10-29-2005, 02:00 PM
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Developer & Designer, News Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 12,959
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Lenovo ET-980 Supports Flip-Style Keypad
Remember the ET-980 with its huge 4-megapixel camera? In case you're interested, the folk at Slashphone.com have just reported that this Pocket PC Phone Edition supports a flip-style keypad similar to the ones seen on the Asus P505 and Sony Ericsson P900. What are your thoughts on this type of keypad? Should more Pocket PC Phone Edition devices have them?
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10-29-2005, 03:20 PM
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Sage
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 718
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I personally don't care for those half-keypad things. If you are going to have a design that protects the screen, protect the whole screen, not half of it. I know there are advantages, like the exposed part being the equal of a large "outer" display instead of some small one or two line panel you get on a standard phone. But I don't know, the design just bugs me 
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10-29-2005, 04:52 PM
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Philosopher
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 533
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I think a numeric keypad is VERY important, and I have been draw to the few PPC Phone edition devices that have one. Yes, qwerty is nice for text and email, but I think I dial numbers on my mobile far more than I text or email.
True, a form factor such as the Treo has both, and that's cool too, but I for one really appreciate the big numeric keypads on a few PPC Phone Edition devices, and wish I saw more.
I think screen protection in a design like this isn't the primary function. The design is to offer more functionality (keypad) without increasing size (length, similar to qwerty keyboards that slide out from behind)......replicating a flip phone look and feel. Screen protection is a side benefit.
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10-29-2005, 07:21 PM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,041
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I think a flip-style keypad with only numbers is generally a good idea. You can get very creative with the design and it could actually enhance the look and usability of the Pocket PC PE. It's gotta be done right though. I would prefer only a half-height flip rather than a full length keypad.
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10-29-2005, 10:57 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 43
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I think the flip-style keypad makes the perfect format for professional use:
- flipped open a complete screen
- compact (not extra space under screen for the buttons)
- numeric keypad is still the unsurpassed input method for a telephone (or else we wouldn't have 40 years of numeric keypads on our phones)
- millions of SMS users prove that a numeric keypad is quite adequate for text input
- some protection against screen damage when closed.
If supplied with the right specs I'll go for it in a second.
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10-30-2005, 12:52 AM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 142
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I think that the yawning of many ppcp users nowadays is to have a device that has a key pad that is so thin that it will not substantially increase the thickness of the device. It should also protect the screen. However I don't know how much this flip-style device goes to meet these requirements. The new HTC Universal would have met these requirements but it is too thick, brick-like and heavy. While I do not condemn any device, I probably would not go for this device.
Kay.
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10-30-2005, 03:27 AM
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Pupil
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 47
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I loved the fact that my p800 had the numeric flip keypad and I miss it on my eten m500.
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10-30-2005, 05:17 AM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 73
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i think this draws less attention to my phone now that it makes it seem so... "normal"  ops:
people typically ask me "that's your phone? how do you dial?", and i would show them with a couple of ooh's and aah's. this pretty much deads all that.
hey, if i paid $700 for my phone, i might as well gloat, no? 0X
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