I've never had a touch screen phone. The only touch screen device I've had is a Palm IIIxe. Yeah, I guess I'm dating myself here. All of my phones have had hardware buttons with some sort of D-pad. I'm considering finally getting a touchscreen device (EVO) and I'm wondering what you guys think about alternative cursor controls in combination with a touchscreen.
The G1 had a trackball. As does the Nexus One. Several Android devices now have optical pads in place of the trackball. And some other devices have hard d-pads.
My question is thus:
What do you guys think about having an extra way to input on a touchscreen phone? Do you find yourself using it often? Hardly at all? Would you rather have that extra space as more screen (or something else)? And which do you prefer? Optical, hard d-pad, or trackball?
Just trying to get some discussion and some thoughts going.
Thanks.
Minjin said:
I've never had a touch screen phone. The only touch screen device I've had is a Palm IIIxe. Yeah, I guess I'm dating myself here. All of my phones have had hardware buttons with some sort of D-pad. I'm considering finally getting a touchscreen device (EVO) and I'm wondering what you guys think about alternative cursor controls in combination with a touchscreen.
The G1 had a trackball. As does the Nexus One. Several Android devices now have optical pads in place of the trackball. And some other devices have hard d-pads.
My question is thus:
What do you guys think about having an extra way to input on a touchscreen phone? Do you find yourself using it often? Hardly at all? Would you rather have that extra space as more screen (or something else)? And which do you prefer? Optical, hard d-pad, or trackball?
Just trying to get some discussion and some thoughts going.
Thanks.
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Optical track ball looks sweet, but it's alot finickery than the trackball itself. I can old see a d-pad for games, that's it.
it is GREAT for selecting texts. i think track ball is the best as it feels the most smooth and have some physical feedback.
I'm happy to have it. It would honestly draw me away from the phone if it didn't have a trackball. I constantly use it, it's kinda just natural.
my x1 got an optical actionpad and it's pretty jittery close to useless
It's a great optional way to input, edit, etc. Plus changing colors for diff events is awesome...Luv it on my Nexus!
I love the trackball on my Nexus, just makes it WAY easier to correct text, instead of tapping around till you find the right spot, you just go there. Now I will be buying an Evo, and I'll get used to it, I did it on my iPhone & I do fine without it on my Droid, but it will be missed.
I've heard trackballs don't last as long. Is this true?
I love my trackball it makes things easy
How does it work exactly? Do you get a mouse pointer? Or are the trackballs movements just translated into up/down/left/right?
A mouse pointer would be sweet....
I love the trackball. On my G1, it is no longer perfect, but still does the job.
I have just got a Desire as a new work phone, and the optical track ball SUCKS. So dissapointed. It's going back! I'm either going to wait for a keyboard phone or get an N1.
MooGoo said:
How does it work exactly? Do you get a mouse pointer? Or are the trackballs movements just translated into up/down/left/right?
A mouse pointer would be sweet....
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You get a mouse pointer in Opera 5. I like having it.
Is it mini or mobile? I can't remember.
TrackballS tend to get dirty and jam, this happend to almost all my phones that had them (especially BB's). Now that I have a phone with the optical pad, I find it more stylish, durable, comfortable and reliable. It just took a little getting used to at first. Im sure most phones from now on will be using the pad over the ball. Trackballs are so 2009.
it's 2008, not 2009
optical trackpad has been out for too long and I think it's better. I don't know how can you guys use the trackball and not get it dirty :-s
and on android phone I don't need either of those, I use volume key to move the cursor, and it's good enough for me
I use it mainly for moving my cursor in a text, copying text.
Sometimes I use it for scrolling through a list or a document.
Little use overall, but I'm happy it's there when I need it.
benoitb85 said:
I use it mainly for moving my cursor in a text, copying text.
Sometimes I use it for scrolling through a list or a document.
Little use overall, but I'm happy it's there when I need it.
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Exactly, it is rarely used, but selecting text/moving the cursor around a text field with the optical sensor is bad. You can only jump 1 character at a time.
As I mentioned before, it's great having the mouse pointer in Opera, and the trackball complements it great. The optical is no good at all with this, as it only moves up/down and left/right, not diagonally, and only in small steps.
I have had my G1 for ages, without a case, and the trackball, while not as good as new, still blows the optical sensor away.
I don't think it matters what year it is, there are advantages to the trackball over the optical.
I like the trackpad and the hardware d-pad of my Xperia X1. They enable me to use my phone singlehandedly whenever I need to. It's also nice to scroll through lists. And last but not least one or two more opitions to control your device can never be bad.
very useful, you cant navigate the bootloader without it.
i smashed my phone yesterday and im glad i have the hardware buttons including the trackball
i managed to backup everything without touch input! win
the track ball would keep me away from the g1, nexus one and any other phone that has it. i never understood it nor did i see the need for it. i've played with them on my friends phones and have not felt comfortable using them. but it does seem like others have found them valuable so i guess its safest to say that they are not for everybody.
Hey!
I really hope that this haven´t been asked already...I haven´t found an answer yet. Tell me, is there any possibility to get a digitizer working on this touchpad? I do not have any knowledge about the technical requirements for these active pens...
Y dont you just get a ipad pen type of pen?
greenlant said:
Hey!
I really hope that this haven´t been asked already...I haven´t found an answer yet. Tell me, is there any possibility to get a digitizer working on this touchpad? I do not have any knowledge about the technical requirements for these active pens...
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Do you mean a capacitive stylus? The screen is capacitive so only a capacitive stylus will work. Just check out ebay. Any stylus that works with an ipad, transformer, or iconia will work on the touchpad.
If you are thinking of something more like a Wacom tablet type 'active' digitizer, then no, they cannot work with a standard (capacitive only) device. They operate using a radio frequency system which has to be present both on the pen and on the tablet itself.
The bonus is improved accuracy and sensitivity for the device, the drawback being cost, a *screenless* wacom tablet using that technology is already a hundred dollars or more, and to combine it with a screen wacom charges a thousand dollars handily.
HTC has a compromise of a sort with the flyer tablet, but again thats a two part system, part of it is in the pen and part is engineered into the tablet itself.
Thats´what I meant (an active digitizer)...okay, thank you all for your help!!! In this case I have to find out, if such a capacitive pen runs well, but I´ve heard that the are not that good...
Thanks!
Dear developers,
This is my first post in xda and I apologize in advance if I posted this question in the wrong place.
I searched a lot in the internet to find a way to allow me to use the digitizer stylus (the same one available in Galaxy Note) on the screen of my galaxy tab 7 plus, but unfortunately with no luck.
The digitizer stylus is available in the market as a replacement of lost or damaged Galaxy Note stylus. Therefore, the stylus is not an issue. I really believe that the stylus should work on any capacitive touch screen of any android tablet if we succeed in extracting the Wacom driver, or software, from a Galaxy Note and install it to the tab.
I searched in Wacom website, but found drivers for windows and Mac only, nothing for android.
I also tried to locate the Wacom in Galaxy Note, with no success :'(
I hope anyone tried such thing and looking for someone to share the experience.
Thanks!
Sent from my GT-P6200 using XDA App
No
hackoor said:
I really believe that the stylus should work on any capacitive touch screen of any android tablet if we succeed in extracting the Wacom driver, or software, from a Galaxy Note and install it to the tab.
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If the Galaxy Note is anything like the conventional Wacom tablets, the hardware is primarily in the phone/tablet itself and not in the pen. If this is the case, your idea will not work.
You can, however, buy many styluses (styli?) that support capacitive touchscreens.
This is actual Wacom technology
Hello, you cannot use the S-Pen on non-Wacom screens because the stylus is not capacitive, but electromagnetic.
Using your finger, try pressing an UI element (like a widget, or a ListView item) so that you successfully select it. While the item is selected, slowly move the stylus down towards the screen. When it will be 1 cm away (or less) from the screen, the item you selected with your finger will get unselected. It is because the electromagnetic stylus has priority over your (“capacitive”) finger.
The fact that the stylus priority thing occurs even though the screen is not pressed with it, is a proof that the usual Wacom electromagnetic magic is in use in the Note.
Hey all,
i have an Asus transformer, but i actually need help with my other tablet. I just bought an Insignia Flex 10.1 android tablet from Best buy. It seems to work great with my finger. However, when i use my stylus it doesnt detect it very well. When drawing or writing, it "skips" on the screen. Can someone help me with this? Maybe theres a certain stylus i need.
Thanks!
My GT2 does the same thing. It's because the screen sensitivity is significantly lower than on the Transformer. Changing stylus will probably not make any difference.
Oh that would suck. I was thinking of trying one of these:
http://www.amazon.com/Musemee-Notie...=1376404811&sr=8-4&keywords=fine+point+stylus
Just curious if anyone has tried this out yet? My DirectStylus 2 works if enough (light) pressure is applied to the screen and goes beyond what I had assumed. Seeing as this is a capacitive touchscreen like most modern devices I'd like to know if anyone else have had luck with the mentioned tools in the thread title. A Wacom Pen should suffice as well.
I used SketchBook for my test which is free app for basic tasks in case anyone feels like trying out. The key seems to be a thin digitizer as my Moto X 2014 barely goes by simple strokes or even taps (thicker digitizer/glass = more pressure needed).
im not 100% but you will find that a s pen type device would not work you need sensor behind the screen for that like the note series, you would need a stylus which simulates the static electricity inside people for the stylus to work which I believe there are some clunky types available but im sure someone will be able to clarify this for you