[Mr_F]

Okay, this is a bit of an out there thought - and one that may not even be technically possible - but I thought I'd throw it out there anyway.

I'm a Z10 user more than willing to adapt and accept the new way of editing text sans the trackpad on legacy BBOS devices. The problem is I still have to use my Bold occasionally. Whenever I do, I'm immediately reminded just how good / convenient / elegant the trackpad was and still is for editing text. This got me thinking. What if there was a way to incorporate a (digital) trackpad into the current BB10 UI?

What I'm suggesting is coding a digital trackpad directly into the on-screen keyboard. I'd like to see this trackpad activated by long pressing the ?123 key (found in the bottom left hand corner of the current keyboard). For those of you familiar with the remote control function in the BlackBerry Bridge app for the PlayBook, you will already know how well an on-screen trackpad can work. 'All they'd need to do' is code the same Bridge trackpad directly into the current keyboard.

I've attached some quick mocks of how it might work / look. Any thoughts? Do you miss the trackpad on your Z10? Is this something you could see yourself using?

1) New keyboard layout and 2) Toggle to trackpad view





1) Default trackpad view and 2) Return to keyboard mechanism





1)Finger / Input trail and 2) Exit trackpad and return to keyboard

[wolf_359]

K believe someone suggested something similar a couple months ago. Some were for it, some not. Personally i don't need it but to each their own.

[Whyareallthegoodnamestaken]

Interesting idea. Would help with text editing.

[toutounjiomar]

Phenomenal idea!

Posted via CB10

[zten]

It's too gimmicky and would cause more problems than solutions.

Posted via CB10

[xamdam]

Buy a q10

Posted via CB10, BB10, Z10

[Spawn12]

Buy a q10

Posted via CB10, BB10, Z10

Which still doesn't have a trackpad??? So he would still have the same issue on the Q10.

OP its a good idea that but to be honest i ever really had a good experience with the trackpad on my 9900. In fact I found it hindered me most of the time.

Posted via CB10

[SDTRMG]

It's a great idea and would good as an option, but I feel It would create unnecessary steps to editing (going back between the keyboard and track pad could be time consuming.


But it's a good idea, maybe even if they made just above the keyboard turn to a small strip for track pad use while using the keyboard could be more effective.

Posted via CB10

[xamdam]

Which still doesn't have a trackpad??? So he would still have the same issue on the Q10.

OP its a good idea that but to be honest i ever really had a good experience with the trackpad on my 9900. In fact I found it hindered me most of the time.

Posted via CB10

I thought q10 has a small track pad in middle of phone close to screen and keyboard?

If not must of been looking at a mock design then. I will look again for it.

Posted via CB10, BB10, Z10

[Whyareallthegoodnamestaken]

Don't think it has a track pad. That's one of the things that has put me off the idea of a Q10. With an OS like this I'd prefer a bigger screen if I can't have a track pad.

[Mr_F]

Interesting idea. Would help with text editing.

Agreed. BB10 is definitely built with touch input in mind but the one area where it stumbles (imo) is text editing. It works okay but the trackpad is a much more effective / elegant solution - I'm reminded of this every time I use my old device. I think this would be the best of both worlds. Having it built into the keyboard ensures it will only be used for text editing.

[Mr_F]

It's too gimmicky and would cause more problems than solutions.

Posted via CB10

How so? And how is it any more of a gimmick than a trackpad on a 9900?

[Kat0908]

I thought q10 has a small track pad in middle of phone close to screen and keyboard?

If not must of been looking at a mock design then. I will look again for it.

Posted via CB10, BB10, Z10

The Q10 does NOT have a track pad.

Posted via CB10

[Mr_F]

It's a great idea and would good as an option, but I feel It would create unnecessary steps to editing (going back between the keyboard and track pad could be time consuming.


But it's a good idea, maybe even if they made just above the keyboard turn to a small strip for track pad use while using the keyboard could be more effective.

Posted via CB10

Glad you like the idea. The thing is (re your suggestion) the keyboard already takes up a significant portion of the screen. Adding anything above it may start to seriously hinder the user experience. You'd effectively be left with less screen real estate than on the Q10 - and people are already saying that's too small. I think it makes more sense to utilize the space that's already there (ie the keyboard).

Also, not sure if I agree re the time consuming aspect of switching between views. It would take no longer than long pressing the shift key to turn on caps lock or down swiping to toggle between views. Returning to the keyboard from the trackpad could be achieved with a simple tap of the ABC button (if a long press is too time consuming). So no time at all really.

[Spawn12]

I thought q10 has a small track pad in middle of phone close to screen and keyboard?

If not must of been looking at a mock design then. I will look again for it.

Posted via CB10, BB10, Z10

First time I've ever heard of the q10 having a trackpad. It definitely doesn't have one as BB10 is gesture based so I don't think we will ever see a trackpad on a BlackBerry again.

Posted via CB10

[Whyareallthegoodnamestaken]

First time I've ever heard of the q10 having a trackpad. It definitely doesn't have one as BB10 is gesture based so I don't think we will ever see a trackpad on a BlackBerry again.

Posted via CB10

Not such a bad thing (physical ones anyway), gestures are lots of fun.

[JayBlack40]

How would you even select text with just a trackpad? You need the shift key as well to start the selection process. Did you ever consider that?

[Mr_F]

How would you even select text with just a trackpad? You need the shift key as well to start the selection process. Did you ever consider that?

Yes I did - which is why there is a shift key present in all of the mock images.

[Atentozedten]

Interesting idea. Would help with text editing.

With 10.1 text editing has changed a lot. It has become super easy and convenient.

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[MES28]

I could definitely also see value in something like this when it comes to navigating web pages where you get pop ups and have a tiny target to select. Maybe my fingers just aren't accurate enough but I find myself wasting a lot if time trying to select a little X or a small area for a link. I end up having to zoom way in which sometimes causes other issues.

Great idea and would definitely improve functionality for precision tasks. Like an on screen mouse pad.

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[der_mit]

I would just prefer more functions with the overflow icon, imagine
Editing text, you put the cursor at the point you want to edit, you hit the overflow icon, and there's an option in there to select, as you swipe over the text it highlights and then you hit overflow again, and there's a paste option.

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[Mr_F]

I would just prefer more functions with the overflow icon, imagine
Editing text, you put the cursor at the point you want to edit, you hit the overflow icon, and there's an option in there to select, as you swipe over the text it highlights and then you hit overflow again, and there's a paste option.

Posted via CB10

Maybe it's jut me but that all sounds a bit long winded. The 'beauty' of the digital trackpad is that it fits within the existing keyboard framework (so it won't require a huge reworking of the current UI). It also greatly assists with cursor placement - which appears to be one of the most common grievances expressed here on the forum.

[Mr_F]

With 10.1 text editing has changed a lot. It has become super easy and convenient.

Posted via CB10

Thanks for the insight - I'm glad BlackBerry are continuing to work on this and I'm excited to see what they've done with it. The current implementation isn't the worst thing ever but I'm of the opinion that they'll be hard pressed to find a solution as elegant as the trackpad. As I said in the OP, I'm reminded of just how well it works every time I pick up my legacy device. I think a digital trackpad placed within the current keyboard could be the best of both worlds. It's technically possible (demonstrated by the PlayBook Bridge app) and comes with the added bonus of it not needing a huge UI reworking.