[OSM-talk] New technology ...

[Lester Caine]

With the arrival of a 'new' set of controls, and the discussion on front page, I 
feel that it IS necessary to open this discussion a little wider. Having been 
using the new interface on mobile devices I find it much less usable than the 
older set-up. But that is not to say that the old one was actually usable! There 
is a need for a different map interface that works better with mobile devices. 
Even the routing demos have mixed results on tablets and mobile phones. I've 
been working on my own 'front end' simply to provide one that I can tailor for 
the devices I am using. The old N900 used to work well, but the newer devices 
are difficult to use 'on the go'. As an example, the old TomTom sat nav was easy 
to use while driving, but the current replacements I've tried to use with the 
Galaxy4 can be dangerous at times as they wander off doing their own thing, and 
you have to stop to get back to a state where you can continue following the route.

It's obvious that the new map interface is not designed for mobile devices, so 
where should we discuss that development and how it would fit in with an 
improved front end. It's not just a matter of directing to 'a map' but more 
important is directing to safe options for those of us who ARE using the tools 
every day. The current options are both difficult to find, and have clear 
information on how safe they are when using them live! Disclaimers of accepting 
no responsibility may cover any legal liability, but essentially say 'here is a 
tool - but you should never use it!'

And discussion on a more open platform would also be appreciated rather than on 
development platforms that we do not subscribe to because we use different 
development tools!

-- 
Lester Caine - G8HFL
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