[smarty9000]

I would like to know WHY Nokia has implemented these buttons just like all the other manufacturers: using capacitive buttons, with no thought or care about their position, responsiveness and consequences for the user experience?

The Windows Phone is a HANDHELD touch screen device: hands and fingers have to practically interact with it. Gestures have to be made on the phone surface that can easily start or end where these capacitive buttons are placed and accidentally trigger them, taking you out of the currently running app. Also, just holding and passing the phone to somebody else can again accidentally trigger these capacitive buttons very easily.

NOBODY wants a phone where large parts of the surface area are potential 'danger zones' that you have to mentally avoid in order to get on and do what you actually want to do. At the very least their response should be HIGHLY localised to a tiny area circling the icon and definitely have a dead-band gap between these buttons and the rectangular display area.

Why didn’t Nokia take a bold step to acknowledge this problem with a novel immunity policy for the capacitive buttons? How about indenting the glass slightly to remove the possibility of an accidental swipe? How about a lock button on the side that deactivated these buttons temporarily? OR better still, why didn’t you develop a far superior set of high quality physical buttons?

It doesn’t matter how good the quality of the phone software is if the interface to it is a constant annoyance. I guarantee you this will be a factor in the demise of the Windows Phone.

It’s a shame really because the Windows Phone operating system is actually quite nice!

[psychomania]

I had a trial Nokia Lumia 800 that I used heavily for over 24 hours recently and not once did I accidentally press the capacitive buttons during use. When the phone is locked (using the button on the side) these buttons do not react to touch.

Perhaps you should try one before worrying about it? For all you know there may be software in place that can tell the difference between accidental pressing during swipe gestures?

If you really don't like capacitive buttons either buy a Nokia Lumia 710 instead or another brand that uses physical buttons.

[smarty9000]

Dear Nokia,

Please forgive my insulting comments about your lack of thought into 'novel user interface' options. I just had a look at the N9 device (which I believe is essentially the same hardware as the Lumia 800). The Meego swipe UI with NO CONTROL BUTTONS is complete and utter genius.

You MUST convince Microsoft about this approach to the user interface. THAT would totally bring Windows Phone out of this stupid capacitive button mess.

[psychomania]

It's not the same hardware.

Nokia's windows phone is not a "stupid capacitive button mess". For someone who calls themselves "smarty" your comments sure are dumb!

[smarty9000]

"I had a trial Nokia Lumia 800 that I used heavily for over 24 hours recently and not once did I accidentally press the capacitive buttons during use."

>> We both know thats a lie.

[psychomania]

Why is that a lie? Please explain why you think i'm lying about this?

Have you actually used a Nokia Lumia 800 to know otherwise?

[michaels]

Psychomania was one of four lucky Discussions who were able to test the Lumia devices at the Nokia World event recently, so we can vouch that he's not fibbing...

[smarty9000]

"not once did I accidentally press the capacitive buttons during use."

>> fib

[psychomania]

As the manager of this forum says I've actually used one so can assure you I'm not fibbing.

Where does your irrational fear of capacitive buttons stem from?

Have you actually used a Nokia Lumia 800?

[smarty9000]

OK - to be fair...

I have not actually test driven a Lumia 800 myself yet. The truth is, I have been holding on for 'a good quality' Windows Phone for ages after a disaster experience earlier this year with the HTC Mozart. After two weeks of endlessly triggering the back/home/search keys BY ACCIDENT I gave up and took the phone back. I was hoping that Nokia would come up with a far superior design, but as far as the front surface hardware is concerned they appear to be almost identical.

My wife has an iPhone and I can hold it clumsily in my hand, rotate it, pass it to somebody to show them a video, clumsily grab it back again, give the screen a wipe with a cloth and the app would still be there, solid as a rock. If I did that with my Mozart God only knows what the screen would be displaying (usually Bing Search).

I also downloaded a few apps from the then spartan marketplace and discovered an app where the bottom area of the display surface was used as a 'swipe control'. But that meant that I frequently tripped the capacitive control buttons! There was no dead band gap between the display and the control buttons on the Mozart, and it sure as h3ll looks like there isnt one on the Lumia 800.

The point is, Einstein didn’t have to build a light-speed-capable starship to understand the difficulties of the unbreakable barrier. And I seriously doubt that the design Nokia has delivered, as pretty as it is, will offer any improvement on this design flaw that Microsoft has created. I am no Apple fanboy, but their physical interface is PERFECT.

[psychomania]

So Basically you are judging the lumia based on your experience with a first gen HTC, thats a bit silly. If you personally don't like capacitive buttons then don't buy it, really is as simple as that.

[isno]

 I was hoping that Nokia would come up with a far superior design, but as far as the front surface hardware is concerned they appear to be almost identical.

[smarty9000]

Nokia Lumia 710.

A New Hope.

(Physical control buttons!)

[psychomania]

Perfect for those with irrational fear of capacitive buttons and those with huge mutated fingers.

Guess you missed the mention of the 710 in my first reply on this silly topic a month ago. Still not hit those buttons once by accident on my 800 but i have normal persons hands.

[smarty9000]

"Still not hit those buttons once by accident on my 800 but i have normal persons hands."

You're such a fibber!          

[psychomania]

Nope, just a normal human being, unlike some.

If it was an issue then surely they'd be lots of people talking about it on here?

[smarty9000]

http://windowsphone.uservoice.com/forums/101801-feature-suggestions/suggestions/2110407-remove-disab...

Merry Christmas, Peter!

Thanks for serving the Nokia community with good advice.

(and for giving me a laugh)

[psychomania]

Your the only one making people laugh here. That isn't even a thread about the lumia!

Now do us all a favour and join your fellow freaks on that thread and leave the normal adults here alone. If you are scared of them that's your choice but quit complaining about a product you haven't used.

[smarty9000]

I think you may be right!

No way could the Nokia Lumia range **ever** be like all the other pieces of technology out there that all those **real** people on that thread are talking about. Heck - its so common of them to complain about their inferior technology.

Nokia are somehow - different (like you).

[psychomania]

You really need therapy.