Great to see it's not just me then. I really thought I was missing something here.

This really needs a fix soon, or I am going to have to have a look at the New IPhone.



G.

i agree it needs to be fixed, but please don't bring "I'll have to look at the iPhone" "threat". if you don't like the n900 for that reason alone, and you are willing to go to a phone without a keyboard...well, just go.

Someone with enough smarts about the contacts programming will be more inclined to look at the issue with measured support and requests... just my opinion.

btw, it will be more safe for you and your passengers to stop the car and make the call then keep driving

I share the same problem with the buddies above,
Stopping the car is not always an option, do you stop your car everytime you need to seek your car radio station? It should be no harder then doing that.

Actually no, i don't stop the car to change radio station, or to answer a call (i'm using headsets in the car).
This is one of the downsides of "touch screen" phones, you can't feel the keys, unlike physical keyboard which you can answer/disconnect/even search contacts without looking at the phone.

In OP case, even if there is a way to have rolodex style in landscape mode it still need you to keep scrolling and looking to the phone which means "distraction".
I hope i don't sound like a traffic police.

I totally agree that it is a distraction, and should be minimized if possible. But sometimes you just HAVE TO. (ofc that can also be delayed, but we are human, we make mistakes and we like it).

Anyway, I had an idea on how to allow calling someone from your contact list with just 3 or 4 clicks without scrolling.
I started implementing it with Qt, but had some problems, I think they are solved now, i'll keep working on it.
The idea is like this :

1. Press to open the SmartContactBook.
- The phone scans all the contacts, and displays KEYS per 1st letter for all contacts, that means that if you don't have contacts starting with Z Y and H, you will have 22 letters, no need for spaces etc.
2. You press a letter.
- Now the phones filters, and scans again the result of the filter, displaying only buttons for the 2nd index letter of the matching names, now you will have far less buttons, like 5 - 10 buttons maybe less.
- At the same time, the phone will already show you a scrollable list with matching contacts, which you can tap to call.
3. You press a letter.
- Odds are you will have your contact now, and can choose it to call
4. Choose contact to call.

4 clicks all around, the improvement over normal VKB (which doesn't exist anyway) less buttons, existing buttons are bigger, easier to call.

I'll see if I can get this going on - I hate scratchbox, and Qt Mobility has been improving so i'll try it again.

hmm I miss the letters too in Contacts when in landscape mode. I am guessing the reason it's not there is because if you are using landscape then chances are you will be using the keyboard to type and find a contact but this wont work well when you have it mounted in a car.

I think Nokia should fix this and have the letters for Contacts in landscape mode too.

/xuggs

Hi

telecomgeek79, your right nothing boring than dum threats, apologises.

eitama, your idea sounds great, I be happy to help out as a tester.

Many thanks to everyone’s reply.

G.

How about, you learn C++ and Qt, develop it, and i'll test it for you? (;

Hi

I wish I had the time.

G.