19Mar/1025
The Phones Show 79 (G1, News, Slingplayer)
Extended news, Highlighting the slingbox and slingplayer, plus thoughts on the T-Mobile G1, powered by Android.
Extended news, Highlighting the slingbox and slingplayer, plus thoughts on the T-Mobile G1, powered by Android.
March 19th, 2010 - 12:32
I don’t think it’s about admitting anything, it’s just giving users a choice – especially if you’re doing a lot with text. One thing that really annoys me with the iPhone is the need to zoom in all the time just to position the cursor. Don’t forget Android is trying to appeal to as many people as possible, from all other platforms, including devs and hackers who use text consoles! A ball is the only way to give that amount of control in a tiny space.
March 19th, 2010 - 12:58
Fair point about a stylus – I’d forgotten that the G1 was capacitive…. But I still think it’s crazy to have a cutting edge touch screen and then admit that it’s not very accurate by including a trackball to select things. And yes, the resistive screens used in the Nokia products do allow for far more accurate positioning. They also work with stylus points.
March 19th, 2010 - 13:35
Eh? Capacitive screens _don’t_work_ with stylus! On a page of tiny fonts, can you really reliably select a single number from ’123435′ using a finger?
The trackball makes up for these shortcomings by giving you the best of both worlds – finger touch convenience and pin point accuracy.
Maybe all your years stuck in Nokia world make touch screens (and slide out keyboards) seem wondrous, but to the rest of us, an additional cursor control is a bonus. Why decry HTC for giving the user a choice?
March 19th, 2010 - 13:40
It’s inelegant to have both though. And using a fingernail or stylus, I have no problems selecting even the tiniest details on screen.
March 19th, 2010 - 14:32
What’s the point of a trackball? It lets you to jump to exactly the point you need to click in a web page (single digit page numbers in forums) without the hit and miss you get with fingers. It’s a godsend when editing text and forms for positioning the cursor. In landscape gives total nav control under the thumb without having to stretch to the screen. As a long term non touch (and E90) devotee, I surprised you can’t see how useful that is!
March 19th, 2010 - 15:15
It is. Flash Lite 3, I think. But that runs just about any flash site, including flash video on Youtube. So not really an issue.
March 19th, 2010 - 15:54
Oh really? I thought it was Adobe flash lite!
March 19th, 2010 - 16:15
Err…. S60 phones have had full Flash in the browser for the last year or two!
March 19th, 2010 - 17:06
I did it last week on AAS. Two pieces, see the Features section etc.
March 19th, 2010 - 17:29
I can’t wait for June tons of new phones are coming out! And ya the N97 processor is only 434MHz…still will be a great phone though. Anyhow do you think these phones will have full flash in the browser sometime soon?
March 19th, 2010 - 17:49
would be the device to buy if it can play divx’s with a bitrate that pc’s run on. Then it could be a portable divx machine that can output to TV’s. A worthy replacement of the e90 then.
March 19th, 2010 - 18:08
Actually, I think it’s 400MHz plus. But in terms of vid playback, a lot is down to the resolution and bitrate used. Also, we don’t yet know if there’s any video decoding electronics, such as on the N96?
March 19th, 2010 - 18:13
appear n97 processor will only be 369 MHz
damn, not quick enough for divx, xvid formatted for pc
March 19th, 2010 - 18:27
Nope, though they have sponsored me in the past, which has got to get them some brownie points. I speak my mind though and some Nokia smartphones are, all round, currently high in the running on the world scene.
March 19th, 2010 - 18:56
Why?
March 19th, 2010 - 19:05
Completely agree. iPhone = loads of gripes but glorious modern UI. My Nokia N82: hardly any gripes but small screen and oldish UI.
Why can’t we have our cake and eat it?
March 19th, 2010 - 19:31
Why do you love Nokia so much? Do they pay you to say these things?
March 19th, 2010 - 19:37
U should buy hd camera
March 19th, 2010 - 20:21
steve on what date will be lounch the n86 end n97 can u tell me pls ?
March 19th, 2010 - 20:30
ok……i’m concerned that there is a big difference in costs between the 5800 and the n85, when there allmost the same
buy the way which phones you use?
can you tell when your going to anounce the 10 thing about the 5800?
March 19th, 2010 - 20:39
My 5800 touch screen is fine……
March 19th, 2010 - 21:30
Too early to say, but yes, looks good so far.
March 19th, 2010 - 21:47
nice idea, I’ll see if I can do this practically….
March 19th, 2010 - 21:52
just would like to add that your show rocks! Thanks!
March 19th, 2010 - 22:08
nice reviews steve.
i’m intrested in buying the 5800 nokia phone, i’ve heard that over time the touch screen wears off, and the touch screen gets some blind spot….can you confirm it?
and i’m wainting for your “10 bad things about the 5800″ to finaly decide which phone to buy