Mobile Site Enhancements: Subscribers Now Have ClearType Option

[Jason Dunn]

I'm pleased to announce a relatively minor, but very cool enhancement to <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/subscribe.php">subscriber services</a>: ClearType on the mobile site! Subscribers have the ability to turn ClearType on and off on the Pocket PC templates that wrap around our entire site. The effect is quite nice on the Pocket PC and Smartphone! The ClearType effect is turned on by default for all subscribers. If for some reason you don't like it, you can click on Customize in the upper-right corner of the site, then "Customize your Pocket PC Experience" on the right, and you'll see the option for ClearType.<br /><br />We had ClearType on Pocket PC Thoughts way back in 2001, but the problem was that if anyone was using a sub pixel-based resolution tool (Jimmy Landscape was the popular one back then) it would cause a "double ClearType" effect that looked awful. I had to disable it because it made the site unreadable for a core group of people. Now that we have subscriber profiles, and everything is dynamic, we can give subscribers the ability to turn this off or on.<br /><br />And if you're one of the seven or so people browsing Pocket PC Thoughts using a Smartphone :lol:, here's a cool feature we've added for everyone (subscribers and non-subscribers alike): you can press numbers on your keypad to jump to stories on the front page. For instance, if you want to view the third story on the page, press the number three on your phone. Pressing the zero key takes you back to the top of the mobile site. I should note that if you're a subscriber and browsing PPCT on your Smartphone, there's something a little fishy about the ClearType - certain letters like "y" look horrible. I don't know if it's a SPV-specific issue or not, but I'll look into it further.<br /><br />Enjoy the enhancements! We've got some big things planned in the next two weeks, including the discount coupons page, and the beginning of a very, very big prize giveaway. Woo hoo! :mrgreen:

[CTSLICK]

Hey you're right. This looks pretty nice. Thanks 8)

[wocket]

All I can say is wheyyyyyy to go :D .

As if the mobile site needed improving :D but it's such a cool feature.

[DubWireless]

... using a Smartphone, here's a cool feature we've added for everyone (subscribers and non-subscribers alike): you can press numbers on your keypad to jump to stories on the front page.

that's one great enhancement - thank you - no more scroll scroll scroll :)

[cameron]

this is great. although the y and w both look strange.

[Jason Dunn]

that's one great enhancement - thank you - no more scroll scroll scroll :)

Yeah, no doubt - especially since the Smartphone has no screen up/screen down functionality.

Speaking of scrolling, we're now tackling the most evil of issues with the mobile site: horizontal scroll bars, the bane of my existence. :takethat:

[Jason Dunn]

this is great. although the y and w both look strange.

Yeah, there are a few characters that look odd on the SPV. And I've been told the Red-E doesn't even support ClearType at all! 8O

Hey...why are there so many Smartphone users in this thread? Are all seven of you here?? :lol:

[Jerry Raia]

Looks real nice on the 5555 right now. :D

[dh]

Speaking of scrolling, we're now tackling the most evil of issues with the mobile site: horizontal scroll bars, the bane of my existence. :takethat:
That's good news, I would say that the horizontal scrolling is the only problem with the mobile forums.

The Cleartype is a nice enhancement too. Thanks.

[PeterLake]

:?:
Can you change the cleartype setting when via the mobile subscription? I don't see any links to preferences when using my PPC.

[Jason Dunn]

:?:
Can you change the cleartype setting when via the mobile subscription? I don't see any links to preferences when using my PPC.

No, I'm afraid not - our subscriber customization system isn't Pocket PC compatible because is uses fun technologies that the Pocket PC doesn't support. You'll need to use the desktop to change it.

[cameron]

Hey...why are there so many Smartphone users in this thread? Are all seven of you here??

We never leave - we're always connected! :mrgreen:

[ctmagnus]

In my experience, ClearType actually muddies things up. I wonder what's different about my eyes that they perceive cleartype to be more difficult to read than standard text.

[PetiteFlower]

You know I thought things looked better when I was in here a little bit ago but thought I was just imagining things....guess not!

There are still some things I'd like to see in the mobile forums, like time stamps on the threads in the thread list in each forum and/or last person posted in each thread, but mostly they rock :) Wish "New Posts" would work for me though, they seem to work for everyone else!

[dh]

In my experience, ClearType actually muddies things up. I wonder what's different about my eyes that they perceive cleartype to be more difficult to read than standard text.
Do you have that neat little ClearType adjusting feature in your 5550? I seem to remember seeing it in a 2210 review so you probably have it as well.

[sub_tex]

well, these enhancements all sound well and good, but us Treo users (all 1 of us) don't get the fancy shmancy number navigation. :(

BUT! We don't have any horizontal scrolling. AHA!

[fmcpherson]

I noticed the Cleartype change earlier today before the announcement. Glad to know that wasn't just my eyes.

Regarding Cleartype itself, I personally think font size makes a difference, and that smaller the size the better Cleartype looks.

Kudos to the Thoughts team for yet another improvement for mobile users.

[Jeff Rutledge]

In my experience, ClearType actually muddies things up. I wonder what's different about my eyes that they perceive cleartype to be more difficult to read than standard text.

I thought that I was the only one. I don't really like ClearType on the PPC. I did like it on the Tablet screen, but it seems less sharp somehow on the PPC (which may be the point).

I think a lot of my issue is that I'm using the iPAQ 3870 and from what I understand it's the worst ClearType implementation of the PPC2002 devices. Having said that though, I've viewed my wife's HP1910 with ClearType and I still preferred my non-CT's view.

Still, I'll check it out later on the mobile forums and see what I think.

[Janak Parekh]

I think a lot of my issue is that I'm using the iPAQ 3870 and from what I understand it's the worst ClearType implementation of the PPC2002 devices. Having said that though, I've viewed my wife's HP1910 with ClearType and I still preferred my non-CT's view.
It's most definitely the 3870, for which it's not worth having ClearType for anything. I've learned to like ClearType a lot on my Pocket PC Phone. Just like desktops, it takes a little getting used to on a "proper" display (which I do believe the 1910 has).

--janak

[Jeff Rutledge]

It's most definitely the 3870, for which it's not worth having ClearType for anything. I've learned to like ClearType a lot on my Pocket PC Phone. Just like desktops, it takes a little getting used to on a "proper" display (which I do believe the 1910 has).

--janak

You're probably right that it takes some time to get used to. I had an XDA for a couple weeks to try out. I tried CT in a couple applications (like PI) and didn't like it. Maybe I'll give it another whirl on my next device (and stick with it for more than a couple hours).

[ctmagnus]

In my experience, ClearType actually muddies things up. I wonder what's different about my eyes that they perceive cleartype to be more difficult to read than standard text.
Do you have that neat little ClearType adjusting feature in your 5550? I seem to remember seeing it in a 2210 review so you probably have it as well.

The 5500 series has it, but I prefer to just leave it at default. The quick test I did where I went to the mobile forums, disabled cleartype on the desktop end and refreshed the mobile forums, I noticed that cleartype was bolding everything by seemingly adding random pixels onto all the fonts. It looks much better without, imo.

[noldus]

Hey...why are there so many Smartphone users in this thread? Are all seven of you here?? :lol:
"Smartphone-owners do it more frequently"...eeeehh, surf at PPCT I mean! :)

/RONNY