Centro touchscreen not sensitive?

[impaler]

Hey jgal,
I was trolling around and found this article, that may explain a bit of this issue. It appears the Centro ships with a screen protector of sorts. That could certainly explain some of the issues with "less response" from the screen--especially since I did get that same behavior with my old 755p when the protector was installed.

TreoCentral.com - View Single Post - Permament Screen Protector on the Centro?

[comiken205]

Thank for that post. Do you have a screen protector on your then? I am just leary of not having one especially with my tweenager. Let me know your experience with or without the protector.

[jgal]

impaler,

I kind of came to the same conclusion in the above posts. I also think it is the built in screen protector. I think that mine is perhaps not completely flush with the screen (I can actually see the film distorting as I push it) and that is leading to less sensitivity, particularly to taps. I haven't added a second screen protector for that reason.

I was able to get the Centro's crashing behavior under control by a selective restore. It feels rock solid now.

I'm still on the fence a bit about it though. I'm thinking of trading it in for one with a better touchscreen or possibly getting a Treo 755p instead. If anyone wants to dissuade me from doing the latter, I'd be happy to hear it!

jgal

[impaler]

Originally Posted by jgal

I'll take it in if I can get these resets under control. If not, I'll be satisfied with my old Treo 650. Besides the Centro's quicker d/l speeds (only in heavily populated areas, as I've discovered) and the smaller size, the two devices are nearly the same.

Yep...it's EV-DO capable...but reverts to 1XRRT in other areas.

[chris777]

Originally Posted by jgal

Hello. I upgraded from a Treo 650 to a Centro, and overall it feels like a step down. My Centro will often "freeze" for several seconds when scrolling, etc., which my Treo never did (identical apps and data loaded). It resets constantly (I can't d/l and play Audible files - it resets every time when trying to play).

The worst problem is that my touchscreen doesn't register taps easily. It was like this right out of the box (no extra apps installed). I can tap an app five times before it registers. The only thing that works reliably is to tap super-hard or to tap normally but hold for half a quarter or half a second - which seems very awkward. It is so bad I started using the tiny keyboard, which stinks because I use a Palm due to RSI/carpal tunnel and need the stylus to keep my thumbs and wrists from hurting while typing. Picking up my old Treo after 5 days with the Centro, I was surprised how easy it was to tap the Treo screen. I've had several Palm devices and never have seen one that is so unresponsive to touch as the Centro.

Other Centro owners (and those who are touch screen power users): Is this typical of the Centro in general?

Thanks in advance for your help.

No it is not just you.

I have been a palm user for several years now, and this is my first smartphone from them.
I was beginning to think that they purposely made the digitizer less sensitive or something. But I suspect it may be a combination of 2 things.

1) the built in screen protector, which I would like to know if this thing is replaceable because if it is I wont bother with a third party one given the sensitivity issue.

2) the screen seems to be exactly half the physical size of the screen on my zire 72 (I have to double the font size on the centro to equal that of the zire)
BUT I am unaware that palm has made any effort to tune the digitizer to the smaller dimensions, so while the physical screen is still 320 x 320, only smaller,
I suspect nothing has been done with the digitizer itself.

I beamed over notepad from my zire and unless I bear down on it the lines square off like on an etch e sketch.

But I have noticed everything you've mentioned, and was thinking of posting on my own about it.

[chris777]

bump

[Treo Musketeers]

Originally Posted by comiken205

Thank for that post. Do you have a screen protector on your then? I am just leary of not having one especially with my tweenager. Let me know your experience with or without the protector.

Comiken, there have been more then a few posts about the Centro's built in screen protector getting scratched. To me, this leaves it a toss up about how to handle it....get a screen protector and then risk losing tactile responsiveness of the device, or don't get one and risk scratching it. If you get one, I would recommend getting the Invisible Shield. It's a little higher then the others ($12.95), but it is made of a special compound that resists any scratching and can last indefinitely (whereas the other ones last about 3 months). Here is the link:

invisibleSHIELD | Palm Centro Case, Screen Protector, Cover, Shield, Skin, Invisible Shield

[jgal]

chris,

It's good to know that I'm not the only one frustrated by this. I suspect that most Treo/Centro users do not use the touchscreen as often as I do, and therefore don't notice the loss of sensitivity. I've since tried a couple of other Centros at different Sprint stores (including new ones that they took out of the box), and both were identical to the one I own. It's not that this is "noticeable to me" as one poster suggested, but that I either have to bear down hard when entering text--or hold for a second for a "tap"--or I find myself tapping 2, 3 or more times to get the darn thing to register. The display model in one store is the only one that is more sensitive, but it still falls short of my Treo 650, Tungsten C, and Zire 72. I've decided to send it back, and stick with my old, flaky Treo 650. I hate having to carry that brick around, but at least it doesn't frustrate me every time I use the touchscreen.

[jfa02]

I have had problems with the touchscrenn only when trying to use the generic fellowes cut to fit screen protectors, The screenguardz I got for my 600 that I am still using up work great with the 650 and now the 750. I just periodically misplace them or they get buried on or in the desk.

[chris777]

Originally Posted by jgal

chris,

It's good to know that I'm not the only one frustrated by this. I suspect that most Treo/Centro users do not use the touchscreen as often as I do, and therefore don't notice the loss of sensitivity. I've since tried a couple of other Centros at different Sprint stores (including new ones that they took out of the box), and both were identical to the one I own. It's not that this is "noticeable to me" as one poster suggested, but that I either have to bear down hard when entering text--or hold for a second for a "tap"--or I find myself tapping 2, 3 or more times to get the darn thing to register. The display model in one store is the only one that is more sensitive, but it still falls short of my Treo 650, Tungsten C, and Zire 72. I've decided to send it back, and stick with my old, flaky Treo 650. I hate having to carry that brick around, but at least it doesn't frustrate me every time I use the touchscreen.

I went to a real estate convention a year or so back, and there was a palm rep there trying to convince all of the treo users to not even use the touch screen, period, and trying to explain how to do everything one handed with the 5 way navigator.

but its other devices as well