The only device with a scroll wheel right now by Nokia is the N81, which I have been lucky to have in trial for a week now. If you skim through the blogosphere looking for impressions about it, you would find mixed up feelings, very mixed up. I had been following this love’n'hate relationship, and before the N81 got here, I wondered how it would feel. I do have some serious issues with it, which I will state in part 2 of this quick review, tomorrow, but for now I would like us to take a quick second to applaud Nokia for what they did right in the Scroll Wheel.
Implementing a scrolling solution on top of the directional keys is, I have to admit, a scary yet a brilliant idea. The iPod introduced the wheel scrolling action to the mainstream and millions have grown accustomed to scrolling through lists, especially when browsing music, pictures and videos. Offering the same possibility on an S60 device should help the iPod world get comfy in/with the Nokia world.
What I love about the scroll wheel now is the absence of settings. You either activate it or deactivate it. When I noticed there were no settings, I felt really disappointed. But now one week later, I love it. Let me explain why I love it and why I believe it should remain this way.
The N81 scroll wheel differs from the iPod in that it is a new implementation, and users shouldn’t wonder why things are moving by their own. It is also implemented on top of indispensible keys on the N81, the directional keys, which means it shouldn’t be activated very easily. The amount of pressure needed to start scrolling is a lot more than the just-lay-your-finger-on iPod, but it is exactly the amount that doesn’t tire you quickly. This assures that it won’t be accidentally started when the device is playing music and placed unlocked in your pocket. The sensitivity is also perfect in that you need to move your finger a little bit before it starts scrolling, which grants that the wheel won’t be initiated when you’re pressing your random directional keys and you moved your finger a little bit, inadvertently. One other surprise is that when the list is finished, the scroll goes back to the top. Great, since the iPod doesn’t go back!
One week after having the N81 and playing music like I’ve never did, I really got a hold of it. I am super fast (basically as fast as it can go) and I (have to repeat that I) love it! In order to do a small comparison for you guys, I tried scrolling through my whole music collection, 1230 songs from a to z, using the scroll wheel or the down button. The scroll wheel took 21 seconds while the down button constantly pressed took 1minute and 39 seconds, that’s 99 seconds. Basically, it’s a 1 to 5 rate. Now tell me I’m crazy for wanting it over new devices!
