Thumb size menus

[Moonshine]

A few things aside (tap-n-hold bug, fewer brightness levels,etc) I really like the UI changes I've seen with this early OS2008 release.

However the one thing I just can't get my head around is the decision to make all the system menus thumb sized. (rather then "smart" toggling per OS2007)

I've seen a few comments about it, but on the whole it seems to be pretty much accepted(?).

I guess I'm wondering, do people really prefer this? Could this (hopefully) just be a "pre-release" issue?

I'm definitely up for starting a Bugzilla issue, once the OS is out, if this "feature" stays.

I just can't see why the OS would go backward regarding menus. Before we had the best of both worlds. Now my bookmark tree (via the main system menu) is insanely large/long/wierd/clumbsy. :(

[yerga]

Personally, I prefer the new way for menus. I use it all time with the thumbs, and are perfect for me now.

[kyyla]

I prefer it too, even when using the stylus. Especially now that the menu scroll speed has been fixed, scrolling through those thumb-sized menus is not a chore.

[Moonshine]

Didn't they toggle to thumb size for you in OS2007 when using your finger ?

I guess I'm curious why they would remove functionality unless it didn't work for people. It seemed to work fine for me.

[Moonshine]

I prefer it too, even when using the stylus. Especially now that the menu scroll speed has been fixed, scrolling through those thumb-sized menus is not a chore.

Well I guess I'm in the minority so far. But I'd have to dissagree about it not being a chore to scroll though a LARGE bookmark set at thumb sizes. :)

[kyyla]

Didn't they toggle to thumb size for you in OS2007 when using your finger ?

I guess I'm curious why they would remove functionality unless it didn't work for people. It seemed to work fine for me.
Actually with the latest OS2007 I had to press really hard to get the big menus.

[ichmoimeyo]

I'm definitely up for starting a Bugzilla issue, once the OS is out, if this "feature" stays.

I just can't see why the OS would go backward regarding menus. Before we had the best of both worlds. Now my bookmark tree (via the main system menu) is insanely large/long/wierd/clumbsy. :(
I feel the same way, Moonshine; so I'll certainly vote for it if/when you file it.

[cvmiller]

I just can't see why the OS would go backward regarding menus. Before we had the best of both worlds. Now my bookmark tree (via the main system menu) is insanely large/long/wierd/clumbsy. :(

Judging by the comments here, it would appear that there are at least two types of users on the N800, ones that touch their screens, and the rest of us who don't. I don't really care for the fingerprints on my screen, so I only use the stylus, therefore I don't need HUGE menus designed for thumbs, and I prefer the smaller menus of OS2007.

But apparently there are many out there who do use their thumbs and I can see where this would be a nice feature. Still Linux is all about choice. It would be very nice if there were a config file (even if I have to edit it with vi) to choose which menu I get.

Craig...

[yabbas]

I prefer it.

In the past the selective thumb/tap menus wouldn't work effectively (time and time again using my thumbs - say before I set off in the car - the menu pops up in tap mode.) Additionally I think selection between two modes this way is counter-intuitive; we need a GUI design team to really sit down and figure out Hildon HCI properly - dare I say it - the way Apple try to. It's a step in the right direction to reduce "options" this way [I'm sure there are workarounds for people to customize this later.]


Screen DPI is very high, and screen size way too small on our Nxx0's; because of that - when tapping on the menu I'd occasionally load the wrong application on OS2007. It's literally a case of missing one of the options by a few pixels.


Oddly enough this doesn't happen as often with application menu options; it seems to affect me most with the application list.



I do agree smaller menus are more useful - simply because of the increased information available. But it's really a case of usability vs usefulness.

[krisse]

Didn't they toggle to thumb size for you in OS2007 when using your finger ?
I guess I'm curious why they would remove functionality unless it didn't work for people. It seemed to work fine for me.

In theory the toggling (putting your finger on the screen instead of the stylus) worked, but in practice it didn't, for me at least.

Most of the time I tried to use my fingers with the menus, they would give me the stylus version.

What would be great is if there was the option to set this to your particular preference (big, small or toggle-operated), that way everyone would be happy.

[iball]

You know, it would have been pretty damned nice if Nokia had just let the consumer decide on this via a checkblock in the "Panels" section of the Control Panel.

Again, this bug - along with other bugs - would have EASILY been borne out via a little public beta-testing of OS2008.
And yes, it's a bug NOT a feature. Anything Maemo-related that pisses me off is a bug.

[amigokin]

Anything Maemo-related that pisses me off is a bug.

HAHAHA! Oh Lord, you made me laugh :D

Let's just wait for the next release of the yet unreleased OS for the N800 :-P

[Moonshine]

Maybe what puzzles me is that it's just one of only two random portions of the release that I've seen that are forced to be "finger friendly" sized now. The other being some massive scroll bars in the media player. (ummm, ugly.)

But I don't see how this really helps the OS overall for finger use. So now we can always launch apps via large buttons. Great. But how about when you are in the app? The dropdown menus are the same as before and still beyond most people's fingers. Scroll bars are only finger size in the media player (thank god, don't let that spread). You're not navigating links on a web page with your finger unless your at 200% or on the dpad at like a chipmunk at 1000 rpm. Selecting email is a bit tight for most fingers. Trying to get at the close and minimize are tight for fingers as are the items and their menus in the system bar. You're going to get the stylus sized keyboard unles you use the same (unreliable?) finger touch to activate the thumboard version. Really anything else that's finger friendly is purely due to UI choices in the application itself, not the OS.

Oh well. Hopefully there is an option hidden some where for us stylus users. Gconf maybe???

[Benson]

Scroll bars are only finger size in the media player (thank god, don't let that spread).
I wish scroll bars would be 1.5x to 2x the width of ITOS2007. Not HUGE, but not so small either.
You're not navigating links on a web page with your finger unless your at 200% or on the dpad at like a chipmunk at 1000 rpm.
LOL
But I do hit links with my fingers. I rarely zoom, and never to 200%. At 100%, it's a challenge, but workable; at 120%, not difficult. For me. YMMV
But here's a tip: The D-pad starts selecting from the cursor location, which is the last tapped location. So tap somewhere near the link you want, and then D-pad there. Useful on pages where links are small and dense.
Oh well. Hopefully there is an option hidden some where for us stylus users. Gconf maybe???
It may be hoped. If you find out, share! maybe they're just exercising some existing functionality, and I can make all menus large in my N800 during the long wait till December.