Potential new user with a few q's

[s7beck]

Hello there,

Thinking about coming out of the dark ages and grabbing myself a Desire Z. The reason I'm thinking of one is I want something with a decent qwerty keyboard and something which does not rely on the touchscreen aspects.

I have searched high and low but can't seem to find answers to the following.

I like using opera mini, especially in mobile view where it fits the screen instead of having to scroll around the page, I'm not into pinch zooming etc... Does opera work on android ok? If so, is it possible to use the touchpad like a mouse? Also, is it possible to scroll up and down/select etc, using the buttons instead of touching the screen? No I'm not a huge fan of touchscreens them selves which is why I would rather use the touchpad/physical keyboard.

On my current nokia I have Garmin mobile XT, how does the onboard google maps or optional copilot satnav compare?

Finally, I love the symbian homescreen which displays all my upcoming calender entries on the home screen, reminding me of memos days before they are due. I have a shocking memory so this feature really means a lot, does the desire Z have anything similar or available?

Sorry for all the questions and thanks in advance.

Regards.

 

[Slug]

Welcome to AF!

Does opera work on android ok? If so, is it possible to use the touchpad like a mouse?

Yes, and yes. That's one of the prime uses of the trackpad imho.

Also, is it possible to scroll up and down/select etc, using the buttons instead of touching the screen?

Not with the capacitive buttons, but you can with the trackpad.

On my current nokia I have Garmin mobile XT, how does the onboard google maps or optional copilot satnav compare?

Compared to my own standalone Garmin GPS, Google Maps is easier to use in urban areas and can lock-on to sats indoors. I can't compare it to any other mobile nav solutions, however.

Finally, I love the symbian homescreen which displays all my upcoming calender entries on the home screen [...] does the desire Z have anything similar or available?

Yup, you can add a calendar widget to one of your home screens to do this.

 

[Stuntman]

Slug has answered your questions pretty well. I'll add a few things.

I like using opera mini, especially in mobile view where it fits the screen instead of having to scroll around the page, I'm not into pinch zooming etc... Does opera work on android ok?

I had an N97 and used Opera Mini because the Symbian browser really sucks. When I switch to the Desire Z, I also used Opera Mini at first and it works quite well. I have since switched to the stock Android browser because Opera Mini just doesn't have a lot of features a full browser does. Although Opera Mini is a little faster and uses less data, I find the Android browser to be superior in every other way. Unlike the Symbian browser, I think you'll really like the Android browser.

If so, is it possible to use the touchpad like a mouse? Also, is it possible to scroll up and down/select etc, using the buttons instead of touching the screen? No I'm not a huge fan of touchscreens them selves which is why I would rather use the touchpad/physical keyboard.

If you mean the track pad, it works like a mouse for scrolling.

On my current nokia I have Garmin mobile XT, how does the onboard google maps or optional copilot satnav compare?

Google Maps is free and is the one I use exclusively. The SatNav app is a paid app, so I don't use it. I haven't tried Garmin. Google Maps is excellent. It locks on in seconds and the navigation is really good. You do need a network connection. The latest Google Maps does cache the journey when you select the mode to navigate to a destination. It is useful for travelling between coverage areas as long as you don't stray too far off course. The voice navigation tells you the name of the street you are to turn onto next.

I used to use Ovi Maps on my old N97. One useful feature that Google Maps does not have that Ovi Maps has is lane indicators.

Finally, I love the symbian homescreen which displays all my upcoming calender entries on the home screen, reminding me of memos days before they are due. I have a shocking memory so this feature really means a lot, does the desire Z have anything similar or available?

The Desire Z has seven home screens for widgets and short cuts. It also has a choice of different calendar widgets. One of the widgets shows a list of your upcoming calendar entries. One shows a calendar with days where you have events highlighted. The other show your next event. The calendar can be configured to alert you (audibly) prior to your next event. You can set how long prior to an event before you are alerted. That way you can set up audible reminders prior to events if you feel your memory may be failing a bit.

 

[s7beck]

Hi,

Thank you very much for your replies. I do indeed mean a trackpad and not touchpad, sorry.

Sounds like I may well have found a replacement for my aging 5800, it's a little heavier than I'd like but I think the features I'm looking for outweigh that.

The calender on it sounds superb so thanks for that

I was looking at a BB 9780 and almost had one for the superb browser on OS6 and the way the trackpad works, would I be getting the same kind of browsing experience with the desire Z? i.e. does the page shrink to fit the screen etc?

Thanks again.

 

[Slug]

it's a little heavier than I'd like but I think the features I'm looking for outweigh that.

I see what you did there...

Tbh the weight soon becomes a non-factor. I actually like the solid feel as it fits in my hand perfectly so feels 'balanced', and it's fun watching unsuspecting people pick it up, say "wow, that's a brick isn't it?" then their jaw drop when you slide the k/b open. Never gets old!

does the page shrink to fit the screen etc?

There's an "Auto-fit pages" option in the browser settings to control this, yes. Double-tapping the screen will zoom in to full-size (or back out) and of course you can do the pinch-to-zoom trick to resize how you wish too.

 

[s7beck]

I see what you did there...

Oh I did, didn't I, would actually have been clever had I noticed at the time

Well I'm off to look for the best deal on contract for my needs, once again thank you for your advice, it's really helped