N-Series: Poll: Tablet Mode or Thumb Board?

[stevejohnson460]

After moving from a Palm IIIxe and a T615C, I find that I use my NX60 almost exclusively in the tablet mode. 

With OKey and McPhling, plus a nice status bar plugin from Cbulock,  I scarcely miss the six "standard" buttons, not to mention the thumb board.

What's your favorite mode, and why?  Do some apps "demand" one or the other?

[Regulus]

I use mine almost exclusively in the tablet mode. I do wish that Sony had put the six buttons in the dark grey plastic area of the NX's. Game play just isn't as good as it was on my Palm M515. It just doesn't feel right anymore in games like Zap.

[willgoss]

I voted for 50/50 but it didn't register

[jmg_NX21]

Tablet mode ALL of time...
except, when in class taking notes *but I am pretty good @ graffiti*

[vcleniuk]

I voted 50/50. With the NX open, I often put it on a desk/table in front of me. This makes reading e-books much easier.

If there were more thumboard shortcuts for pen actions, I would probably use the thumboard even more.

[rldunn]

I'm in keyboard mode if I need to enter any text or if I just need to do something that takes a second or two, and I'm in tablet mode for everything else.

[Disgruntled]

Tablet mode mostly...but keyboard when entering data...it's not too bad once you get used to the feel of the little keys.

[Importluva]

When I first got my NR I had it in tablet mode-now I use it half/half b/c I take extensive notes with it, and when I enter in data into slap or the memo pad.

[xlr8]

More ab out 75/25 in favour of the tablet, i use the open design for tetris and inputting large text bits like emails or long memos

[rhart00]

Tablet mode always. I used the keyboard once to enter the registration code for photoskin but that is the only time I ever used it. I use fitaly for text entry.

[yOyOYoo]

this poll proves that there is a real market for a t-series device with virtual graffiti. Where is it?!?!?

[parmesian]

i started using graffiti back when palm devices only had 512k and i can enter text much faster with graffiti than i can make my big fingers pick out anything on the silly keyboard. for me it has been a complete waste of space.

[kstuart]

Originally posted by yOyOYoo
this poll proves that there is a real market for a t-series device with virtual graffiti. Where is it?!?!?

The keyboard is not the reason for the clamshell, it is just something to make use of the empty space.

The pivoting part of an NR or NX that holds the screen is entirely the screen.   All the rest of the PDA is in the part that has the buttons and the keyboard.

All of those fantasy Clies on the CliePlanet site were 320x480 PDAs that were the size of the pivoting screen on an NR/NX !   This leaves no room for:

- Memory chip

- Card Slot

- Bluetooth chip (always mentioned in the fantasy Clies)

- Processor chip (somehow I think we have to have one of those)

- Audio chip

- Connectors for USB, syncing, headphones, etc.

and most of all:

- Battery which has to be bigger for a bigger screen

In order to have a T665 with 320x480 screen, it would end up being pretty much the same size as an NR70 overall - and the clamshell design allows you to get by without a case (I don't use a case - for the first time - with my NR).

Without the clamshell design, a 320x480 PDA is going to end up being an inch or two longer than an NR70 - and I don't think anyone wants that.   Losing the keyboard doesn't get you much, so an NR70 is a T-series with VG, so go to ebay and get one while they are still there.

[mashoutposse]

I've got a WiFi card, so I'm using it 50/50. Wouldn't dare making posts like this or sending emails from my Clie with graffiti alone. Since I've gotten the card, the keyboard has seen heavy usage.

BTW, any gamers out there should go and get a Game Controller -- it's a quality accessory! You'll wonder how you played games on a PDA before. You'll feel liberated.

[xlr8]

Originally posted by kstuart

Without the clamshell design, a 320x480 PDA is going to end up being an inch or two longer than an NR70 - and I don't think anyone wants that.   Losing the keyboard doesn't get you much, so an NR70 is a T-series with VG, so go to ebay and get one while they are still there.


I agree with you on most things but i dont think it would be an inch or two longer because you wouldnt have the hinge/camera which could be used for space. If they made something the NR size but without the clam shell they could shave down a few millimetres from the thickness and it would be great.

I have an NX and tablet mode is just one of those T series hopes but the problem is there are no buttons

[Eric S]

Originally posted by kstuart
The keyboard is not the reason for the clamshell, it is just something to make use of the empty space.


I have to disagree with that part. I'll get into the details further down.

The pivoting part of an NR or NX that holds the screen is entirely the screen.   All the rest of the PDA is in the part that has the buttons and the keyboard.

All of those fantasy Clies on the CliePlanet site were 320x480 PDAs that were the size of the pivoting screen on an NR/NX !   This leaves no room for:


This, on the other hand, I agree with completely. However the rest does not follow based on this.

In order to have a T665 with 320x480 screen, it would end up being pretty much the same size as an NR70 overall - and the clamshell design allows you to get by without a case (I don't use a case - for the first time - with my NR).

I don't think it would be as small as the existing T series, but I do think it would be about half an inch shorter (the grey area below the screen in tablet mode is almost big enough for the buttons, and the extra room it would need is less than the space the hinge takes up), and a little thinner (by about 0.1-0.15", you are getting rid of two layers of case and the keyboard, after all). True, it sounds more like a taller SJ series than the T series, but that's acceptable to me.

As for the case, that's a non-issue to me, because I prefer belt cases that stay on the belt when the PDA is in use, so I've got one even for my NX.

Without the clamshell design, a 320x480 PDA is going to end up being an inch or two longer than an NR70 - and I don't think anyone wants that.   Losing the keyboard doesn't get you much, so an NR70 is a T-series with VG

... and app buttons that you can't use when the thing is configured to most conveniently fit in your hand, that is in tablet mode.

Why would it be longer? The Garmin iQue is shorter than the NR/NX, and it is a 320x480 PDA. I'll be the first to admit that the Garmin isn't visually as sexy as the T series, but if you dropped the GPS antenna, what would be left would probably be just a little bit larger than a T at most.

[kstuart]

Why would it be longer? The Garmin iQue is shorter than the NR/NX, and it is a 320x480 PDA. I'll be the first to admit that the Garmin isn't visually as sexy as the T series, but if you dropped the GPS antenna, what would be left would probably be just a little bit larger than a T at most.

Actually the iQue is the same width as the NR and the length is the same as the NR from the center of the hinge to the bottom (and, of course, the hinge of an NR is bigger than it would otherwise be, in order to accomodate the camera).

But, the iQue is 33% thicker than an NR.

There is no doubt that if you make a PDA the size of the 320x480 screen plus a row of buttons (ie 5 inches high), then that works as long as the user is willing to accept a thicker PDA.

The fact that the iQue - a "tablet mode" PDA - is thicker than an NR - a clamshell PDA - shows that removing the clamshell is not going to make the product appreciably smaller.

[Perputing]

I use my NX in tablet mode 70% of the time. However the key board comes in handy in a meeting situation. I was surprised with how easy it was to use when I first got it but... after seeing a friends NZ! Wow. The key board becomes even more functional, especially as it doesn't have the rolled up edge that can make the "p" hard to write.

If you are concerned about a THICK PDA, the NZ is it. Still looks and feels like a brick no matter what you say about it. The NX fits my pocket just fine.