The Hopp Stop

7Mar/100

links for 2010-03-07

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6Mar/100

links for 2010-03-06

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5Mar/100

iPhone touch screen reigns supreme

P1010521.jpgFor various reasons, since last fall I have tried out a a Motorola Droid (Android platform) and a Palm Pre Plus (webOS platform) as potential replacements for my iPhone 3GS. Both times, I have returned the would-be usurpers of my smartphone throne, with the iPhone remaining the clear winner (AT&T network issues aside, but I have concluded that they are not enough of a dealbreaker to force me to give up the iPhone). I would divide the reasons for the iPhone's continued leadership into two categories: 1) third-party app selection and 2) myriad minor refinements that add up to a better user experience (I think that is generally abbreviated as UX).

Regarding the latter, the user experience, it manifests in such ways as the little "bump" that a scrolling page exhibits when it reaches the end of the page, to provide the user with visual feedback. A very significant element of Apple's advantage in UX is the touchscreen. The iPhone touchscreen offers everything you want in a touchscreen: button presses are recognized the first time, with a natural level of force required from the user; multitouch is implemented throughout the OS; and the screen accurately traces the user's finger.

Both the Droid and the Pre Plus come up far short. The most noticeable shortcoming is in recognizing button presses, where you have to press an on-screen button multiple times before the press is recognized. This writer's account of Pre Plus frustrations rings very true for me. (I can also confirm his complaints about abysmal battery life and copy/paste frustrations, but enjoyed the integrated SMS/IM app.) Using these phones feels like you are navigating a touch screen that has a layer of petroleum jelly on it, or using a mouse on your computer with your opposite hand--everything is a bit more frustrating, you have to be more deliberate, and so on.

As the Wired article notes, both hardware and software aspects are important in creating a good touchscreen experience for users, so I am not sure which come up short for iPhone competitors. Probably a bit of both. I'm curious to see how long it takes smartphone competitors to catch up. Although the Pre Plus' webOS platform is very young, I'm more surprised by that phone's failings than the Droid, given that Palm has control of both hardware and software for the Pre and there are a great many former Apple employees at Palm. Insufficient resources, perhaps?

Anyway, absence makes the heart grow fonder, and I'm happy to be back using a smartphone that eliminates the little frustrations that make you curse...

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4Mar/100

links for 2010-03-04

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3Mar/100

links for 2010-03-03

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2Mar/100

links for 2010-03-02

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