A suggestion on Menu interface

[dracodoc]

E ink reader has its limitations on interface: limited buttons, slow response of display. Foxit is a software company, you can do little about the hardware and buttons, but the menu interface still can be improved if you think differently and use the button you have wisely. The best way to use buttons in a interface limited device is make them "soft buttons", which means the button's function can change according to the case. Look at this cell phone, the two white dots around the center button always map to two menu items on the bottom of screen, which can be any menu item according to case, and user don't have to remember the special meaning of the button, he only need to know left button map to left menu item, right button map to right menu item.
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_B2-WECrImHc/SceofTqiFxI/AAAAAAAAAyc/kNSu0lN_MLI/s800/sicx70_00.jpg

[dracodoc]

In similar design principle, I think this menu interface will be great in Foxit eslick:
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_B2-WECrImHc/Sceab3KA8KI/AAAAAAAAAyE/JELMZZybI7o/s800/1_cr.gif

"CENTER" : press center button of the Navigator
"LEFT": press left button of the Navigator
same with right, up and down
1. CENTER: bring out option menu in any available mode. press center again on "Option" will turn off the menu.
use "UP,DOWN,LEFT,RIGHT" to move the selection/focus on the menu tree. If the menu item is the last one in the menu tree (leaf item), it will take effect immediately when selected (no need to press center to confirm), other wise user can press center to select the menu item, or press direction button to move in the menu tree.

For example:
CENTER: bring out option menu, the whole menu tree can be displayed if there is enough space, user can locate the function he want immediately
-> CENTER again: turn off the option menu
CENTER -> LEFT: turn to landscape mode
CENTER -> DOWN: reflow
CENTER -> UP: Font size was selected;
-> CENTER: Font size was confirmed, the Font size dialog appears
-> UP: Zoom to was selected, because it is the last item, Zoom to dialog appear immediately
CENTER -> RIGHT-> CENTER: Bookmark dialog
CENTER -> RIGHT-> RIGHT: Go to dialog

There are 6 menu items in the original menu, even user can use UP, UP to select the bottom menu item(I don't know if it can be done), he still need to press many times to access some frequently use function, like landscape.
Go to: 2 press
Zoom to: 3 press
Font size:4 press
Book mark: 5 press
Landscape: 6 press, or 4 press if user can use UP after the selection was on top to move the selection to bottom, which is not obvious.
Reflow: 7 press or 3 press
While these functions only need 2,2,3,3,3,3, press in new menu interface.

[dracodoc]

Another case is the Zoom To dialog, which have 8 items
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_B2-WECrImHc/ScegjQ4wiDI/AAAAAAAAAyM/Dmz17MowD14/s800/2_cr.gif

User can press CENTER, UP, UP to zoom into file, which is very intuitive. I think the "Fit Page" is less used so it was placed in deeper position, while "Fit Content Height" (also use RIGHT to make it intuitive) and "Fit Content Width" (use DOWN) can be accessed with 2 press.

The Font size dialog can be arranged simpler, only with UP and DOWN, start from last font size selected.

[dracodoc]

The main menu can be rearranged too:
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_B2-WECrImHc/Scei1YATsYI/AAAAAAAAAyU/0fLtwFhQKsg/s800/3_cr.gif

Most used function can be accessed with 2 press, and the reading history can extended very naturally(of course there could be a limit on it).

2 G SD card can hold many, many pdf, txt and mp3, using current menu to find some document and select it could be a hard task. But it would be anti-intuitive to map directory and files into 4 direction, so I would suggest only make better use of the 4 buttons of Navigator:
LEFT: scroll page up, or move selection to top if already in first page
RIGHT: scroll page down, or move selection to bottom if already in last page

These can make scrolling in lots of files much quicker.

[Erik_Bryant]

Thanks for all this information, this is very good. Foxit is interested in doing a new hardware design with more buttons.

[dracodoc]

Thanks for all this information, this is very good. Foxit is interested in doing a new hardware design with more buttons.

That will be great! But I already ordered eslick, is it possible to implement the menu interface I mentioned in future firmware update for eslick? This menu interface only need the Navigator buttons -- actually, too many buttons not necessarily mean better user interface. Intuitive button design plus programmable/upgradeable menu interface can do a lot more, and users of older model can also benefit from it by upgrading firmware.

[Erik_Bryant]

That makes sense. I will see what development says about a new button structure for better UI. We are constantly working on making the software better(as we are a software company).

[dracodoc]

That's exactly what I mean. eslick is based on a common hardware which have been adopted by several company, Foxit do have some advantage on pdf processing, but that is not enough -- actually pdf is not the best format for e ink reader, but there is no much better choice right now. If eslick can have a really slick user interface, that will be another selling point.

[springtian]

Can't agree more!

The advantage of pdf processing and a really nice ui will make your products outstanding!

That's exactly what I mean. eslick is based on a common hardware which have been adopted by several company, Foxit do have some advantage on pdf processing, but that is not enough -- actually pdf is not the best format for e ink reader, but there is no much better choice right now. If eslick can have a really slick user interface, that will be another selling point.