Database Users

Poor Exec ergonomics? Just me or everybody?

There are a few things I'd change about the ergonomics of the Universal. I'm right-handed so I hold the thing in my left hand and operate with my right. Before this I had an XDA2.
- on/off switch should be on the right-hand side of the case, under the 'Enter' key and should be easier to find without looking (i.e. by feel only). In portrait mode it should be at the top of the machine
- the pen should come out of the case in the same location as it does for the XDA2, i.e. under the '->' key on the keyboard. In portrait mode I have to reach over the top of the Exec and fumble the pen out from the left side of the machine
- the phone answer/end buttons on the hinge are exactly where my thumb is located when I hold the phone while talking in portrait mode (I listen through my left ear), so I often press them by accident while talking. They should be at the opposite end of the hinge IMHO and they should light up when a call comes in
- camera lens is at the wrong end of the machine: in tablet mode but landscape (which is the only orientation the camera seems to allow :roll: :?: ) I hold the Exec with my left hand and press the shutter button with my right and in this position my left-hand fingers often obscure the lens. If the lens was at the SD-card end of the case I could hold the Exec comfortably in my left hand without obscuring the lens
I love this machine but I'm curious to know whether I'm the only one who finds it slightly awkward to use in some circumstances. Maybe because of the dual format (tablet/laptop) it'd be impossible to get perfect, but the above changes would help me a lot.

Kind of agree, but I'll adapt.
The other niggle - my lovely Proporta case, complete with belt clip - you leave the device in the case to use it. Perfect! Except the toggle for the belt clip is, of course, on the previously "flat" camera side, so I can no longer sit the thing on a desk to type without first unscrewing (and probably losing) the belt clip toggle...
Pah.

It seems that space issues dictate where the pen went.
Infact, if you look the end curves to go above the usb socket!
I used to laugh at the Magician owners when I had XDAII, i had a real stylus and they had a stubby little square thing.
Bah, i feel foolish now.

On the positive side though, just how many speakers does this thing have? I've counted four so far...
Two on the side edge (stereo), plus one above the screen in tablet mode, and then another one in the plain side where the holes are (above the Enter key when the clamshell is closed).
Just answered a phone call with the case closed and the sound was coming from those holes. So we can answer it both when the clamshell is closed and when it's in tablet mode. Awesome! No more dirty screen!
Does it automatically answer the phone if you open the clamshell to view the screen when it rings? Haven't tried this yet.

SiliconS said:
Does it automatically answer the phone if you open the clamshell to view the screen when it rings? Haven't tried this yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol ive been meaning to do that for months.
and yup. ive just tested it, you can open and close as many times as you like, then close and press the green button.
no worries
the caller detials are nicer in wide and the pic is bigger im sure

Front aluminum sheet!!
Has anyone encountered the same?! I have used the phone with closed clamshell and many times when my sideburners got stuck in between the slight attachement edge of the metal sheet on the clamshel!
I thought it is inconvenient and now I believe it is so! The metal sheet is not properly glued to the phone body!!
Poor craftwork

Re: Front aluminum sheet!!
Cyber-mate said:
Has anyone encountered the same?! I have used the phone with closed clamshell and many times when my sideburners got stuck in between the slight attachement edge of the metal sheet on the clamshel!
I thought it is inconvenient and now I believe it is so! The metal sheet is not properly glued to the phone body!!
Poor craftwork
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hehehe :lol:
It sounds funny, but I guess (like the points I made in my original post) it's a small irritation for you. Wonder whether they have bearded testers in the HTC factories...

Re: Front aluminum sheet!!
SiliconS said:
Hehehe :lol:
It sounds funny, but I guess (like the points I made in my original post) it's a small irritation for you. Wonder whether they have bearded testers in the HTC factories...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Although it is funny but way too serious :wink:
Yet your suggestion for beard testers is recommended

Are we all agreed...

... that the power button of the Universal is in the completely wrong place? It should have been where it was on the MDA Pro: top right corner.
WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?

Bothered me for about 10mins...then just got used to it.

the MDA Pro /is/ an HTC Universal, innit?
As for keys... I just got a new keyboard to replace my old one which had broken in half (just the casing, but you get the idea). I hate replacing keyboards because they always switch keys around... delete is now in the top right, instead of next to insert in the bottom right - left alt moved one over to the left where an Fn key was, and where the left alt was is now an additional backslash key (yep, there's two). So now whenever I want to alt-tab or alt-f4, it either doesn't work, or my screen will be filled with backslashes
That said, I'm already getting used to it again.
Consider these things, mostly, minor nuisances - you'll get used to it soon enough. Doesn't take away that there -are- of course some devices with button locations that are just ill-conceived; e.g. a lamp I've got has its on/off switch 'hidden' behind the glass hood that covers the lamp... the problem is that if the lamp's been on for a while, reaching that button means risking a 1st degree burn if you touch the glass I just unplug it instead.

I think it'll continue to annoy me, as I will always need two hands to switch it on. Difficult when I'm on my bike (I like living dangerously), bothersome in most other situations.
Anton.Valleyman said:
Bothered me for about 10mins...then just got used to it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Hermes Keyboard

Hi,
I am just checking on my new Softbank Hermes
Just noticed that the keys the farthest right of the keyboard are little bit deeper (or sunk) that the ones on the left...but they response perfectly.
Are your unit the same ?
Thanks

anyone ? I have 3 days for exchange ..

I have an HTC Tytn and my keyboard is not like that.

My T key has a big oval of paint scraped off of it, and the backlight shows through, seems the center of my keyboard had a hump in it.
If you can exchange it, I likely would.

sectorlord said:
Hi,
I am just checking on my new Softbank Hermes
Just noticed that the keys the farthest right of the keyboard are little bit deeper (or sunk) that the ones on the left...but they response perfectly.
Are your unit the same ?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Internally the Hermes has on one side of the keyboard (can't remember if this is shown on the wiki pictures) a foam rubber block running from the qwerty row down to the spacebar row. At the opposite end this is absent as internal parts make up the gap. It does not surprise me that there is some uneven-ness in external appearance though this should be very minimal. If your keyboard works perfectly I'd hang onto it given numerous reported problems with unresponsiveness of keys.
My keyboard if anything is a fraction higher in central area but not so high it scrapes on screen assembly.
Mike

Hi Mike,
Thanks for the tip...
Browsing from the pics, youre right, the left side has this foam block and the other side has none. That's why the keyboard is high on the left side and slowly sinking going to the right...(around half of millimeter..)
My unit is working perfectly, and I dont want to change it if the unit would be the same.... it might be the design ,...

sectorlord said:
Hi Mike,
My unit is working perfectly, and I dont want to change it if the unit would be the same.... it might be the design ,...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Quite right would be a gamble. Was just about to guide you to pictures just as you replied saying you'd seen them!!
Mike

Dont know why you have a hump on the center part of your keyboard...your foam block might be in the center in your case ?
I also saw that the keyboard PCB is fixed by a clip on the right and a black thing on the left side...do you know what's this thing ?
so...there a way to "perfect it" by putting a slightly thinner foam on the right side to equalize the pressure...
Do you have a pic on how to do it ?

Hardware buttons doesn't work anymore on my Trinity.

Hi all, my Trinity's hardware buttons doesn't work.
The 2 softkey hardware buttons, the red and the green button, the ok button and the Start button seems to be broken also if they have backlight. All the others buttons are ok.
I've tried to softreset, hardreset and flash the ROM (I'm using last Ervius ROM). After flashing for the first time the buttons were ok for a littewhile but now they seems to be broken again even after several flash. I've also tried to downgrade to wm5 but nothing change. I think that is an hardware issue and I'm going to try to fix it by opening my Trinity hoping that is just a flat connector pluged out but if someone else has experienced the same problem and has to suggest me something is really welcome.

Campo said:
Hi all, my Trinity's hardware buttons doesn't work.
The 2 softkey hardware buttons, the red and the green button, the ok button and the Start button seems to be broken also if they have backlight. All the others buttons are ok.
I've tried to softreset, hardreset and flash the ROM (I'm using last Ervius ROM). After flashing for the first time the buttons were ok for a littewhile but now they seems to be broken again even after several flash. I've also tried to downgrade to wm5 but nothing change. I think that is an hardware issue and I'm going to try to fix it by opening my Trinity hoping that is just a flat connector pluged out but if someone else has experienced the same problem and has to suggest me something is really welcome.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I experienced this myself, and replaced this item:
http://cnn.cn/shop/p3600dopod-d810-keypad-p-1825.html
HPN

keys are stuck
Mine also, but solved it after a couple of days (temporarily). The hardware buttons problem seems to be related with one of the keys stuck. If one of those keys is stuck none of the others work. I tried "fast" double clicking on one key at a time to unstuck and it worked for me. Mine has been working for two weeks with no problem. Anyway I ordered that part "just in case".
So before opening your trinity try to unstuck the keys. It seems to be related with humidity conditions and carrying the phone in the pocket (just a guess).

hpn said:
I experienced this myself, and replaced this item:
http://cnn.cn/shop/p3600dopod-d810-keypad-p-1825.html
HPN
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks !

n0t said:
Mine also, but solved it after a couple of days (temporarily). The hardware buttons problem seems to be related with one of the keys stuck. If one of those keys is stuck none of the others work. I tried "fast" double clicking on one key at a time to unstuck and it worked for me. Mine has been working for two weeks with no problem. Anyway I ordered that part "just in case".
So before opening your trinity try to unstuck the keys. It seems to be related with humidity conditions and carrying the phone in the pocket (just a guess).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm going to try this becouse during the last 4 days sometimes the buttons work so.... thanks!

Ok, nothing work.
I've also tried to open the device but looking behind the buttons pad fortunally/unfortunally there isn't an evident hardware problem.
The only solution is to replace the pad.

Hi to all.
I have had buttons not working on my trinity for some time. was tempted to send it back for repair but i did not want to be without my phone and did not want to have to stick the old wm5 rom back on!!
I took my trinity apart too see if i could see anything wrong. and got it down to the keypad. one thing i did notice is that there was a lot of dust. also around the small disks that provide the buttons, there are 3 small holes in the sealing sheet. seems that the construction of the switch array is circuit board at the bottom, with small tin disks on top, all held in place with a thin plastic sheet.
The tin disks 'pop' inside out when you press the buttons, making the contact for the switch. On the old nokia phones, these disks got deformed and this would make the button work but with no click. I had a click but no button operation, and with the holes, and all the dust i found, i figured that it must be dusty contacts.
so here is how i managed to fix my buttons for free:
1, strip the phone to get to the keyboard circuit (i used this link clicky)
2, clean all the dust from the buttons
3, start to tease the plastic film from the front of the board (i used a sharp knife but mind your fingers and take care not to damage the board)
4, once one corner is up you should be able to slowly pull the film up (take care not to damage the disks as the plastic comes up but make sure the disks stay on the plastic sheet)
5, dont pull the sheet totally off otherwise you will have a job getting it all to line up after.
6, get some alcohol or head cleaning fluid on a cotton bud and clean all the gold contacts, as well as the insides of the discs.
7, slowly rub the plastic film to put it back where it came from, taking care to get the disks in the center of the gold contacts.
8, rebuild and test
All being well you should have working buttons again!!! It seems the design of the buttons lets dust inside the workings.
Hope this helps someone with clicking buttons but no action!!!

Touch screen stops working

When I slide out my wizard's keyboard, the touch screen doesn't react to any touching any longer.
Anyone know how this can be fixed? If I re-close the wizard, the screen is fine again.
Very strange!

Yes xtrange!?
Its soo xtrange
does you upgrade your wizard... or got this issue since you own the device?
maybe a drop!!!!
We need every info you have done since it works to the stops time.

Well, there's one of two explanations that seem most likely to me:
1) Your device, due to some software malfunction, no longer responds correctly to touch input while in landscape mode. To test this, with the wizard keyboard still away in the locked position, open the screen settings, located in the 'System' tab of the control panel. Select an orientation of 'Landscape (Left-Handed)'. Does the device interpret touches properly now? If not, we've found your problem. You can return to portrait (normal mode) by sliding the keyboard all the way out and then returning it to the locked position.
2) One of the ribbon cables, due to age, damage, shoddy manufacturing, etc., has become loose. This means that the force of your keyboard sliding out may push a few of the internal contacts into a position where they no longer make a good connection. If this is the case, your problem most likely can be resolved by opening the device and securing the touchscreen ribbon cable. There's a service manual floating around that can help you with this, if you're brave enough, but I don't suggest you try it until you've evaluated the possibility of a software problem.

Haha nice. I never paid attention to notice that display screen. You were totally right. Swapping it to landscape via software, it is still working so it must be an internal cable.
Do you know if the same cable operates the 4 way arrow keys on the front face of the device? up/down works, but left/right does not, but this is all the time not just in landscape.

Synced said:
Haha nice. I never paid attention to notice that display screen. You were totally right. Swapping it to landscape via software, it is still working so it must be an internal cable.
Do you know if the same cable operates the 4 way arrow keys on the front face of the device? up/down works, but left/right does not, but this is all the time not just in landscape.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Chances are the flex cable between the mainboard & the screen sub-assembly is faulty & needs to be replaced.
You can find them on eBay or buy a faulty unit off eBay & re-use the flex cable to fix your unit.
Konker