iAudio swing touch

[notcliched]

I've taken quite a liking to iAudio players lately. I've never owned one, but with their catalogue of impressive players that always places features and functionality before gimmicks and aesthetics (which isn't to say their players don't look nice), they seem to be the antithesis to Apple's products. Anyway, I got awfully puzzled by the new i7 (and the i6 for that matter). What Cowon is marketing as a big deal, the swing touch navigation, seems to me just to be the touch strip of iriver and Creative players, but placed at an angle. Is there actually anything special about it or is it just a slanted touch strip?

[BBD]

Supposedly, the angled touch strip is more comfortable to operate, though it does seem best with the right hand. That's based only on what I've read over @ iaudiophile.net, though; my only Cowon product (a U3) uses a joystick.

[ShyAnne]

Originally Posted by notcliched

Is there actually anything special about it or is it just a slanted touch strip?

Just a touch strip placed diagonally instead of vertically, which would take some getting used to if you're accustomed to the up/down navigation of a vertical.

Like the previous respondent, my only Cowon product uses a joystick so can't comment on day-to-day use of diagonal vs. vertical touch strips. But I have played with Creative and iriver (H10) vertical touch strip players as well a Cowon iAudio 6, which has the same diagonal touch strip as the 7. So can at least say that I don't care for touch strip navigation regardless of orientation. Some people like it though.

[notcliched]

I don't mind the touch strip on my H10 actually. I've never used a joystick, cos my H10 is my first mp3 player, but I really don't mind it. I suppose it's because it reminds me of the edges of a laptop touch pad that you can use in a similar way. but thanks for the input about hte swing touch