L5 and tablet PC's

I would like to use Logos 5 for Windows on a tablet PC in slate mode, i.e. no mouse or keyboard, only touch or pen for navigation and input. When I've tried this in the past I found that the tablet pen / digitizer was not accurate enough to consistently and reliably perform functions that require a mouse in Logos, e.g. opening, closing and resizing windows, etc.. The major issue being consistency—frequent selection miscues made the process frustrating and cumbersome, and for me ultimately unusable. Surface Pro-like tablets with Windows 8 were supposed to have ushered in the touch and tap era for PC users, but from what I've been reading, it doesn't sound like the underlying problems have been resolved for apps running on the desktop.

I'm currently using the Logos app on an iPad. For a tablet PC to be a viable alternative for me, it needs to at least match the iPad's overall useability. Would some PC users be willing to share their experience with L5 on their tablet?

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Graham Criddle

For a tablet PC to be a viable alternative for me, it needs to at least match the iPad's overall useability. Would some PC users be willing to share their experience with L5 on their tablet?

You might find some of the previous discussions useful - for example:

Graham

Jms_D

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/537750#Comment_537750

Graham, thanks for the links, but these don't specifically address the issue of digitizer useability.

My bible study would be much more effective if I could access my PC resources directly from a tablet, but the tablet has to at least have the functionality of the iPad to make that a worthwhile proposition—all that hinges on the digitizer, and all it needs to do is work as adverstised. After two years with five tablet PC's, I gave up and bought an iPad. I'm hoping to hear that L5 is actually working effectively on one of the new and improved tablets PC's.

Dave Hooton

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/537776#Comment_537776

I'm hoping to hear that L5 is actually working effectively on one of the new and improved tablets PC's.

The touch PC's are great but Logos 5 is still frustrating without a mouse e.g. hovering with a stylus is likely to select as get a tooltip. I use a bluetooth KB and mouse on Asus VivoTab.Smart (10.1").

DMB

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/537776#Comment_537776

JMS-D, your question appears to be specific to the 'new and improved tablets'. But your discussion appears to center around desktop apps.

In my case, I have a Lenovo X220 which I typically use tablet-only (no keyboard or mouse). I use a combination of digitizer pen and finger (Lenovo has separate drivers for both).

When I first started, Logos4 (at the time) was a disaster. But now, I thoroughly enjoy it (now L5), except for some poor UI decisions that also apply to mouse-land. What made the difference, was the implementation of the finger gestured scrolling. Using a digitizer pen never worked with a normal scroll. And screwing around with a fake keyboard didn't help much.

Plus I work in pretty 'tight quarters' ... typically 9 panels per window, and 4-5 tabs per panel (over a hundred in the layout, mainly for original languages). I'm trying to think of 'something' my digitizer pen has problems with ... I can't think of any.

In the 'old' days, I used to pop the Program Scaling up to get a hold of the scroll bar and then adjust the fonts back down. Plus set Columns = 1 (which is not fun). But with finger scrolling, etc. I'm back to a normal-ly Logos setup.

What exactly is the issue with the digitizer?

Jms_D

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/537810#Comment_537810

JMS-D, your question appears to be specific to the 'new and improved tablets'. But your discussion appears to center around desktop apps.

Bible apps for Modern UI are not much more than readers, so you have to go back to the desktop if you want a full featured program on a Windows tablet. Before Windows 8, tablet PC's were a niche market. Now that Microsoft has a vested interest in touch and pen technologies I thought the newer systems might have addressed my earlier concerns.

What exactly is the issue with the digitizer?

digitizer accuracy was poor at the corners & edge of the screen (well documented in forums), which made...
closing and resizing windows difficult,
and as Dave mentioned, hovering selects and similar weirdness;
switching between touch and pen was flaky.

Denise, I have a few questions:

Do you use touch for anything other than scrolling in L5?
Any problems with touch or pen when resuming from standby?

Not sure if you (or someone else) can address this:

The resolution of the x220 display is 1366x768, the Surface is 1920x1080. I assume you don't have to scale Windows to get readable fonts? On a 10-12" display running at 1920x1080 font scaling in the OS settings is usually required. Would that have any negative effect within L5?

JT (alabama24)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/537832#Comment_537832

Before Windows 8, tablet PC's were a niche market. Now that Microsoft has a vested interest in touch and pen technologies I thought the newer systems might have addressed my earlier concerns.

Correction: MSFT has long had a "vested interest" in tablets, touch, and pen technologies. It wasn't until the iPad, however, that tablets become more that a "niche market."

I think the issue is that touch for full fledged computers hasn't quite taken off yet, although MSFT hopes it will with Windows 8. Until it does, don't expect developers to risk too much developing touch UI's.

David Thomas

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/537832#Comment_537832

Bible apps for Modern UI are not much more than readers, so you have to go back to the desktop if you want a full featured program on a Windows tablet.

I have been using Logos 5 on my Surface Pro since last March. Yes, there are some features (highlighting) where the stylus is a great aid. But I have full Logos Functionality in a form that I can take into the pulpit or use effectively in a small group or sitting in the congregation.