Rant: How's this for Customer Support?

[Russ Smith]

It all started when my wife commented that she was having a problem with Pocket Informant. She explained that the TAB key on here 4300 series thumb-board didn't work in PI. I did a quick look-see and discovered that the TAB worked OK in Pocket Word, but not in Pocket Informant. If you used the on-screen keyboard, it works in both. Only the TAB key had this problem.

That prompted an e-mail to the Pocket Informant folks. They clearly understood the problem, but explained that they weren't doing anything special in handling keystrokes. Pocket Informant doesn't care (and doesn't even know) where the keystrokes come from. If the keyboard was generating messages the way it should, the TAB key should work.

So, then I wrote to HP explaining the problem. Here's their first response:

Dear HP Customer,
Thank you for contacting HP eServices.

This is with reference to your e-mail regarding the issue with your iPAQ H4300 built-in keyboard.

Please note that as the tab key on the built-in keyboard works fine with the Pocket Word, it indicates that this is not an issue with the our iPAQ tab key.

We suggest that you contact the manufacturer of the Pocket Informant 5.0.3 program if any settings have to be made in the program so that the tab key works fine with it.

Please e-mail us if you need any clarification and we will be glad to help.

Thank you,
HP eServices

[Russ Smith]

It was clear they didn't realize, although I'd mentioned it, that I'd already contacted the PI folks and they'd put the ball firmly in HP's court. So I wrote back:

Thank you. I've already contacted WebIS, the makers of Pocket Informant. Their response is included below. As you can see, they're not doing anything that should cause the keyboard not to read. (This is beginning to look like the traditional "It's a hardware problem" / "It's a software problem" passing the buck.)

Before I toss this back at WebIS again, is there anything in the keyboard driver that would suggest why the TAB key in particular isn't recognized? (For instance, does it not generate all three key messages that are placed in the message queue by the SIP?) All the other keys appear to work just fine.

Here's HP's response:

Dear HP Customer,
Thank you for contacting HP eServices.

This is with reference to your e-mail regarding the iPAQ H4300 series.

We can understand from your previous response that you are able to use the Tab key successfully in Pocket Word. Hence, we concur that the Tab key is working fine. Regarding the use of Tab key with any third-party software (Pocket Informant 5.0.3), please note that HP does not warrant or support the compatibility of the iPAQ with any third-party software.

Please e-mail us if you need any clarification and we will be glad to help.

Thank you,
HP eServices

[Russ Smith]

It was clear I wasn't getting through, but I just don't take the hint. I wrote back one more time:

Actually, I don't concur precisely. I agree that the TAB key is working in Pocket Word. However, I point out the fact that it is the only key that doesn't function in Pocket Informant as a means of indicating where I believe the problem lies. Pocket Informant doesn't handle the TAB in any special way. In fact, it simply reads the keystroke messages off the message que and is blisfully unaware as to whether they are generated by a SIP or a hardware keyboard. If Pocket Informant couldn't read any thumb-board keys, I'd say it was a bug in their software. Again, the TAB is the only key that doesn't register. That points to an omission of some sort in the keyboard driver itself. If you'd just direct the attention of the people who wrote the driver to their handling of the TAB key, I imagine they'd find the problem.

Here's HP's response:
Dear HP Customer,
Thank you for contacting HP eServices.

This is with reference to your e-mail regarding the tab key.

We understand the importance of iPAQ to you and regret the inconvenience.

In order to assist you with the issue, we suggest that you please perform soft reset on the iPAQ.

The steps to perform soft reset are given below:
(steps to perform a soft reset)

If the issue persists, perform a hard reset on the iPAQ. Please note: that a hard reset returns the unit to factory defaults. Please backup the data because all data would be lost when you perform a hard reset.
(Steps to perform a backup and restore)

Please e-mail us if you need any clarification and we will be glad to assist.

Thank you,
HP eServices

[Russ Smith]

So the solution to my wife's problem is to do a hard-reset. As (ahem) thought-provoking as this "solution" is, I actually did try it, just to be able to write back and say. "It still doesn't work, even on a pristine machine." It doesn't.

So, what exactly is the problem with the folks in HP Tech Support writing an e-mail to the keyboard driver folks saying "Would you mind looking over the key handling routines, just to see if, possibly, you left something out when you handle a TAB?" That might have actually resembled customer service.

[Tim Adams]

Ooof!

Well that really stinks. I, too, would be tempted to back the unit up completely, hard reset, and just show them....

[Ric]

Where is PI does it not work? I've been playing with mine (4350 and PI v5.1) and the Tab key does not work when typing Notes. It does work when adding a contact or a new task to move between the fields.

It also seems odd to me that the directional pad will not allow me to move up or down when I am trying to type a note in PI, and I am forced to use the stylus move move my cursor. If I use the onscreen keyboard, of course the up and down arrows take me where I want to go. I can use the directional pad in Pocket Word to move where I want without any problem. My point to that is it seems to be more than just the Tab key, but also the up and down keys.

And why is it only a problem in the Notes, and not anywhere else... I'm not trying to defend HP, they really haven't tried to do a thing for you, but I suspect it is an issue with PI. I'm guessing that repeated emails to WIS would get better results than you've seen with HP.

I'm really quite supprised that neither company has stepped up and said, "We have (not) been able to reproduce the problem". It would seem to be an easy step towards customer satisfaction.

[Pony99CA]

HP's responses were certainly less than helpful. However, I'm confused by the following.

Originally posted by Russ Smith
Before I toss this back at WebIS again, is there anything in the keyboard driver that would suggest why the TAB key in particular isn't recognized? (For instance, does it not generate all three key messages that are placed in the message queue by the SIP?) All the other keys appear to work just fine.
First, if the Tab key does work in Word (and other applications?), why would you assume the keyboard driver was bad? What are the three messages you're referring to? (Key Down, Char and Key Up?)

Second, why are you so trusting of Web IS' answer? Granted, you probably got an answer from Alex, who writes the program, but he's not perfect. Unless he indicated that he actually looked at the code to be sure, I'd kick the problem back to them.

However, before I did that, I'd check the Tab key in other applications, specifically Pocket Excel and some third-party applications. If it works there, it's likely a PI bug.

Even if it turns out to be a keyboard driver issue, PI might be able to work around the problem faster than HP can fix it. Plus, Alex could probably produce debugging information showing exactly what was missing and contact HP himself. I think HP might be more receptive to an application developer than a "lowly user". :)

Steve

[Pony99CA]

Originally posted by alex_kac
Oh and to add to this - I've tried this with another third party keyboard and it works just fine. Its ONLY the HP keyboards that don't.
I have an IR thumb board and the Compaq Micro Keyboard. I also have Pocket Informant 4.6.2 installed on my iPAQ 5550. If you tell me what dialog the problem is occurring in, I could report some results back.

If you prefer the feedback in the Web IS forums, provide a link to a thread where I can post to.

Steve

[Russ Smith]

Past experience with WebIS has shown their tech support (even when it isn't Alex himself :)) to be knowledgable and their answers to be both coherant and useful. So, I took their answer at face value.

If I were confronted with answers like HP's from anyone, I'd be a bit annoyed. However, I was also surprised because I've gotten a lot better from HP in the past.

As I said in the e-mail, all I'd really expect is for them to forward this to the keyboard driver writers to see if they can suss out a reason for the odd behavior.

[Pony99CA]

Originally posted by alex_kac
5.0 and 4.x use different dialog controls. In 4.x - we actually did our own controls to try and have the underline look. But in 5.x we no longer do that and just use standard CE controls.

If you'd like 5.x - just email me and I'll get you a code.
I got the latest version of Pocket Informant and the Tab key on my Compaq Micro Keyboard seemed to work fine (at least in the new task entry dialog).

On my old Targus Stowaway keyboard, Tab also seemed to work fine, although not all controls on the Task entry dialog were reached by the Tab key.

My Yondwin IR keyboard wasn't so lucky. The Tab key seemed to stop the keyboard from working at all until I cancelled or entered the task. The Enter key and up and down arrow keys also had the same problem.

When I cancelled the task entry, those keys were sent to the main tasks screen (I heard the clicks and saw the cursor move).

Those keys worked fine in Pocket Word. One odd thing was that none of those keys generated a click sound when pressed, although other keys did.

Steve

[MikeM]

FYI: I use Agenda Fusion and I have the same problem. The Tab key does not work.

[pildo]

Why you delete my answer?
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[Pony99CA]

Originally posted by pildo
Why you delete my answer?
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First, because it didn't "answer" anything.

Second, because you're a spamming moron who posted a 1x1-pixel image link to a cannabis shop (nirvana-shop).

You tried it again in this post, but couldn't manage to get the link right. You really aren't very bright, are you?

Next question?

Steve