A unique PPC design

uwaku · 02-01-07, 09:04 AM

OKWAP of Taiwan is releasing a new idea for Pocket PC phones - a virtual D-Pad based on the numeric keypad! To navigate, just use the 5 key as your center button and the surrounding number buttons as the rest of the pad.
The phone is referred to as a "Smartphone" in the GearFuse article, but it's actually a PPC phone. It includes a stylus, touchscreen, 416Mhz CPU, 128MB ROM and 64MB RAM, SD or MMC cards, GPRS, Bluetooth and Infrared. The S868 will starting selling in Taiwan late February for $470, and there's little chance we'll see it. Nice idea for navigation, though, no?

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imported_hyedipin · 02-01-07, 09:56 AM

This can be done in any phone, but I really like the smooth layout of the buttons and on top of it touch screen PPC phone! Looks like a phone, not a brick.

juiceppc · 02-01-07, 02:24 PM

NO! This is not a "nice idea for navigation". Have you read any of the reviews or used a BlackJack? People do not like the flush dpad. It causes too many accidental button pushes. Imagine how many times you accidentally push the wrong button because you can't discriminate.

Look, we don't need to reinvent the dpad every other week. Sheesh. How about figuring out longer battery life? Something useful.

Admin · 02-01-07, 02:31 PM

I have zero problems with the BlackJack Dpad, even with fat fingers, but I do see a potetial issue with this particular example.

juiceppc · 02-01-07, 04:43 PM

Originally Posted by Chris Leckness

I have zero problems with the BlackJack Dpad, even with fat fingers, but I do see a potetial issue with this particular example.

Maybe the BlackJack was a bad example but tell me this.

What dpad is better the BlackJack or Treo?

I have the BlackJack and a Wizard. The Wizard dpad to me is far superior. I don't have to look at it when using it. I can tell where my thumb is just by feeling it. I don't get why companies continue to change the dpad? Leave it as close to a Treo design as possible. Heck, or even the JaQ3. Concave. Not flat. Please?

Admin · 02-01-07, 05:26 PM

Honestly, I like the BlackJacks layout better. Less thumb traveling to navigate. BUT... I see your point that the 750's (which I am actually carrying right now) does have a better feel. I dont have to "try" to come off the dpad to do something else.