M500 - Speed dials on "Today"

[Guest chucky.egg]

Newbie M500 user here...

I'm struggling to make calls and write texts one handed (any tips on sw keyboards or other tricks would be appreciated).

I've got it set to use PhonePad, but with my fat fingers and thumb I struggle to get the right button - and if I hit the wrong button the "backspace" button is even smaller - so how do you lot do it without the stylus?

But my main question is can I put shortcuts to speed dials as icons on my Today screen?

What I want is an icon (not bothered if its the same icon for all of them) on my Today screen for, say, 12 different phone numbers that I call often... so I can just switch on and press the icon to call somebody.

Does anything like that exist?

[Guest bretto]

I think you just get used to it. PhonePad for me works best but if I have a lot to say (doesnt sound like me :) ) I still use the keyboard set to large keys and break out the stylus.

A shortcut for numbers is a great idea but with the touchscreen you would have to be careful how you implement it. Dont want to be calling people while your jam is in the pocket.

Not that hard to program actually. Could even use the ones setup in the dialer.

If it was me I would make it a today plugin but have the plugin locked so you would have to press the unlock then the desired shortcut. Or a tray icon would work just as well.

[Guest uzi_999]

yeh, just what i need.. but now i we need someone to develop it..

the plugin must also work with the d-pad - unlike other plugins - so that we can just use the d-pad to select a contact from the homescreen and call..

i dont think a tray icon would be appropriate, as you still will need to take out the stylus!!

[Guest bretto]

yeh, just what i need.. but now i we need someone to develop it..

the plugin must also work with the d-pad - unlike other plugins - so that we can just use the d-pad to select a contact from the homescreen and call..

i dont think a tray icon would be appropriate, as you still will need to take out the stylus!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If someone wants to draw up a sketch in paint and spec it out I can see what I can do if you like.

Getting the dpad to work in a plugin is easy as long as the application can take advantage of it in a user friendly way.

[Guest NikLP]

Why the hell would you want this anyway?

It's only a matter of pressing the call button, then right or up, and speed dials appear, then you're laughing. What's the problem with that?

[Guest chucky.egg]

Cos it'll be quicker

Up/Right in the Phone app takes you to the Call History

Down/Left takes you to Speed Dials

[Guest DancingMatt]

Why the hell would you want this anyway?

It's only a matter of pressing the call button, then right or up, and speed dials appear, then you're laughing. What's the problem with that?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hang on, surely the point of speed dials is you just, er, dial them?

So you press the green button and then hold down 5 or whatever?

I haven't got an M500 yet (and am gradually reading more reasons why it's interface will annoy me than be a good thing) but I presume this is how speed dials work, like the previous SPVs? Surely you don't have to bring up the list of speed dials first?

DM

[Guest chucky.egg]

Well I can't speak for anyone else, but there are half a dozen people I call frequently and for me it would be great to have a button on my Today screen that I press and it just calls them.

[Guest maxwell_hung]

Hang on, surely the point of speed dials is you just, er, dial them?

So you press the green button and then hold down 5 or whatever?

I haven't got an M500 yet (and am gradually reading more reasons why it's interface will annoy me than be a good thing) but I presume this is how speed dials work, like the previous SPVs? Surely you don't have to bring up the list of speed dials first?

DM

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes that's how it works, so it's only two steps anyway.

Still getting used to my M500 myself but I can do pretty much most of my calling/texting without the need for the stylus which were my main concerns before getting it.

They could have ut a bit more thought into usability without it for use in other areas though.

[Guest DancingMatt]

So the speed dials work.

However, can you set a speed dial to prepare a text message to someone's number? On the E200 a contact's mobile number is automatically their "SMS" number too and by clicking on that, or setting it to a speed dial, you get a new text addressed to them.

Already disappointed that the dialer can't be used as a shortcut to creating a new text message with someone's number inserted... that's been a great feature on my E200. If you can't do it via speed dial either then they're going one step forwards two steps backwards.

So please, PLEASE tell me that speed dials can still be set to bring up a new text?

[Guest Phil Lee]

Take a look at this:

http://forum.xda-developers.com/viewtopic.php?t=26972

It looks like it does what you want.

[Guest chucky.egg]

That's exactly the sort of thing I was looking for

Works nicely on PocketPlus too

Cheers Phil, nice find!

[Guest J273]

You could also get Pocketbreeze with Contact breeze addon which allows your contacts to be set from the strat screen and set it as the first tab .

Thats what i do and is pretty easy to use and dial out using the d pad to scroll to the contact and then action key to dial,May be worth a try probably a little complicated though aslo not free

[Guest chucky.egg]

Ah, now I tried PB and CB, but I didn't know you could set the contacts as the first tab (mine always defaulted to PB). I quite liked the half-screen keypad in CB too.

Now I've bought SPB PocketPlus and SPB Diary I don't really want to go there.

Shortcuts in PocketPlus work well for me, the only thing I need to work out is how to add my own icons - I can only seem to get the built in ones to show when I try to change the icon. :cry:

[Guest chucky.egg]

Never did post the solution to the icons thingy:

Copy the default custom32.png file to your PC

Open it in Fireworks (or similar)

Extend the width of the canvas and stuff in the new icons

Copy your new custom32.png to your phone

Soft Reset

Choose your new icons!

This only does the 32x32 size icons, and if there is no corresponding 16x16 icon the icon disappears BUT IS STILL ACTUALLY THERE if you don't choose Large Icon. Best bet is to choose Large Icon, then change the icon image.

You could always create 16x16 icons as well, but that was too much like hard work for me

[Guest TigerNet]

...anyone tried PocketBreeze on WM5 yet?

Cheers

Nick