iPAQ navigation pad

[Jason Dunn]

I've been using my iPAQ 3870 more lately, and I'm not sure that I'm entirely satisfied with the wide navigation pad they created for this version. What do you think about it? How could they improve it? I personally found that it was a little wide for single-finger operation, resulting in difficult movement from left to right. What are your thoughts on the matter?

[Robotbeat]

I have a 3635 and I miss my e105's and e115's gameboy-type operation. The little rocker pad is good for navigating, and the action button on the rocker is better since it is not easily pressed by accident. The convenient "Escape"-type button is closeby and is also nice for one-hand operation. If I want to hold it like a gameboy, well, the controls are awesome for games. They are still the best gaming buttons available. It makes me sad that no one has kept the design.

As far as the 3800, I think that its buttons are even a little less gamer-friendly than the 36xx/31xx/37xx series.

[Jeff Rutledge]

I don't game on my iPAQ, but the Navigation pad still drives me nuts. More often than not, I end up scrolling when trying to click the Action button (aka "Enter"). I think this design must be re-thought.

[seanturner]

Yeah, the 36xx and 37xx did feel better, but, I have to admit that the 38xx just looks a lot better.

[Marc Zimmermann]

I frequently get "double-clicks" when I press the Action button not very firm. Other than that, the whole button area seems to be much better than the old design.

[IpaqMan2]

I've played with the new model iPAQs in the store and found the smae thing. I don't like having to have to move thumb/finger that far just to go from left to right. I personally think compaq was going for a more stylish look with the newer iPAQs and didn't really test it in everday use. The older models I thought was wide enough just barley keeping it with in range of comfortableness.

[RavenSBNC]

My E-125 definatly had a better button layout but I've gotten used to the 3835's by now and it dosn't bother me much anymore. But at first it was awful after being so used to the wonderfull E-125 layout.

[Marc Zimmermann]

My E-125 definatly had a better button layout [...]


It definitely had the best joypad in any Pocket PC made to date. Both in ergonomic as well as mechanical aspects.

[gmelfissg]

hi Jason,

stop playing wiht that stupid IPAQ and start listening when i tell you it is a scrap machine, have you heard everyting that nobody like about IPAQ, how you can logically still stay wiht IPAQ !!!! :lol:

[Janak Parekh]

I thought so too, but then I started using my right thumb to operate it. Let me tell you, that d-pad is designed for a thumb. It works great with it, and is very comfortable.

--bdj

[Gerard]

I've a Casio EG-800 and iPAQ 3835 now, and they are at opposite ends of the usability scale. The EG-800 cursorpad is by far the best feeling, most reliable I've tried, and I've tried HP's new models, all the Casios (except the E-200), and several models of iPAQ. The iPAQ cursorpad is murder to *click* left or right (I hate that click!), too easy to move up or down, and having 'Action/Enter' in the centre is too easily blended with an up or down command as a result.
The side-mounted Action wheel was obviously impossible with Compaq's slider approach, but why not have a small button on the upper-right side, opposite the Record button, in front of the stylus? That's directly under my left index fingertip! If I were a lefty, it'd be under the joint of my thumb. (These both while a self-modified single PC slider is mounted.)
Besides these issues, there's the incredibly annoying 'pagination effect'. I've yet to find repeat/delay settings to fix this. I've seen 100 pages of 'Fellowship of the Ring' flash by before I can stop it. For now, I've re-mapped Record to Page Down, and it's a partial fix, but only for scrolling down in PIE and Reader and such. I'll be hunting through my registry for a place to edit in a new 'Action' function in the Settings/Buttons' list...
My adventures with defective EG-800s are infamous, but I had no idea how buggy a device could be until I got this iPAQ last week. It's depressing. Still, has some cool features! I love using it in full sun! But the side-light is so bright; I've had to get my kid to sleep the opposite way, so when I read her to sleep she's not blinded by flourescent light. I could grow plants on the floor beside the bed at the lowest setting. Need a polarized screen cover... ;) Oh, right, that's why the 'cover pack' is so dark! Cool, the Record button stays as Page Down then. That was simple.

[I. Bergman]

"The iPAQ cursorpad is murder to *click* left or right (I hate that click!)"

I couldn't agree more on this one! The pad I like most is the one on the current Jornada 56x models, very prcise and responsive.

[dondiego]

The obvious thing to do is to copy what works. The original nintendo game boy controls (based on the nes) have worked great for 10+ years. Myself I prefer the Sega game gear d-pad over the nintendo as diagonals are easier... but I'd settle for nintendo.

Combining the dpad with the enter action was probably a bad idea - I know of no console or handheld gaming platform that does this, I think its fundamentally broken. Why MS and their hardware spec guys can't get that through their thick skull is beyond me..

The jog dial is the only thing i've seen that works great for onehanded use...

[Robotbeat]

Actually, pressing in on the center of the analog control sticks on an Xbox controller works as a button press. In Halo, you press in on the control stick to zoom your weapon.