Our pal at DinarSoft spotted the following Samsung Pocket PC phone at GITEX this week. In addition to the standard fare, the device appears to have a navigable mouse pointer controlled by some scroller mechanism underneath the screen (and presumably embedded in the d-pad).
I have to admit, this is kind of cool. There's been times when I don't want to pull out the stylus, and I find touching the screen cumbersome in Pocket PC -- the mouse pointer would be a perfect compromise. I know the hx4700 had a mouse pointer-esque technology, but this one seems a lot more convenient than having to use the hx4700 touchpad. What's your thoughts? Do you agree or disagree? (Alas, we have no data as to the model number, nor when, nor where it will launch.)
Update: As several of you pointed out (and Engadget Mobile has a snap of), this is the upcoming Samsung SGH-i780. Looks like it has HSDPA, and an optical mouse. 8O
Seems like the pointing device is like an upside-down optical mouse. I've always thought that would be a good idea for a handheld.
Robb
Actually, the mouse pointer is controlled by the directional pad, it's like a small joystick that controls the mouse pointer
Like the IBM TrackPoint http://www.almaden.ibm.com/cs/user/tp/trackpt.gif
The mouse pointer is super gay (not in a homosexual way, but gay as in unappealing and weird)
I use a Stowaway Bluetooth mouse that I have, not nearly as much as I do the stowaway ultra slim Bluetooth keyboard. The Bluetooth mouse is borderline impractical, though I do find it useful during RDP sessions. I think the mouse pointer on that phone would be more practical on devices with larger displays; devices that have limited one hand navigation (like my jasjar). However, I must commend the fact that they are moving toward innovations in mobile devices.
Lets stop this unappealing language, shall we? Introducing gay as a derogatory word for something bad should be instantly stopped in its tracks.
I am not a super politically correct type of guy, but this is a bad trend. Just imagine people would start to say stuff like "this looks so black"....
Right, not a good idea. We have been there already...
The english language has more than enough appropriate and even cool adjectives for making fun of something or badmouthing it. No need to go the homophobic or racist way...
Lets stop this unappealing language, shall we? Introducing gay as a derogatory word for something bad should be instantly stopped in its tracks.
I am not a super politically correct type of guy, but this is a bad trend. Just imagine people would start to say stuff like "this looks so black"....
Right, not a good idea. We have been there already...
The english language has more than enough appropriate and even cool adjectives for making fun of something or badmouthing it. No need to go the homophobic or racist way...
Um....too late....it's already used in such a fashion in the US and has been for quite a number of years.
Back to the topic. Yes, the HTC P3300 has a mouse mode (that you can turn on and off via the control panel) and is controlled by the rollerball. Most of the time I don't use it but there's nothing wrong with it and in some cases very convenient. I would probably use it all the time if it didn't take up so much of the screen and I didn't have to move it out of the way so much. It is much more convenient than trying to find a tiny spot on the screen with a stylus while wakling.
It would be more worthwhile to me if it auto hid after 10 seconds of inactivity then reappered by using the trackball.
db
__________________
'It has been my experience that the more extreme the opinion, the less likely it is to be based on or altered by fact.'*- db
Upcoming Samsung Pocket PC with Mouse Pointer?
Linear Mode
