There’s More To The Honeycomb Than You Know

Unless you are brand new to Windows Mobile, you have heard talk about something called a “Honeycomb” in the upcoming release of Microsoft’s Windows Mobile 6.5. So if you are brand new to Windows Mobile and thought that a Honeycomb was just for breakfast, you may want to get caught up on things with the articles we have already written about Windows mobile 6.5 by clicking here: http://www.fuzemobility.com/category/windows-mobile-65/

Okay, so now you are up to speed on Windows Mobile 6.5 but you are thinking to yourself, I’m not so sure about the “Honeycomb” thing. You have been using the HTC TouchFlo 3D and loving life ever since right? Then you read over at Engadget: “Editorial: Ten reasons why Windows Mobile 6.5 misses the mark”  Engadget goes on to say that the new User Interface, called the Honeycomb is:

“The honeycomb menu is a glorified grid, a sign that Microsoft has gone out of its way to avoid a grid“

This did not go over well with Long Zheng over at istartedsomething.com and he took some time to set us all straight on what we don’t know about Microsoft’s new User Interface called the Honeycomb. Long Zheng says:

”The truth is, the honeycomb from a usability perspective is superior than traditional square grids for a touch interface. Here’s why.”

The first reason the honeycomb is so good is that the finger is not square shaped, so that the Honeycomb better suits a rounded finger tip than the square grid now common among User Interfaces being developed.

Contrary to popular belief, the tip of human fingers is not squared, but in fact circle-shaped when depressed against a hard surface like a touchscreen. When you’re space-constrained as you are in something like the applications menu – where there’s a fine balance between how many icons can be displayed at one time and how easy it is to hit the icons, large circular hitareas makes it easier for users to touch the desired icons and avoid accidentally hitting nearby icons.

And the second reason? To find the Second Reason you will have to jump after the break!

The second reason the Honeycomb is better than the square grid style User Interface is that the Honeycomb will actually increase the devices ability to display 10% more than the square grid. He goes on to say that:

A grid is the most efficient method to pack as many squares into an area as possible, but not for circles. The mathematically most efficient method to arrange non-overlapping circles – a problem called “sphere packing” – is actually and as you might have guessed by now, hexagonal.

So there are two reasons why the Honeycomb by Microsoft is not just an attempt to be different than the square grid style UI’s that are really popular right now.  Microsoft actually did their homework and have developed a new user interface that is not just new, but innovative as well.

Source: istartedsomething.com via wmexperts.com