If you do not use the onscreen keyboard then either fix will work fine.
I find selecting and copying text very difficult.
For example, from calendar. Which by the way I have to "edit" because you can't dial a phone number from a calendar. ( Seriously google are you just kidding around with that by the way? )
Mainly the selecting part.
I find this impossible to do easily, takes multiple tries because of not getting the cursor positions right, and I don't think it's just me.
Here is my workflow. Can anyone see what I am doing wrong?
1. First, the keyboard takes up half the screen so now I'm left with only about 5 lines of text so I have to scroll around the meeting text entry to field to find the text I want to select. ( If I hide the keyboard with downswipe or other method it does not come back! )
2. When you find the text you want say a phone number 1-752-555-5234 I try to touch immediately before the 1, but as soon as I touch the screen, the entire field scrolls to the bottom.
3. Now I have to repeat step 1
4. I seem to have to do steps 1 to 3 twice for some reason (not kidding) it does not seem to give me the vertical cursor hairline (calling it a hairs width thickness is being generous ) the first time.
5. Now, I will have the cursor correctly at 1. Because if I am one digit off, I have to repeat steps 1 through 4 until I get it correctly positioned.
6. Now, long press on screen, choose select text.
7. Now repeat steps 1, 3 and 4 (skipping 2) until get the cursor at the correct ending position.
8. Once this is done, which for me can take up to several minutes to do, I can easily copy and paste the text.
If you've used an iPhone or even Windows Mobile 6.x you know how hard it is to understand that google failed so miserably at this.
bwolmarans said:
I find selecting and copying text very difficult.
For example, from calendar. Which by the way I have to "edit" because you can't dial a phone number from a calendar. ( Seriously google are you just kidding around with that by the way? )
Mainly the selecting part.
I find this impossible to do easily, takes multiple tries because of not getting the cursor positions right, and I don't think it's just me.
Here is my workflow. Can anyone see what I am doing wrong?
1. First, the keyboard takes up half the screen so now I'm left with only about 5 lines of text so I have to scroll around the meeting text entry to field to find the text I want to select. ( If I hide the keyboard with downswipe or other method it does not come back! )
2. When you find the text you want say a phone number 1-752-555-5234 I try to touch immediately before the 1, but as soon as I touch the screen, the entire field scrolls to the bottom.
3. Now I have to repeat step 1
4. I seem to have to do steps 1 to 3 twice for some reason (not kidding) it does not seem to give me the vertical cursor hairline (calling it a hairs width thickness is being generous ) the first time.
5. Now, I will have the cursor correctly at 1. Because if I am one digit off, I have to repeat steps 1 through 4 until I get it correctly positioned.
6. Now, long press on screen, choose select text.
7. Now repeat steps 1, 3 and 4 (skipping 2) until get the cursor at the correct ending position.
8. Once this is done, which for me can take up to several minutes to do, I can easily copy and paste the text.
If you've used an iPhone or even Windows Mobile 6.x you know how hard it is to understand that google failed so miserably at this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While I admit copying/pasting does not seem particularly easy on our phones, the Calendar app we have is NOT the stock Android one so you should actually aim your criticism at Samsung. Same with the Messaging app (Samsung's work, not Google's). I'm slightly more used to the iPhone long press technique and it's magnifying glass technique, but I'm sure it's something they'll (they being Samsung) will attempt to improve
if you are using the Samsung keboard. Long press the 123? key, that will take you to an editing menu.
cesierra said:
if you are using the Samsung keboard. Long press the 123? key, that will take you to an editing menu.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This works on the swype keyboard as well; swipe your finger to the right from the info button to the SYM button and it brings up a selection keyboard. Very useful
-deuX`
cesierra said:
if you are using the Samsung keboard. Long press the 123? key, that will take you to an editing menu.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And your point is? Have you ever tried selecting test with that? Clearly not.
EDIT: My Bad. THANK YOU, Cesierra.
With a little practice that works great. For those who are curious, it works. It positions the cursor start position at the bottom of the calendar entry. From there you can up-arrow to position the cursor exactly where you want, then selection is easy. A very good kludge as kludges go, I am impressed.
you are welcome
Thank you cesierra/deuX!
I learned something new here.
I really like it when someones first post is a helpful one
deuX` said:
This works on the swype keyboard as well; swipe your finger to the right from the info button to the SYM button and it brings up a selection keyboard. Very useful
-deuX`
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cool thanks for sharing... never knew that!
for as long as I've had my phone, which, of course, is as long as I've had it rooted, my messaging app has acted extremely odd.
Using the arrow keys and the back-space key causes strange, and often app-breaking, behavior. it seems to be registering the key presses in at least 2 other areas of the app. it always scrolls to the top of the conversation, it highlights conversations in the main message window, and it highlights options in the menus before I even have them open. it seems that the window that lists the conversations, as well as the options menu, are still listening to key presses, even when I'm writing a text. often, the arrow keys and the back-space key stop working all together until I back out of the text-input and re-open the keyboard. this happens litterally every time i write a text message, which is a lot.
all I want the arrow keys to do when I'm in a text field is move the cursor, not jump the highlight to the send button, not scroll through auto-complete options, not jump to the conversation window and scroll through individual texts, and certainly not control the selection of items in windows and menus that I don't even have open.
Also, when pressing 2 keys in quick succession, it often only registers one, TH, especially. I'd say its just registering the second press as a movement of the first contact point, istead of a second touch, like old laptop track-pads, but this device is more than capable of registering multi-touch. also, if you hold one key, and press another, the letter from the first appears on the second key for a brief second...
I'm using virtuous ville v.1.4.0 stock, but I've installed and uninstalled a couple other keyboard apps, can I re-install the stock ICS keyboard? is it a sense keyboard? is this happening to anyone else with this rom or with the 4.0.3 os?
thanks for your help
-Peter
god I miss my G1... stupid friggin slabs. this was the first, and will be the last phone that I ever buy without a real keyboard. this touch-screen only nonsense is ridiculous. it would be fast if it were possible to be accurate and keys weren't literally touching each other. why can't I tell it how much space I want between the keys, so I press nothing, instead of the wrong key? there would be no haptic feedback so I knew to press it again, and I wouldn't constantly be pressing the shift, space, and num keys, which the auto-correct doesn't account for in the slightest, instead of the A key or any of the bottom row of letters .I'm tired of sacrificing so much functionality just so phones can look slicker and break easier.
Don't know why it fails, sorry.... The stock ICS keyboard is not a sense keyboard, there is one on market looks like this one https://play.google.com/store/apps/....android.inputmethod.latin.ice_cream_sandwich
Or you could grab a keyboard from any CM9 or AOKP rom zip file, it's named Latin-IME.apk iirc. The jellybean keyboard is similar but nicer somehow, possible it works on ICS. Also SwiftKey is really good.
Thanks for the suggestions! I do, in fact, have a sense keyboard and I do need arrow keys, which the non-sense keyboards, including the jellybean apk don't seem to have. I still can't fathom why anyone would ever prefer these to a real keyboard and a d-pad... also, the jellybean keyboard still has the same trouble with TH's. has anyone here, who shares my frustration with soft keyboards, found a decent keyboard app?
I wish there were decent quality, mini keyboards, too. Wireless or micro-usb would both work, as I'd probably make a case to hold it with my phone. I've only seen a couple, and they're either too big to be practical, or poor quality.
I apologize for my negative attitude. this is just frustrating, as texting is my main form of communication, and I post to forums from my phone quite often, so typing is important to me.
thanks again
-Peter
This is what SwiftKey 3 looks like if you activate the arrows and the Holo theme... One month trial.