No scroll wheel

[51Cards]

I was really excited about the release of the Touch Pro here in Canada and all set to dump my trusty P4000 until today I find out there is no scroll wheel on the side of the TP. This is really disappointing. I use 80% of the daily usage of my device through that little side wheel and the OK button beside it. Not having it there is going to feel like a big handicap. It won't stop me from getting the device but this has certainly taken most of the shine off my expectations.

Very disappointed

Would like to hear from other 'thumb-wheel' device owners who have moved to the Touch Pro and how you've adapted.

(PS, what is up with the new sucky thread editor on the forums? Haven't been here in awhile but this new rich text editor is a PITA. The only way to move your cursor up to a previous line to edit is by right clicking and selecting text in that location. This is in FF3. Weird, vBulletin doesn't usually release versions with these kinds of issues.)

[p-slim]

Originally Posted by 51Cards

I was really excited about the release of the Touch Pro here in Canada and all set to dump my trusty P4000 until today I find out there is no scroll wheel on the side of the TP. This is really disappointing. I use 80% of the daily usage of my device through that little side wheel and the OK button beside it. Not having it there is going to feel like a big handicap. It won't stop me from getting the device but this has certainly taken most of the shine off my expectations.

Very disappointed

Would like to hear from other 'thumb-wheel' device owners who have moved to the Touch Pro and how you've adapted.

(PS, what is up with the new sucky thread editor on the forums? Haven't been here in awhile but this new rich text editor is a PITA. The only way to move your cursor up to a previous line to edit is by right clicking and selecting text in that location. This is in FF3. Weird, vBulletin doesn't usually release versions with these kinds of issues.)

This is funny to me because I never use my side scroll wheel.

[themuffinman]

Originally Posted by p-slim

This is funny to me because I never use my side scroll wheel.

Same here, I never used the scroll wheel, I mean without a touch screen is one thing but with touchflo one handed operation is alot easier than using the scroll wheel.

[Cicatrize]

I used my scroll wheel all the time with the Mogul. I loved that thing and miss it dearly. But, like people are saying, with a nicer TouchFlo interface, it won't be a big deal.

[InvincibleLiving]

i never used it... and even if i did, i'd quickly get used to not having it...just like the direction the kb slides out... got used to it on the apache... they switched it (and the directional keypad location) to the oposite side on the mogul... and now they're switching it back again on the touch pro... minor adjustments. no biggie.

[munnarg]

Where have you been that you NOW realized there's no scroll wheel lol?

[51Cards]

I find it surprising that so few people use the scroll wheel. I can palm the phone in one hand and run through menus and lists selecting items quickly. I also know how many 'clicks' it is to get to many functions without looking at the device. (OK, down two clicks, Select and my calendar is open... OK, down 3 clicks, Select... PocketCM is open... scroll wheel down to the contact name... Select twice to dial... OK button on the side closes almost any screen...) To me it's an indispensable interface.

A few have mentioned that TouchFlo replaces the wheel however what if you decide to disable it? The 'switch to landscape' issue with covering over your notification messages when you open the keyboard looks to be quite annoying and after a few times is going to inspire removal of TouchFlo. I guess it depends what you use the device for but I prefer to take out much of the "bling" and get down to the core of Windows Mobile on a quick device with lots of memory and a great res screen. I tend to remote desktop into servers with my current device and I am looking forward to the larger screen for this purpose. When you take the device back to its core OS I suspect the lack of a decent scroll/select/ok wheel becomes more of an issue. Also on the web browser I hear the 'dial' zooms a page and doesn't scroll it. How do you one handed scroll a page without having to flick the screen? Without TouchFlo do I now have to drag my finger down the scroll bar?

Also the lack of an external camera button I've been hearing about looks to be annoying.

Don't get me wrong, I will upgrade anyhow for the aforementioned features (screen, RAM, speed, GPS) but usability wise I think far too much focus was placed on requiring an installed software GUI to manage the device and thus removing many standard interface options (like buttons) that would continue to make the device more well rounded. I like that on my P4000 I can open the camera with a button, move around with buttons, open the COM manager with a button. Lately it seems to be more design over function... seems to be a little too rampant in the mobile device world lately.

I will comment more once I see how I adapt to it.

[b0ris84]

when i had a blackberry scroll wheel was needed. I hate the new thing on them. On the mogul i almost never use it. With a touch screen i barely touched anything except the screen.

[luckieyoung]

Never use my scroll... useless to me.

[midiology]

Originally Posted by 51Cards

I find it surprising that so few people use the scroll wheel. I can palm the phone in one hand and run through menus and lists selecting items quickly. I also know how many 'clicks' it is to get to many functions without looking at the device. (OK, down two clicks, Select and my calendar is open... OK, down 3 clicks, Select... PocketCM is open... scroll wheel down to the contact name... Select twice to dial... OK button on the side closes almost any screen...) To me it's an indispensable interface.

A few have mentioned that TouchFlo replaces the wheel however what if you decide to disable it? The 'switch to landscape' issue with covering over your notification messages when you open the keyboard looks to be quite annoying and after a few times is going to inspire removal of TouchFlo. I guess it depends what you use the device for but I prefer to take out much of the "bling" and get down to the core of Windows Mobile on a quick device with lots of memory and a great res screen. I tend to remote desktop into servers with my current device and I am looking forward to the larger screen for this purpose. When you take the device back to its core OS I suspect the lack of a decent scroll/select/ok wheel becomes more of an issue. Also on the web browser I hear the 'dial' zooms a page and doesn't scroll it. How do you one handed scroll a page without having to flick the screen? Without TouchFlo do I now have to drag my finger down the scroll bar?

Also the lack of an external camera button I've been hearing about looks to be annoying.

Don't get me wrong, I will upgrade anyhow for the aforementioned features (screen, RAM, speed, GPS) but usability wise I think far too much focus was placed on requiring an installed software GUI to manage the device and thus removing many standard interface options (like buttons) that would continue to make the device more well rounded. I like that on my P4000 I can open the camera with a button, move around with buttons, open the COM manager with a button. Lately it seems to be more design over function... seems to be a little too rampant in the mobile device world lately.

I will comment more once I see how I adapt to it.

Wow,, No offense my friend,, and Im not trying to throw turds at you,, but You need to stop concentrating on the small stuff,, I have had the ppc6700, the motorola q, the mogul/titan and the touch, and Ill tell you, I thought when I bought the mogul and got rid of my 6700 that having that wheel would solve a lot of my problems,, well after installing touchflo the only usage the wheel got was adjusting my volume in call.. the wheel is not a bad thing, nor is it a great thing,, it is just a thing, and I would say that since you are so hooked on the wheel and a camera button, I would just stay with what you have, or at least go get you a blackberry and live happily ever after