Click Wheel. (Good or Bad)

[Barkstripe]

So I saw TBT's post in the Zune thread. He said that he doesn't like the click wheel on iPods. I myself like it, and I'm wondering what you guys think.

Please post you're thoughts and don't flame each other

[Lukesed]

I've been using a click wheel for well over a year so I'm pretty used to it, but if I had been using a different system I might like that just as much. Besides some of the particurally bad ones, like the old control sceme of the creative zens.

[Folgrimeo]

Love the click wheel, so I don't have to keep pressing a button to go through my music (I'd hate to be the kid in the cell phone commercial with a million contacts and having to scroll through a big list to find the right one). While holding down the button usually speeds it up, it goes too fast and I scroll right past what I want. So that's why I like the click wheel since I can scroll at my own pace.

I'm not too fond of holding down the Play button or whatever to turn off the iPod though. It's so focused on simplicity regarding layout that it has to use a button for two or more tasks. Nobody would know how to turn the iPod on or off without resorting to the manual, and even then, it's not as intuitive as having a dedicated On/Off button somewhere.

On the subject of what I don't like, how about typing in messages or names with a cell phone? I still "hunt and peck" for the letters, and I don't like the idea of letters in general because I seem to recall the letter layout has been different for different phones in the past (so you might call some company but be one number off). This is why I prefer getting a phone number in all numbers, because I'm not used to seeing letters in there. Maybe they've standardized the letter layout since then. Even if they did, I couldn't imagine doing this hunt-and-peck for writing a message. It'd end up hurting my fingers too much after a while.

[Chesk Otter]

I love the clickwheel. The best thing about the iPod is the clickwheel, so there's really no point getting a shuffle.

[Lukesed]

On the subject of what I don't like, how about typing in messages or names with a cell phone? I still "hunt and peck" for the letters, and I don't like the idea of letters in general because I seem to recall the letter layout has been different for different phones in the past (so you might call some company but be one number off). This is why I prefer getting a phone number in all numbers, because I'm not used to seeing letters in there. Maybe they've standardized the letter layout since then. Even if they did, I couldn't imagine doing this hunt-and-peck for writing a message. It'd end up hurting my fingers too much after a while.

The keypad layout is standardized, but it still takes a bit of getting used too. Have you used the system that learns your typing habits and automatically suggests the rest of the word you are typing based on the first few letters? It makes stuff a lot easier.

[Lonna Bowstripe]

Only problem with the clickwheel is when you have sweaty hands. Despite that flaw, it's still a lot better than the other options out there.

[Chelki Sureshot]

I hate having to click the button to get where I want. Using a click wheel is so much smoother!