Diad V

barnyard

KTM rider
Has anyone here tested any of the potential Diad 5 devices?????

They were in my center 2 weeks ago and I was chosen to test one for a day. I wrote up 2 pages critiquing my test unit (I hated it, the people that recommended the device I used are the suckiest bunch of sucks that have ever sucked.) The 1st paragraph read something like, "If I were a decision maker, I would not waste anymore development money on this device...."

There were 4 units, 2 that looked usable and 2 that looked like a complete waste of time. To me, the disappointing thing was that a supe from another center rode with us to sheet with Diad 4 because the test devices could not communicate with UPS. I say disappointing because most of the other drivers gave the bare minimum amount of feedback and noone else wrote suggestions or why they particularly liked or disliked a device.

Seems that if a diad design person would have gone along, they could have learned a bunch more about why a driver would do well with a board and why he/she would not do well. There were alot of things that came up during the day that the driver supe and I talked about that could make Diad 4 or the next diad better, that I forgot about by the time I got to the person from Maryland (I think that's where she was from....) I think I wrote up about 1/2 of the stuff that I went over during the day.

So, if you were one of the testers, how was your experience???

TB
 

brownracer

Well-Known Member
The next generation DIAD devices are undergoing testing from many viewpoints. Driver and management feedback is being collected from several sources. At this stage of the testing the devices themselves are not being selected, but rather which features of a proposed device are liked/disliked-- such as toggle, signature key location, order of keys, key spacing, size of keys, size of device, etc. That is why the test is called a "form factor test." Please feel free to continue to comment on what everyone would like to see, or not see, in the next DIAD-- people are listening to you.
 

barnyard

KTM rider
That was what sucked on the unit I tested. You had to toggle between numbers and letters and the letter keys did not work if the number keys were selected. Had to press the toggle button twice to lock numbers and once to go back to letters. So, if I needed to key a 1Z number (and I did), I had to hit "1" toggle, "z" toggle, blah, blah, blah.

When we switched from 3 to 4, it took me less than 1/2 a day to be proficient with 4. At the end of the day, I still was tripping up with the test unit. 2 thumbs way down.

At 2 points during the day, we had to quit using the new one so that I could get caught up. Signatures were such a PITA that I quit using it for signature stops after 4 hours, it took waaaaay too long to type in a signature, toggle, enter delivery location (7-office) and enter the next address.

Our center does not have PAS, so entering addresses after a signature involved toggling.

To me, it seemed like a complete waste of time to test a diad that would obviously never make it to final development. I sheeted 85 stops and I would guess that it added 30 minutes to my day. All the extra toggling meant that I could not scan my walkways as effectively or scan my vehicle as I walked up to it. That meant either stopping to key or scan, then key inside my truck (that's what I did).

Another disappointing thing to me, was that none of the 'test' boards was an improved version of diad 4.

From what I saw, UPS is not spending it's diad development dough wisely.

TB
 
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CBUK

Well-Known Member
We have DIAD 4 in the U.K but we still have 5 or 6 DIAD 3 units at the centre.

I've had to revert back to a DIAD 3 a few times for various reasons and apart from the size of them they are so much easier to use. I was expecting to struggle but found that after about an hour I was working to the same speed as normal.

I hate DIAD 4 and can't believe that its possible to create anything worse.
 

Overpaid Union Thug

Well-Known Member
I'm happy with DIAD4 except for the signature key. If it were moved to the other side then most customers wouldn't hit it. Only left handed customers would hit it. Besides that I wouldn't care if nothing on the outside was changed. For the inside (software) there is always room for improvement.
 

dirty moose

Well-Known Member
What they really need to improve is the signature pad it self.
Make it readable cause we all know you cant read that thing.
and change the signature line (the one with the x_______)
people get so confused by that.
 

1989

Well-Known Member
The layout of diad 3 with the look and the capacity of diad 4 (ability to scan 3000 pkgs at one stop without the board slowing down).
 

UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)

Well-Known Member
I hate the DIAD 3. The 4 is such a big improvement...

The point 1989 was trying to make is that he preferred the body of the DIAD 3 with the guts and performance of the DIAD 4. I happen to like the DIAD 4, except for the location of the signature key. Yes, there are times when I will forget to toggle between numbers and letters and will have finished a lengthy text message only to read it and it looked like an eye test, with both numbers and letters.
 

Hedley_Lamarr

Well-Known Member
The point 1989 was trying to make is that he preferred the body of the DIAD 3 with the guts and performance of the DIAD 4. I happen to like the DIAD 4, except for the location of the signature key. Yes, there are times when I will forget to toggle between numbers and letters and will have finished a lengthy text message only to read it and it looked like an eye test, with both numbers and letters.
LOL! Been there done that...A few times I sent the message like that, only to have the center text me back with a WHAT...
 

1989

Well-Known Member
Five or six years with the diad 4 and I still can't find the letters...With diad 3 I could almost type with my eyes closed.
 
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