2007/8/12, Derek Pressnall <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: > > One of the things that I've found on most pda-phones/smartphones is > that they make the phone capabilities feel like just another > application. But when you want to use the device as a phone, it would > be nice for the rest of the features to melt into the background. The > Motorola A780 does this nicely; it is a pda-phone when the flip is > opened, but with the flip closed it becomes a regular feature-phone. > > So, that gives me an idea for UI layout. First, have the interface > support two virtual desktops, most likely via the window manager. The > primary desktop (PDA desktop) would remain how OpenMoko has it > currently laid out. The second desktop (PHONE desktop), however, > should resemble the face of a normal phone. The bottom half (or two > thirds, whatever) of the screen would have a permanent phone keypad > displayed (the keypad app), includuding directional buttons and > several special-purpose buttons (answer/disconnect, function-A, > function-B, Menu, OK, etc.). Any application running in the Phone > desktop would only be able to write to the window in the upper part of > the screen, and they would receive their input through the keypad app > runnin in the bottom. The keypad app could have an API so that apps > can request that certain keys be re-labled when that app is in the > forground, but other than that the keypad would always display a > similar layout for any running app. This would enforce a consistant > feel among the various apps. > > Now any app that wants to use the secondary Phone desktop would have > to be specifically coded for it; I'm thinking that apps such as the > Dialer would be running in the background, and have an active > connection to the Phone desktop along with the PDA desktop. The list > of apps that should have Phone desktop capabilities would include the > Dialer, SMS/Email, Media player, Calculator.
I'm in agreement with all what quoted above, and for obtain this I think that must be implemented at least three things: Multitouch screen, Tactile feedback via buzzer, and a good input method like these: http://wiki.openmoko.org/wiki/Wishlist:Text_Input#New_input_methods (for me finger splash could be very good). Substantially, IMHO the "finger use" of principal functions of the phone joined with a good text input interface is basically for the real usability of the terminal as a phone.
_______________________________________________ OpenMoko community mailing list [email protected] http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community
