Suggestion for backlight operation

[AlexV]

It is probably too late for this, as we don't have enough buttons to do it properly, but I think the operation of the backlight could be improved.

Currently it turns itself on whenever you hit any of the buttons, then turns itself off after a set period of time. This is a pretty poor match to the times when I actually want the backlight on.

A lot of times I am pressing buttons I don't need to see what is happening (volume changes, play, pause, skip to next track, etc.), and probably won't be looking at the screen at all. Having the backlight on for this drains the batteries unnecessarily.

When I do quite often want to have the backlight on is if I want to check the name of the currently playing track, or how long it has left to run, but in this situation there is no way to just turn on the backlight to have a look at the display without pressing some button that will perform some unwanted action.

Ideally there would be a backlight button, which while held down, would keep the backlight on. The current behaviour of turning the backlight on when a button is pressed could be kept, as this can be turned off in the options (Display/Backlight/Time). Turning the backlight off in the settings should not prevent the backlight button from working, though, the backlight button should always turn the backlight on while held down.

Of course, the one big problem with this suggestion is that another button is not something that can be added by a firmware update! Any suggestions on how the goals I've described might be achieved with the current set of buttons would be most appreciated!

Personally, I never use the A-B button (why would I ever want to repeat a fragment of a track continuosly?), so would be happy to see an option for this to be used as a backlight button, but I guess some people use its primary function...

Alex

[eXity]

Hmmm, you are talking about an interesting issue here, but I feel that your solution of adding an extra button isn't really a good solution. It costs a lot to add an extra button (internal wiring, design of case ...) - the added benefit wouldn't really be greater than the added cost in my opinion.

There is no way of adding a "smart" backlight that only turns on when you want it to, because the iAUDIO isn't telephatic, switching the A-B button to the backlight feature might be a possible solution, but what do you do when you are in FM mode or rec mode and you need the backlight?

All in all it would be way too much work IMHO and to be honest you are the first person to complain about this issue. It's not as if rechargable batteries didn't exist, but I guess you do have a point.

[AlexV]

It's a tricky one, I agree. Perhaps chording could be used to give us a couple of extra commands - pressing both the menu and the play buttons simultaneously, or both the vol + and <<, or vol - and >> buttons. It would be a sort of pinching action, grabbing the iAudio with the fingers on the buttons on either side... just a thought anyway. One of these combos could then be the backlight override command :-)

Some more playing about has shown that a workaround with the current version is to click the Mode button twice quickly. This results in no change to what is displayed or played, but because it is a button click, turns the backlight on. I couldn't think of any other easy action which wouldn't either obscure the now playing data, or change what was being played in some way.

Also, just because I am the only person to have mentioned this issue doesn't mean I am the only one who would appreciate it. I'm sure it would just not have occured to a lot of people that the backlight was turning itself on when it didn't need to, and there is probably a whole lot more people who have wanted to see what was on the screen when it hasn't been backlit, but forgotten about it or not bothered to mention it.

[rburns]

Alex - You made me smile. I think I already do that chording/pinching action all the time on the iAudio - it's just where my finders end up!

While we're on this - I think the most awsome display feature of all would be the ability to flip the display so it can be read the other way-round.

-Robert

[eXity]

The flip display has already been suggested on the CW200, but it is technichally impossible on the iAUDIO4 seeing that only the left half of the screen is actually a LCD. The right part is non-modiviable - I dunnow what you call it.

What you are suggesting would probably be possible on the M3 though seeing that the M3s screen is fully dynamic.