My hate of the search button in games

[Eirenarch]

You hate it but I love it. I use Bing a lot.

Yeah I bet you use it a lot while playing games.

 

[Winterfang]

lol, you really hate bing.

 

[Eirenarch]

lol, you really hate bing.

I hate the button.

 

[Winterfang]

Why not tilting the phone the other way? The Bing button will be on the lower left side and it will be harder for you to press.

 

[IamVortigaunt]

Maybe you accidental search button pressers (I've done it too. I find the back button to be a good remedy in such cases) should look into, say, the Lumia 710, since it has hardware buttons. Just saying.

 

[Speebs]

Why do you guys feel the need to defend this so vehemently? It's a serious user experience flaw. Just because you don't experience it, that doesn't mean it's not a problem. Turning the phone the other way doesn't help because then you just accidentally hit the "back" button and have the same problem. And the suggestion of just getting a different phone is absolutely ridiculous. I already have this phone, I'm not going to go out and buy another one because MS rushed yet another product out the door.

This forum needs a rule against fanboyism.

 

[Winterfang]

Turning the phone the other way doesn't help because then you just accidentally hit the "back" button and have the same problem.

What? How?

The Bing Button is on the right-high side of the while on landscape. When flipped over, the Back button will be on the Left-high side. Why would you push the back button accidentally?

I'm not being a ******, everyone knows that I complain about a lot of stuff here.

 

[Speebs]

What? How?

The Bing Button is on the right-high side of the while on landscape. When flipped over, the Back button will be on the Left-high side. Why would you push the back button accidentally?

I'm not being a ******, everyone knows that I complain about a lot of stuff here.

I think most landscape games have controls in both the bottom right or bottom left. So, either the Bing or Back button will be right next to one of your thumbs regardless of which direction you turn the phone. When the Bing button is on the top-right, the Back button is on the bottom-right. When the Back button is on the top-left, the Search button is on the bottom-left. So either way, it's easy to accidentally hit one of the soft keys because one is always right next to your fingers.

It's also easy to accidentally hit them when typing.

 

[Winterfang]

But if that's the case why hate the search button in particular? What phone do you use? I know the Focus got an update that turns off the buttons while playing. Or so I heard.

 

[Speebs]

But if that's the case why hate the search button in particular? What phone do you use? I know the Focus got an update that turns off the buttons while playing. Or so I heard.

I hate all the buttons when playing a game or typing (I don't game much). I do agree that the search button could be better implemented, though, instead of being a Bing button.

 

[Winterfang]

Let's agree to disagree.

 

[Eirenarch]

I hate the search button more because when I accidentally press the back button I just get the game menu which is easy to dismiss. Also it is helpful. After all I want to access this menu when playing the game. By contrast the search button takes me out of the game completely and it takes much more time to get back to the original state. Also it has exactly 0 uses in a game. I can hardly believe that ANYONE would want to Bing something right in the middle of the game and wouldn't be OK with going to the menu (or holding the search button) first. If the button was override-able it could be used for inventories and help menus in games which would make it useful (like the back button). It could be useful in apps too. Also note that holding it could still trigger Bing for people who absolutely must have quick access to Bing.

 

[btbam91]

I think I've only hit it once.

Sent from my Windows Phone using Board Express

 

[jeremyshaw]

I don't like softbuttons in general. I put up with them, since I do support WP7 at work, along with Android and iOS.

I will also admit, even though I don't like the OS, the HW and overall ecosystem of the iPhone 4S has already convinced me to use it as my daily driver, over my HTC Titan (which I got only because the Focus S is a bit flawed - otherwise, that would be my perfect device, IF it had the guts to use the same hard button the real Galaxy SII has [not the sissy USA versions]).

Anyhow, I don't see why the search button couldn't be integrated like Android. It's conditional based on application. When you are at the start screen, it goes to Bing (or application search); when you are in a game, it's disabled unless if the game utilizes the key; when you are in IE9, it searches the page (or searches the web if new tab is open); when in music app, it searches local music + Zune pass.


Basically, a lot more useful vs the current implementation. If someone wanted to do a bing search, a quick tap of the Start->Search would bring up Bing. If someone wanted the search button to be useful, they'd just press it. Otherwise, it would stay out of the way. Not in the way (some like it in the way, some don't).

 

[Winterfang]

^ The thing is, Bing used to be like that pre-mango and it was just a mess. You press the button and always do a different thing. I found that frustrating because search is my Bing button, I don't want to have it press and don't work, or press it and open up a search inside my contacts etc... I want to press that button and go to Bing.

 

[HeyCori]

Why do you guys feel the need to defend this so vehemently?

He has as much right to defend it as you do to bash it. It's an internet forum. Deal.