Does anyone actually USE the optical trackball?

[bigstu22]

Maybe I'm just impatient at learning new skills but it seems to me that the optical thingy is just far inferior to tapping/pinching etc. Maybe for text selection it would be better but it just seems so redundant to me. Is it just me? Am I the only optical trackball-phobe?

 

[Yenzehn]

I use it when I need to edit text since it can be hard to pinpoint an exact position, but that's about it.

 

[snowmobile]

Yes same here. It's very useful for moving back along text to correct or add something.

 

[tiring_day]

Same as the above, editing text only.

steve

 

[man00va]

Editing text only really, though I imagine there are many apps that make good use of it.

 

[bigstu22]

Agreed, after playing around with text I can see that, for solely editing it's great. Pretty much useless for anything else but, for the reason stated, it's a definite big plus over other phones.

 

[adamkse]

i use it for text but it is also good for quickly scrolling to the end windows on the main htc sense screen

 

[wellibob]

i forget its there tbh, although i do use it to edit text, when i suddenly remember i can use it for that !

 

[nemo1966]

I use it when I need to edit text since it can be hard to pinpoint an exact position, but that's about it.

Same here - it's that bad I use it only when I have to The blackberry version is a million miles ahead of it.

 

[DesireMe]

Editing text and moving across Sense tabs

 

[adam_hilluk]

seems like we all just use it in text editing... me too

 

[Paranoid_Android101]

Its not a trackball, its an optical trackpad. Its also quite handy to scroll through links on a webpage if they are a bit tiny. I found it pretty useful, its pretty precise when scrolling homescreens too.

 

[Daisai]

Apart from the aforementioned editing text, i use it to highlight small objects on web pages or highlight menus that expand/drop down. Like you would if you use a mouse cursor that you cannot otherwise do with just hand gestures (at least to my knowledge).

 

[The Great One]

Same here - it's that bad I use it only when I have to The blackberry version is a million miles ahead of it.

Whats your problem with the optical trackpad?
I prefer this over blackberry's crappy trackballs.
Dust often gets crammed in the slits around the trackballs on the BB ones.
The optical trackpad is great, the fact that it's all flat and blends in well without sticking out. Its a touchscreen smartphone - the sole purpose for such a function is pretty much only used for text editing or for certain apps - it can also be used as a camera button rather than pressing the screen.

I love the optical trackpad - I think the HTC is the only company which uses of such technology. I agree that you hardly use it but its better than nothing.

 

[adam_hilluk]

Whats your problem with the optical trackpad?
I prefer this over blackberry's crappy trackballs.
Dust often gets crammed in the slits around the trackballs on the BB ones.
The optical trackpad is great, the fact that it's all flat and blends in well without sticking out.

If you compare to the Blackberry Bold which has a trackpad not a ball... blackberry is much better imo. I think this was the point.
I far prefer my brothers trackpad to min on desire. But overall Desire is far better

 

[Nathan Baxter]

I find it exceptionally useful for moving me from the screen I want to see by accident or flipping pages back in Aldiko ebook reader when I don't want to.

I've used it on very rare occasions to flip screens on purpose, but I'd love to see an app that would disable it.

 

[sutton]

I use it when I need to edit text since it can be hard to pinpoint an exact position, but that's about it.

Thanks for that. I've been wondering about a better way of editing texts. That must be it. The trackball is redundant otherwise. I use my fingers for moving around screens.

 

[matttye]

I use it when I need to edit text since it can be hard to pinpoint an exact position, but that's about it.

This,

Also for taking pictures.

 

[mr.hachi]

Text editing.

 

[anoniemouse]

Text editing.

Makes texting interesting if you don't pay attention, like moving the cursor between words & you carry on typing.

 

[greyhead79]

I find the trackpad only serves to annoy and confound!

 

[origin_of_symmetry]

I use it when I need to edit text since it can be hard to pinpoint an exact position, but that's about it.

lol I had no idea to do that and got annoyed with not being able to easily edit text - thanks!

 

[czechplastik]

Text editing only or flicking between links quickly without having to pinch zoom.

It does a job.

 

[nx1977]

Another text editing only person here

 

[OFI]

Editing text and moving across Sense tabs

Yup that's about it.

Sucks for almost every game.