From: Remo Hofer <remo.nospam_at_gmx.net>
Date: Tue, 05 Nov 2002 10:22:51 +0100

talph_at_hotmail.com (Tom Alphin) wrote:
>"Remo Hofer" <remo.nospam_at_gmx.net> wrote:
>>
>> My proposal would allow either:
>> - one handend operation with looking at the screen
>> - two handed operation without looking
>>
>> In your proposal you could only acces the menu one handed without
>> looking. Even returning to the wps would mean to operate with both
>> hands.
>>
>> I'd prefer to be able to opeate all functions (at least all important
>> functions) single handed. Even if we had to trade off blind usability.
>
>Well; as a recorder user; I don't have the experience you have with this
>device. I would say it is up to you guys with player devces to decide what
>works best.
>
>and no, you could definitely still get to these menus with one hand. It
>would just involve traversing the "hierarchy" of options via the main menu.
>
>EXAMPLE:
>
>if the main menu is like this:
> player view
> playlist view
> explorer view
> preferences
> ...
>
>then you would get to the player view with "menu,right" the playlist with
>"menu, down, right" and the explorer with "menu, down, down, right"
>All entirely memorizable and possible with one hand (even without looking).

You mean, you tap "menu", let it go, and then tap "play" for the
player view with one hand? I always though you mean tapping them
simultanously. If it's like this, I might like your proposal more
than before. But then how does entering the menu and selecting the
first entry differ from entering the player view (asuming we are
in explorer view for example). I think both would be tap "menu"
and then tap "play". Same for "menu,left" and "menu,right".

>That turns what would take in your design as " looking + one to three taps"
>into "2 to 4 taps without looking". Clearly, your model wins on lesser
>numbers of keystrokes, but loses the blind usability that makes driving
>safer.

If the above comment about tapping one key after the other is
wrong, then my system wins in the sence that you can use it with
one hand for accessing all functions. I can't tap two keys
simutanously with one hand (holding the player in the same hand).

>Besides; if you do it your way; you will need to switch between 4 views, not
>three, as the main menu will have to be one of them too; since a single tap
>of the menu button is curently linked to that instead of "switch view"

Of course there are 4 views, even though I don't understand
what's your definition of playlist view. I count the following
views:

player view = wps screen
explorer view = browser
menu view = menu
playlist view = id3 screen (?)

>also, "menu as a toggle" seems less intuitive then "menu as a menu".

That's true, but leaving the menu by using a combo key to enter
a different view isn't intuitive either. Remember, we leave
the menu now by tapping "menu" a second time. It's already some
kind of toggle.

>--tom

-- 
Remo Hofer <remo.nospam_at_gmx.net>
Do NOT remove nospam from email address!

Received on 2002-11-05