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I was thinking about how to implement search on the existing hardware. If you limited the options (case insensitive, only 100 selectable characters) you could just put up a 10x10 table of characters on the screen, then have the user select letters/symbols with two numeric key pushes for each letter (e.g. 11 for "a", 12 for "b", etc).
Aligning the table columns with the physical number buttons might make it easier to "type", as you'd be able to select the first digit pretty quickly.
A couple of "quick input" grids might be an interesting option. Like:
- Align the columns of a 5x5 grid on buttons 1-5 and then connect the right ends of the rows with bold lines to the 6-0 keys. Then you'd just have to follow two strong visual cues to the right buttons. Of course you'd only get 25 symbols so "Q" would have to get tossed out (like the old phone dials).
- A "numbers only" mode that inputted them immediately when pressed.
Not particularly elegant, but it wouldn't require any new hardware, would minimize screen updates and would support elemental search capability.
Last edited by BobVA; 10-14-2006 at 10:34 AM.
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