It is to my surprise that the N95 doesn't support contact search from the standby screen just by typing numbers. Apparently, to obtain this type of functionality, you need to add SkyQuiKey, a 3rd party app. As I understand, the basic functionality of the N series is that when you start typing numbers from the standby screen, only numbers are entered and contacts aren't searched based on the combination entered. This surprises me as I consider that type of functionality critical to being a good phone device critical. Any device supporting a robust PIM database should have a built-in search function.
As I understand, the E series has this function? I am curious as to why the N95 does not have this type of functionality built-in.
Have I been misinformed?
JNGold wrote:It is to my surprise that the N95 doesn't support contact search from the standby screen just by typing numbers. Apparently, to obtain this type of functionality, you need to add SkyQuiKey, a 3rd party app. As I understand, the basic functionality of the N series is that when you start typing numbers from the standby screen, only numbers are entered and contacts aren't searched based on the combination entered. This surprises me as I consider that type of functionality critical to being a good phone device critical. Any device supporting a robust PIM database should have a built-in search function.As I understand, the E series has this function? I am curious as to why the N95 does not have this type of functionality built-in.
Have I been misinformed?
Just go into contacts THEN start typing the name. Have I missed something or is it that simple? I wouldn't want it to match to a name if I was typing a number on the idle screen, cos I am probably typing a number I don't have/want in my contacts.
no I dont think you are missing anything... it sounds like he wants the blackberry style thing of typing a number and it giving you a number OR a contact match...
I like you, wouldnt want this, as I dont find it too much effort clicking the contacts on active standby, and its much tidier IMHO.
I'm not sure whether I understand quite what the OP wants here, but if it is what I'm thinking, then I don't know hardly any of my contacts phone numbers at all off the top of my head. Except of course the obvious ones, such as my mum, girlfriend etc.:con?
Why would I want to start typing their number, rather than tapping the first couple of letters of their name?
Try the utterly butterly SkyeStream SkyeQuiKey - does EXACTLY what you're asking for.
At the idle screen, press a key and it'll list every contact with that in it.
Further key-presses narrow down the displayed list.
Works like predictive.
Not only brings up contacts, but app.s too.
And the brilliant thing about it is, if you're dialling a number that you're not sure whether you have - you can see if you already have it.
Plus it's a great way of texting folk - once the contact is highlighted, a right press opens a text to them ... and a left press opens the contact details (for editing).
How top is that ?
Absolutely B L I N D I N G !
Ooh cool. Gonna check that out cheers.
I dont think I ever had a phone that did that, maybe the blackberry pearl which I hated like I never hated anything else. Plus it would be extremely annoying to me If i start dialing a number and then a list contacts pops up and bothers the hell out of you.
dorisall wrote:I dont think I ever had a phone that did that, maybe the blackberry pearl which I hated like I never hated anything else. Plus it would be extremely annoying to me If i start dialing a number and then a list contacts pops up and bothers the hell out of you.
In SkyQuiKey, the number you're dialling is in a box at the bottom of the screen.
As you dial away, the number of contacts diminishes.
If the number you're dialling isn't in your contacts/app.s list, it's left there on its own and you press green, as normal.
You should try it - the reality is beautiful, dude.
Thanks Phoenix for the info. As with most "excellent" software applications (on any platform), especially ones that add "utility" to a device, you wonder why that functionality couldn't be added to the OS itself.
However, as it stands now, it looks like Skye would be the way to go.
Just out of interest, how many forums did you put this same post on?
JNGold wrote:Thanks Phoenix for the info. As with most "excellent" software applications (on any platform), especially ones that add "utility" to a device, you wonder why that functionality couldn't be added to the OS itself.
Consider S60 as you might BMW.
The basic package is affordable - but fully loaded, it's a rather pricier prospect.
It's Symbian's way of (affordably) broadening device capability.
The more developers they have working on S60 app.s, the more spin-off app.s are likely to be developed - making S60 more competitive against WM.
I still dont see the point of using numbers to search for names. Isnt the whole point of a phone book (primary index key) suppose to be via the name?
If you know the number, you might as well type the whole thing in.. unless you are dialing into a PABX or internally routed number that requires 100 digits or something.
how hard is it to use phone book and type letters (which scales down the phone book entries anyway after a couple of letters)??
Just see no logic in it.. but then again.. there is no logic in that crapberry of a phone really.
bchliu wrote:I still dont see the point of using numbers to search for names. Isnt the whole point of a phone book (primary index key) suppose to be via the name?If you know the number, you might as well type the whole thing in.. unless you are dialing into a PABX or internally routed number that requires 100 digits or something.
how hard is it to use phone book and type letters (which scales down the phone book entries anyway after a couple of letters)??
Just see no logic in it.. but then again.. there is no logic in that crapberry of a phone really.
Try SkyeQuiKey and see if you still agree in two days time.
Simply wouldnt work for me, as soon as I go to use a phone keypad, my mind is automatically in 'text' mode. This means that I would automatically press whatever number x amount of times for that letter. Its just a kind of autopilot.
bchliu, thats not how it works. Instead of activating any menus, you simply type letters, and it automatically searches.
However, its different in that it doesnt use normal text input, for 'L' you would hit the 5 key once. Normally, it would be a 'J', but if you were searching for 'Lucy' in the phone book, you would have to hit the 5 key 3 times for an 'L', the 8 key twice for a 'U', etc.
Hard to explain how it searches, but end result you only have to press 4 keys* to get Lucy up.
However, this can take longer in some instances, as for me I just push down, and would do 'L' and possibly 'U' and use the directional keys to scroll that list. Arguably, this might take longer, but theres lots of factors. But either way, I can find anyone in my contacts in less than 2 seconds.
Unless of course, I put them under a daft name, which is entirely possible.
*Thats assuming you only have one instance of 'Lucy' in the contacts, and also that she only has one number, not mobile/work/home etc.
bartmanekul wrote:Simply wouldnt work for me, as soon as I go to use a phone keypad, my mind is automatically in 'text' mode.
My bad - I forgot to say the Skye uses number AND text, basically ANYTHING on the key you're pressing ... not just numbers - something that S60 Contacts doesn't do. 😉
still think you should try SkyQuiKey. You don't have to enter the contacts app to find contacts. It's all done from the standby screen. And the program also remembers your last searches so prioritisfs the list accordingly. So you can find key contacts as soon as one key press. As well as applications, bookmarks.
chrsfrwll wrote:still think you should try SkyQuiKey. You don't have to enter the contacts app to find contacts. It's all done from the standby screen. And the program also remembers your last searches so prioritisfs the list accordingly. So you can find key contacts as soon as one key press. As well as applications, bookmarks.
Question about Sky. Can the app be configured to exclude certain items? For example, can I tell Sky to only search contacts and ignore applications or bookmarks?
JNGold wrote:Question about Sky. Can the app be configured to exclude certain items? For example, can I tell Sky to only search contacts and ignore applications or bookmarks?
Maybe.
But TBPH, it's not an issue anyway.
Try it and you'll see.
Pheonix SZ wrote:My bad - I forgot to say the Skye uses number AND text, basically ANYTHING on the key you're pressing ... not just numbers - something that S60 Contacts doesn't do. 😉
Not sure if Im clear....
When I say 'text mode', I mean multiple presses on one key for a single letter.
If I wanted to find Lucy, Id do 555882229999, automatically (although in actual practice, I wouldnt do anywhere near that as I dont need the full name).
So not a phone number, but rather using the traditional text input method on nokias.
BTW i never use predictive text of any sort, it and i dont get along.
For people like me that use the same method, the only thing that app would do is use one less click, assuming it supports the way I type text in. I daresay its useful for some though.
I still maintain its not a 'basic' function. Im not saying that nokia should rule out adding it later though, as long as you can turn it off.
As with predictive, Lucy would simply be 5829.
Skye is actually really good. It does save time. If I want to find Chris in my phonebook I just press 24747. Which would be the predictive text entry - it works the exact same way. 😎
I like how it doesn't just work for contacts though, but other phone features. For example I can type 258 and it'll find Bluetooth. No need to type the full predictive text entry which would be 258386684.
Its definitely a lot faster then the traditional method of finding a contact or application etc.
One bug I have noticed though. When I pair with my computer over bluetooth and it asks me for a pass code, if I type 0000 for example, Skye takes over and I can't actually type the code into the code box. Skye thinks I'm looking for something. I had to exit Skye and start the pair process again.
Highly reccomended. :icon14:
Pheonix SZ wrote:As with predictive, Lucy would simply be 5829.
Yeah, but thats my point. I dont type like that on a phone keypad. Automatically go to the texting style of putting a name in.
As I said, I wouldnt do anywhere near that. Probably only the L, but possibly the U also.
Horses for courses, but it would be wise for nokia to put it in for future releases/phones.
JNGold wrote:Thanks Phoenix for the info. As with most "excellent" software applications (on any platform), especially ones that add "utility" to a device, you wonder why that functionality couldn't be added to the OS itself. However, as it stands now, it looks like Skye would be the way to go.
That is the whole point of symbian and why I love it (esp s60) is why cram so much onto a device when obviously not all people want the same features when u can install just what you need.
bartmanekul wrote:Yeah, but thats my point. I dont type like that on a phone keypad. Automatically go to the texting style of putting a name in. As I said, I wouldnt do anywhere near that. Probably only the L, but possibly the U also.
Horses for courses, but it would be wise for nokia to put it in for future releases/phones.
Apologies, but I'm confused.
Are you talking about when accessing your contacts, to search for Lucy you would type L (key 5x3 presses) U (key 8x2 presses) C (key 2x3 presses) Y (key 9x3 presses). In total that's 11 key presses when to find Lucy via predictive, it'd be at most 4 key presses, probably 2 depending on any other names you have begining LU in your phone book?
Out of interest do you use predictive when texting?
No, never use predictive on anything.
While your correct about the keypresses, thats the whole name.
What I do when I need to find a contact is:
Press down (I dont have active standby on), and Im in contacts. So if I wanted to find Lucy, Id hit '5' three times. This would bring up all the 'L' contacts in alphabetical order. If the one I want isnt in there, I'll input another letter.
So it can actually be less keypresses than the application. Often it wont be, but the amount of keypresses have never bothered me. I always prize easy of use over shortcuts (perhaps this is why I dont like the iphone over nokia menus).
When I say predictive, I mean having T9 (or whatever phone equivilent) on.
bartmanekul wrote:Yeah, but thats my point. I dont type like that on a phone keypad. Automatically go to the texting style of putting a name in. As I said, I wouldnt do anywhere near that. Probably only the L, but possibly the U also..
You don't do anywhere near that in Skye.
As soon as you press L, Lucy (and anything else with L,J,K or 5) comes up too.
YOU have to press menu/contacts/5/5/5 (five clicks) before you get to L contacts.
With Skye, you just press 5 (one click) and L contacts are up.
I'm really having trouble understanding why you think that's bad.
Have to agree with Phoenix here, I can't understand where you're coming from :tongue:
Of course its individuals choice at the end of the day, and nobody shoudl be chastised about choices. I never used to use predictive, always thought typing it would be easier. I had got quite quick with the old several keypresses for a letter. Then one day I decided to 'learn' predictive (at first I never really understood it so never bothered with it - bit of a traditionalist!). I've never looked back. Predictive is so much easier when you get the hang of it.
No, as said I have one click to get into contacts.
And I havent said its bad, merely that its bad for me, which it is.
As soon as you press L, Lucy (and anything else with L,J,K or 5) comes up too.
See thats what I dont want. I just want a single line of contacts up.
YOU have to press menu/contacts/5/5/5 (five clicks) before you get to L contacts.
With Skye, you just press 5 (one click) and L contacts are up.
Not 5, 4.
But you just said all the other contacts (J,K,5) come up too?
Its not about the number of keypresses for me, as I keep saying.
One last time, I'll explain that I dont like the method of doing 5829 for a name. I know that by instinct, I wouldnt do it right away. If you can do it, and think xx amount for the app is worth it, then thats good. But for a large majority of people, the traditional method of input will scupper that.
For myself, paying to have to get used to something else in order to cut quarter seconds (or less) off finding a contact isnt going to be a road I'll go down.
bartmanekul wrote:No, as said I have one click to get into contacts.And I havent said its bad, merely that its bad for me, which it is.
See thats what I dont want. I just want a single line of contacts up.
Not 5, 4.
But you just said all the other contacts (J,K,5) come up too?
Its not about the number of keypresses for me, as I keep saying.
One last time, I'll explain that I dont like the method of doing 5829 for a name. I know that by instinct, I wouldnt do it right away. If you can do it, and think xx amount for the app is worth it, then thats good. But for a large majority of people, the traditional method of input will scupper that.
For myself, paying to have to get used to something else in order to cut quarter seconds (or less) off finding a contact isnt going to be a road I'll go down.
Then it goes back to not knocking something until you've tried it.
Those who don't use predictive generally don't because they're unaware of quite how easy it is.
I don't use predictive for texting because it makes too many mistakes and I may have to delete a lot when I realise. But with SkyeQuiKey to select my contact mistakes cannot happen unless I hit the wrong key. I think it's great - only problem is that it sometimes unloads itself and I have to turn it back on. No idea why as I normally leave my phone on 24/7.