[VCI_Cell]

I think you are all forgetting something important. The gesture area on the current WebOS devices is just an extension of the screen that doesn't display anything. There is plenty of opportunity for the software developers to offer "common gestures" without having to sacrifice the screen for a dedicated area. An example would be to recognize that when someone swipes three quarters of the way across a specific part of the screen that they want to go to the next or previous app. I could see that being somewhat problematic when viewing web pages where you scroll a lot, but if it's in a dedicated part of the screen it shouldn't cause too many problems.

Yeah but one of the principal benefits of the gesture area on webOS phones is just that; it's an extension of the screen that doesn't display anything. So when you're inputting gestures, you're not obscuring any part of what you're looking at with your hand. The gesture area is for just that: gestures. IMO, an on-screen implementation is less ideal.

[acaplinger]

Yeah but one of the principal benefits of the gesture area on webOS phones is just that; it's an extension of the screen that doesn't display anything. So when you're inputting gestures, you're not obscuring any part of what you're looking at with your hand. The gesture area is for just that: gestures. IMO, an on-screen implementation is less ideal.

Plus, by having it built into the OS and hardware, it is always consistent, and not up to each developer to implement it.

[ndw6798]

Right acaplinger, I'm saying the HP/Palm developers have it consistent for the device, not for each application developer to implement their own ideas.

As to the comment by VCI, why would you want to give up viewable screen space? If the area serves the same purpose, wouldn't you rather be able to use and view rather than just have an empty black space? It's easy enough to have markers on the display of where that space is without taking away from the viewing experience. Would you also want a couple e-buttons in the dedicated "black space" like the Pre+?

[alan7467]

I find this pretty disappointing, though I can recall the first time I used a Pre. The concept of using the gesture area to go back or forward was difficult to get used to at first. Perhaps in testing they found this to be the same with the TouchPad and opted to dumb it down a bit.

Regardless, doesn't change the fact that this is a feature that will be missed by people like myself that got used to it and really enjoyed using it.

[sandmanfvr]

Missed? If a 10 inch app can do the same thing, we probably will not notice. I am going to hold my thoughts till I can do hands on. One button for the cards was a weird thing, but still from the videos I see no issue yet.

[retroblu]

[quote=Quote:
10:53AM "As you can see, I get too much email. I want to delete several of these at once. We added multi-select." Ah ha -- you touch the gesture area and multiple messages. Finally! /guote]

However, look at the engadget liveblog..

i do agree w/ you, but after watching the engadget video you see the rep actually press a button in the email app, which is pretty close to the gesture area, and the engadget person could've mistoken that for the gesture area.

[mikeisnowonfire]

I don't see much use for the gesture area, other than to go back.

[VCI_Cell]

As to the comment by VCI, why would you want to give up viewable screen space?

I don't. I'm saying there's going to be a stupid bezel there anyway, taking up a half inch of space on each screen side. Why not have a dedicated gesture area on the bezel so we can continue interacting with webOS in the intuitive, unique way it was designed?

I'd prefer it to this iPad-aping "home button" that takes us backward in webOS design, adding a Pre Minus-like button that was purposefully removed from every subsequent Palm phone.

[blue duck butter]

I noticed there aren't any gestures on the TouchPad. Do you think this is because RIM maybe has patents for gestures on their Playbook? I know the gestures for webOS on smartphones must be patented already but maybe HP didn't have them patented for a tablet device?

[sandmanfvr]

Good point, might be. Didn't think of patents only on phones and not tablets.

[BMIC50]

I was disappointed at first, but then I started thinking about how I could hold it one-handed and perform a gesture. Also, you dont want the area to be too big or you could accidently perform a gesture. Make it too small and it will be a chore. And obviously, the portrait/landscape issue is still poses issues.

[DanJ01]

Seriously, I was not expecting them to do this at all. And it is a major downside. Makes the orientation feel weirder, have to search for individual "back" buttons in each app, no quick card switching - super lame palm.

[bradleyj]

I don't get this, without the gesture area we have big fragmentation areas, and the gesture area was my FAVORITE feature of webOS! I always switch between apps with a full swipe, and it is alot easier to half-swipe to go back than to find a little button that obscures the screen. I am dissappointed, and I think it is ironic: webOS is giving up one of its best features while iOS is implementing it! Maybe I'll jump into the iPhone ecosystem...

[bradleyj]

BTW, some of you said something about still having a swipe up...but I saw nothing like that on the Touchpad preview. I also noticed he tapped for notifications rather than swiping down (i always thought swiping down was faster and easier because you don't need to actually tap such a small space).

[blue duck butter]

I am disappointed to learn there is no gesture area on the touchpad. You press a button. I was really excited for the possibilities of having a gesture area surround the screen. Really don't understand why they would not utilize such a great part of the webos experience.

http://forums.precentral.net/hp-touc...-playbook.html

[sandmanfvr]

I was disappointed at first, but then I started thinking about how I could hold it one-handed and perform a gesture. Also, you dont want the area to be too big or you could accidently perform a gesture. Make it too small and it will be a chore. And obviously, the portrait/landscape issue is still poses issues.

Wellll, the playbook does it just right. I mean it is gestures from all 4 sides. Not hard to do.

[cjdaniel]

I am a year old iPad user, and I really like it. Honestly was looking forward to a new webos phone. I highly doubted that the tablet was going to impress and it doesn't, gestures kinda makes the decision easier.

[art_sjc]

Unfortunately, I'm going to have to agree that the lack of gestures makes the TouchPad significantly less attractive to me. I may actually check out the Playbook now, which makes me a little sad.

[schlk21]

No Gesture Area = Crippled webOS experience

[LupeValenz]

Playbook is more of a webOS experience with gestures than the TouchPad. I'm really hating it not being on the TouchPad. I always use it for advance gesture, paging up and down in the web browser, refresh tweets. How can HP do this to webOS