Related
My wife and I just got the T-Mobile Dash (s620, Excalibur, among other names) and we like it. However, we still have the following issues.
Can't turn off the backlight. (I think your right, I can deal with this.)
Backlight doesn't come on all the way in bright sunlight. (same here)
Can't find a slim, inward facing, plastic belt holster? (still looking)
Speed dial list isn't easy to get to (mapped to 2 - OK for now but would rather put this on my wife's Today Screen).
The 'touch' volume mechanism is silly. (will try setjogbar-free to begin using it as scroll instead, thanks caramelzappa and phonealarm -not free for vol ctrl, thx sergiopi)
Can't I just set the phone volume to as high as possible by default while I am on the phone and perhaps set hard buttons to control this? (thx again)
Can't modify the today screen. (still no great solution here)
Can't create Excel files. (will try Modaco-free but can't find it, thx sergiopi or Documents To Go-not free)
Can't set more than one alarm. (will try phonealarm not free, thx sergiopi)
Unlocking the keypad (press unlock > then *) is a bit of a nuisance. (I'm surviving)
Internet costs $20.00 - this is a rippoff, even at $6.00! (turning tzones into full internet access from the instructions found here.
Any assistance with some of these items would be greatly appreciated.
trpenner said:
My wife and I just got the T-Mobile Dash (630, Excalibur, among other names) and we like it. However, we have the following issues.
1) Can't turn off the backlight.
2) Backlight doesn't come on all the way in bright sunlight.
3) Can't find a slim, inward facing, plastic belt holster?
4) Speed dial list isn't easy to get to.
5) The 'touch' volume mechanism is silly.
6) Can't I just set the phone volume to as high as possible by default while I am on the phone and perhaps set hard buttons to control this?
7) Can't modify the today screen.
8) Can't create Excel files.
9) Can't set more than one alarm.
10) Unlocking the keypad (press unlock > then *) is a bit of a nuisance.
Any assistance with some of these items would be greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) Why? just in settings>power management choose the backlight time out!
2) If you live in Antarctica during the summer this could be a big problem!
3) just drop it in yout pocket, is strong enought!
4) ???? Set it then press the number you sat for a couple of seconds... done
5,6, 9) I agree, I use phonealarm, it does the job an much more!
7) This is your fault, not excalibur's fault, Home screen is fully easy XML and there are hundreds home screen already done for landscape WM smartphones on the net
8) Modaco has the freeware solution to create word and excel files on the dash-excalibur
10) IMHO I fount it safe and easy
and remember GOOGLE IS THE BEST n00b's friend!
1) Why would you need to turn it off manually? You can set it to after a while, or you can hold the end call button and just lock the phone.
2)Why do you need the backlight in the sunlight?
3)Save yourself the humiliation and put your phone in your pocket.
4)Holding down a button is difficult? Seems the same as speed dial as any other phone.
4)Search for setjogbar, makes the touch pad much more useful.
5)Just set it to the highest volume and don't mess with it anymore. If you install setjogbar you can make it so it only controls volume in call, and works as a quick launch/scroll strip otherwise.
6)Search for homescreens. There are plenty available, caurasal is a nice one that last time I checked is on the front page of this forum.
7)There are programs that are available. Remember, it's windows mobile, and it relies on programs to do things the same way as windows does.
8)I don't know about your alarm problem, I don't use them.
9)How is the unlock sequence different than any other phone? A soft key and then * is pretty common for unlocking phones. The only difference perhaps is that the dash has smaller keys than most, but you get used to them quickly.
and btw, just because I can...its called an S620....not a 630, thats the uber cancelled HTC Cavilier...so HA!!
ashasaur said:
and btw, just because I can...its called an S620....not a 630, thats the uber cancelled HTC Cavilier...so HA!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
point taken, thx ash.
I have noted what I am still looking for. Thanks for everyone's help with my newbie list.
sergiopi said:
Modaco has the freeware solution to create word and excel files on the dash-excalibur
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not finding this one.
you could also update your ROM to WM6, you could then use Office Mobile...which lets you create docs, excels, whatever on your device.....and also, you can goto www.madbeetle.com, they offer a free homescreen makeing application that lets you make a homescreen(today screen aka) from scratch using a nice GUI...that may help you a little..
ashasaur said:
you could also update your ROM to WM6, you could then use Office Mobile...which lets you create docs, excels, whatever on your device.....and also, you can goto www.madbeetle.com, they offer a free homescreen makeing application that lets you make a homescreen(today screen aka) from scratch using a nice GUI...that may help you a little..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ash, thanks. I'll try madbeetle and and see how that works. Documents to Go won't as I can't find the crack for it. I am using WM6 and just went back into the Excel it comes with and can't figure out how to do a new Excel doc. Perhaps I am missing something?
Yeah, what you need to do, is first make an excel document on your computer...name is like blank.xml or somethin, whatever you want, and leave it blank, then on your Dash...open Excel Mobile and select your Excel doc, then click on Menu, the Save As, then rename it to something else, and it will create you a new file with that name, in addition to the one that you already had. Not real elegant, but it works with the software that you already have...no cracks or anything required!
ashasaur said:
and btw, just because I can...its called an S620....not a 630, thats the uber cancelled HTC Cavilier...so HA!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If the S630 is cancelled? Why do I have it on my desk as we speak?
Very limited release my friend, HTC sent *some* out, but then decided to work on different products such as the Touch 2 and crap instead of focusing on another smartphone...go figure, since the S620 is like their best selling WM smartphone ever.....
ashasaur said:
you could also update your ROM to WM6, you could then use Office Mobile...which lets you create docs, excels, whatever on your device.....and also, you can goto www.madbeetle.com, they offer a free homescreen makeing application that lets you make a homescreen(today screen aka) from scratch using a nice GUI...that may help you a little..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hi have WM6 ROM 1.33 without Office Mobile 6. I then installed Office Mobile 6 found in one of the thread, and tried to create a doc, but i don't think it would let u. can u walk me through how to do it ash, thanks a bunch (sorry 4 my noobie)
Sure, it's not elegant, but it gets the job done. What you need to do is first using your desktop PC, make a Word, Excel, Powerpoint file etc, and name it something like NEW DOC MAKER or the like and leave it blank. Then, transfer it to your device. Now open up whichever program you created it for(Word, Excel, PP etc) and wait for it too load. Once its loaded, press MENU, then select SAVE AS....and name it something else..like FOODZ or the like and hit SAVE. It will then create a new blank document called what you just specified in the same directory or folder as the original document. Hope this helps!
trpenner said:
My wife and I just got the T-Mobile Dash (s620, Excalibur, among other names) and we like it. However, we still have the following issues.
Can't turn off the backlight. (I think your right, I can deal with this.)
Backlight doesn't come on all the way in bright sunlight. (same here)
Can't find a slim, inward facing, plastic belt holster? (still looking)
Speed dial list isn't easy to get to (mapped to 2 - OK for now but would rather put this on my wife's Today Screen).
The 'touch' volume mechanism is silly. (will try setjogbar-free to begin using it as scroll instead, thanks caramelzappa and phonealarm -not free for vol ctrl, thx sergiopi)
Can't I just set the phone volume to as high as possible by default while I am on the phone and perhaps set hard buttons to control this? (thx again)
Can't modify the today screen. (still no great solution here)
Can't create Excel files. (will try Modaco-free but can't find it, thx sergiopi or Documents To Go-not free)
Can't set more than one alarm. (will try phonealarm not free, thx sergiopi)
Unlocking the keypad (press unlock > then *) is a bit of a nuisance. (I'm surviving)
Internet costs $20.00 - this is a rippoff, even at $6.00! (turning tzones into full internet access from the instructions found here.
Any assistance with some of these items would be greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I found the freeware Schedy Mobile for creating multiple alarms with your own sound and display messages, check it out HERE
As the title says, Im a developer but I dont know anything majorly complicated.
I want YOUR ideas for something to make.
Stuff I know:
Things to do with the file system - copy, paste, delete, create etc
Read/write/create text files
Simple or even more complex UIs (nothing too extreme though)
most of the basic stuff
Heres a video of stuff Ive done before:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3_5xBqf-eQ
If you have any idea for simple apps, please let me know and Ill tell you if I can make them or not
Thanks
Maybe a new app to replace and improve SmileySMS ( development is stopped, and on windows mobile we can't have smileys in sms without this buggy app).
I wish a prog for my HD2, very simple : Use Webradio (with url) as ringtone !
Hi Cris,
I am looking for an app that can do the following:
Disable the touchscreen.
Why?
It's annoying when you watch movies and accidentaly touch the screen (especially with core player).
The app would have to disable the touchscreen after a set time, so you have enough to start the movie (or other application).
A certain area of the screen would have to be defined as touchable, so that you can disable again. Maybe with a gesture? ie. swipe from bottom left hand corner to top right???
just an idea
idea
it would be amazingg if you could make an application that allows the drag down notifications panel like android has
antdawg702 said:
it would be amazingg if you could make an application that allows the drag down notifications panel like android has
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you know what, im gonna look into this one.
I cant promise anything.
I cant say I have any idea how to do that.
but I can say that im gonna look into it ^_^
wm7
can you make a windosmobile7series for nontouchscreen windowsmobile.need help with it.its just navigaating threw it with the arrow keys
Hi Cris,
Can I suggest a application that can do 2 things which I can't find something similar to this (suggestion).
To create a application for both "Shopping List" + "Inventory".
Let me know if you interested, I can share the idea ..
Hope you can consider it .. thanks
antdawg702 said:
it would be amazingg if you could make an application that allows the drag down notifications panel like android has
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
do you have a screenshot?
how about an application like e-mail and walk for the iphone..........so that wed be able to type and walk at the same time with the background being whats in front of us fed by our camera....
I would like a app that does the following:
All for the Sense music tab!
When NOT in a call:
Long press : Play / pause
Pressed twice : Next song
(If possible:
Pressed three times: previous song
pressed shot : call)
When you are being called:
short press: pickup / hangup
PLUS
The hardware buttons (buttons on the PHONE) MUST be disabled,
But ONLY when the headset is plugged in!
With no headset plugged in everything should be as normal!
Could some developer please make this?
Maybe you can use code from the following:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=502881
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=556801
Great Greet Giblet
I've actually been pitching this one around but no luck yet ... A small GPS toggle cmd app. Here's an OSS project that may have usefull code.
What I would like it to have is:
1- Commands to toggle GPS on or off
2- Stay running and output number of connected satellites and connection status (position fixed/not fixed) as a reg name/value
3- Maybe other stuff (like coordinates, hour/date, update system time... but what I really want is the first point 1 and 2).
Why would I want such an app? To add a GPS connection manager to my today screen HS++ skin (also maybe make a script that will only launch my device navigation software when it has a position fix).
PS:
Other stuff I'd like to see are either other small cmd apps or small updates/fixes of some OSS apps like GSFinder+ or even emulators (small stuff like adding onscreen controls using existing sources, emulate mutli touch or improving controls by mixing the use of oncreen keys with hw ones or minor GUI standardization and fixes related with new devices screen resolution).
cris_rowlands said:
As the title says, Im a developer but I dont know anything majorly complicated.
I want YOUR ideas for something to make.
Stuff I know:
Things to do with the file system - copy, paste, delete, create etc
Read/write/create text files
Simple or even more complex UIs (nothing too extreme though)
most of the basic stuff
Heres a video of stuff Ive done before:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3_5xBqf-eQ
If you have any idea for simple apps, please let me know and Ill tell you if I can make them or not
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK here is an idea for a simple but useful application please would you consider making this
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=5711236&postcount=1
Slide2Action
Hi cris, How about a simple slide to do anything? Just a scrollable list of blank sliders that you can assign a function too, eg launch an app, blank screen, reset, close all, new message, WiFi, bluetooth etc. the list could be endless. Just a scrollable action screen with sliders instead of buttons. Transparency would be a bonus for a nice visual.
well folks, youve given me plenty of ideas.
A few of them ill try to work on, sadly many of your ideas are a little beyond me
Anyway, Ive got some stuff to be doing so I wont be checking out this thread anymore.
If any developers feel they want to take up any of these, please feel free ^_^
zinconnu said:
Maybe a new app to replace and improve SmileySMS ( development is stopped, and on windows mobile we can't have smileys in sms without this buggy app).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was going to make this same suggestion. I hope somebody with the skills stumbles upon this and can continue the development for this.
cris_rowlands said:
well folks, youve given me plenty of ideas.
A few of them ill try to work on, sadly many of your ideas are a little beyond me
Anyway, Ive got some stuff to be doing so I wont be checking out this thread anymore.
If any developers feel they want to take up any of these, please feel free ^_^
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi Cris,
if you can consider my suggestion to develop a "shopping List" + "Inventory" apps I think is not that difficult to develop. It almost similar to like any shopping list app & you be able to keep track of the inventory list maybe with photo or pic is good enough.
pls do consider this apps, as both iPhone & WinMo still do not have such app yet. If you do build up, you will be the 1st to come out with.
Lockscreen Slider
Please try to do a Lockscreen Slider for WM 6.5
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=638230
Thanks
salo1 said:
Please try to do a Lockscreen Slider for WM 6.5
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=638230
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes let's steal some more apple patents!!! The idea is great! Few months ago I already asked this topic in the S2U thread but no response, probably my request got overseen or the guy is just too busy with other stuff.
I am comfortable with my iPhone and have nothing against AT&T. I am thinking of moving to the EVO for its large screen and less expensive family plans.
However, I am afraid I may miss features I am used to having on my iPhone.
Can anyone answer these two questions I haven't found answers to yet?
1. Do you from you list of contacts pick a list called favorites to more easily dial from than going through all contacts?
2. While typing (or replying to) email, can you select a block of text and then cut and paste it?
If anyone who knows both phones knows of other things I may miss from the iPhone let me know please. I went to the Sprint store yesterday but the sales person really wasn't helpful - he tried but did not know a lot.
HTC Sense has a favorite's widget you can use and there is a list of favorites when you bring up your contact list as well. I don't personally use it but some might find it handy.
Selecting text is definitely different than the iphone...it's not somthing I've found myself doing often so I can't answer that personally but I know the option is there to enter a "Select Text" mode when you long press on some text.
I came from the iPhone and left it when the 3Gs came out and the thing you'll probably need adjusting to is the game selection...android market is improving on that but it's not been around as much so it's lagging a little behind in that aspect.
Lastly, the one thing I missed absolutely most when I made the switch was the keyboard...I've yet to find a keyboard that does prediction as good at the iPhone's keyboard for the tap-to-type method.
However, if you're willing to try a different method, Swype has some distinct advantages for typing on a screen (look once for the first letter in a word and look away while dragging your thumb around the screen in the rough shape of where you think the keys would be and it works great for me).
Ultimately, I would conclude that the phones are just different...it's like going from Mac (in it's current incarnation) to Linux. There's some things they do share in common but a lot of what they do, they just do it differently and both pretty well.
A Small Story to serve as an introductory:
So a while back, when I got my brilliant Excalibur, I started developing small applications. Some of you may recall the, now long dead , thread I had called CycloneApps [By Request]. I started with C#, and did some ok things [in my opinion] and they helped serve as a learning block for bigger and better developments. I have gone from CMail.exe, the command-line replacement to tmail.exe, all the way to FFP_LockScreen [Fake FingerPrint LockScreen], which unfortunately was aimed at Touch-Screen phone users as a project I undertook as I showed interest on a thread in the Software Development sub-forum. I got my original inspirations and 'drive' to develop from this here community, the Excalibur owners or supporters, and I thought it be best that I now fulfill a request made by Ookba, the great Chef who has brought our phones new life.
See, shortly after I started taking requests, Ookba suggested I re-make SMSBubbles to be more functional with the ROM. At the time, with the speeds of the .NET CF, it seemed impossible to really do. But I come back to you all now with the knowledge of C++ So as a token of my appreciation to all Excalibur owners, I want to develop CycBubbles, an SMSBubbles remake with features YOU want!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Having said all of that, I ask now that if anyone has any interest in such a program becoming available to the Excalibur, they reply to this thread with Ideas concerning one of the following:
Soft-Keys: What should the LEFT soft-key and RIGHT soft-key do [ and under what circumstances] ?
Look and Feel: Do you like the SMSBubbles 'bubble', or do you want something different? [Realize that more complex designs = slower speed]
Rules: How about some filter-rules about when the bubble should or should NOT appear.
Positioning: Do we all like the bubble at the bottom of the screen? Maybe we can make it more PPC-Like if it were in the Center, or from the TOP.
Extra Functions: What kind of extras would you like? (i.e. Should I utilize the 0 - 9 keys on the keyboard to do something?)
Once I get the ideas from YOU guys/girls, on what YOU want this program to do, I can start developing
Please consider
if you want to see this program really flourish
Reserved for later use
Rules would be awesome. How about setting bubbles only for certain contacts? Would the .cab install work for other ROM's besides ookba's?
I would most definitely aim to make the program ROM INdependent.
Thank You for the feedback
it would be interesting to make the left and right soft keys customizable...
and as for the location/look of the bubbles, that to would be nice to customize and to relocate wherever the user feels. top, bottom, left, right, center...
the rules sounds good, and maybe apply an ignore feature to certain annoying contacts lol. like a black list on contacts that the bubbles won't show up for.<-- pretty much what Frostmoon said. lol
pretty much make it user customizable friendly.
nice to see you around these parts again.
Due to the rather disheartening amount of feedback on this thread, I will most likely not develop this in the near future .
I am currently consumed with finishing up my next version of Fake FingerPrint LockScreen for Touch-Screen phones, but that should be over in about a week.
I have been pondering re-starting development on my Horizon Home-Screen, if any of you remember that (if not, you can search it). My further knowledge of C++ will most definitely assist me in making this HomeScreen I had dreamed of making a while back when I only knew C#.
So I suppose be on the lookout for any news on that, and check here occassionally to see if I post back. For now, I am going to leave this on Stage 1 (Gathering Ideas), NOT DISCONTINUED, because I do hope to have the time to come back to this soon and give back to the community that started me off
Cyclonezephyrxz7 said:
Due to the rather disheartening amount of feedback on this thread, I will most likely not develop this in the near future .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah it's a real shame as the idea was requested by users yet response so small, no longer have an Excalibur but think that the development of a SMS bubble app with more configurable options would be welcomed by many smartphone users and not just Excalibur, maybe worth thinking as a project for D&H rather than just Excalibur users.
>sms bubble duration
>marque of sms
>if recived multiple sms we shuld b able to select the one to view....
>customizable soft buttons becoz diffrent user wants different settings..
>user created themes
> rules is another great idea... coz somtimes service provider sends lots of annoing sms + others
>hide the vip sms.. and it requires password to view the sms( it can b a seperate function to lock the sms bubble with password)
>photo of the sender... if it is from the saved contact...
> a floating bubble would b great the flows from up-down or vice versa.... until the user press a button..
somecuitears said:
>sms bubble duration
>marque of sms
>if recived multiple sms we shuld b able to select the one to view....
>customizable soft buttons becoz diffrent user wants different settings..
>user created themes
> rules is another great idea... coz somtimes service provider sends lots of annoing sms + others
>hide the vip sms.. and it requires password to view the sms( it can b a seperate function to lock the sms bubble with password)
>photo of the sender... if it is from the saved contact...
> a floating bubble would b great the flows from up-down or vice versa.... until the user press a button..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
good ideas!
stylez said:
Yeah it's a real shame as the idea was requested by users yet response so small, no longer have an Excalibur but think that the development of a SMS bubble app with more configurable options would be welcomed by many smartphone users and not just Excalibur, maybe worth thinking as a project for D&H rather than just Excalibur users.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes, it is a shame. i was really looking forward to this.
best of luck with you home screen development, will check in on that time to time.
somecuitears said:
>sms bubble duration
>marque of sms
>if recived multiple sms we shuld b able to select the one to view....
>customizable soft buttons becoz diffrent user wants different settings..
>user created themes
> rules is another great idea... coz somtimes service provider sends lots of annoing sms + others
>hide the vip sms.. and it requires password to view the sms( it can b a seperate function to lock the sms bubble with password)
>photo of the sender... if it is from the saved contact...
> a floating bubble would b great the flows from up-down or vice versa.... until the user press a button..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As stated above, good ideas!
@Cyclonezephyrxz7 - This can be a good start don't you think?. Thanks for your work dude, I hope to see this project rolling out
@Mr.Clown (and all others too)
Yes, it did serve as a sort of inspiration to start up. Thank You to those who did contribute ideas thus-far. I have not started up a thread yet, but http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=7166724&postcount=39
Expect something soon (Within a month maybe?)
Also, I am now officially a co-founder, and primary developer for Chicken-Egg Solutions. This will become my main venue for application development and requests, as well as web-design, computer repair, and problem solutions (Most of these will be taken care of by my friend, the other Co-Founder). The website will be up soon (www.chicken-eggsolutions.com), check back every so often
Hi Cyclone,
We met in another thread. But I would like to raise my function request here for your consideration.
I am looking for a delivery note management function that allows my to keep track of my sms receiver. I would like to know who, by name, have received my sms and at what time. I don't know if such function is appropriate for the software you are developing. If so, please consider to add this function into it. If not, appreciate if you can point me to the right direction.
So are you requesting, as opposed to the normal Delivery Requests that Windows Offers, to make a type of 'Delivery Notification' that gets stored in some XML-like file for future reference?
It will be great if the software can list out the receiver name and date/time of the delivery notification. It will ever greater if it can match the sms/delivery notification with the acknowledgement send out by the receiver after receiving my sms.
If it only output an XML, user will have to figure out how to display it on a mobile phone.
how about an option of reading the incoming sms....like in nokia mobiles
Like Text-To-Speech?
Cyclonezephyrxz7 said:
Like Text-To-Speech?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ya... how about that.. i think it shuld be customizable soft button or a different button..
I will see. I feel that that may increase the size of the app distinctly, and also distinctly reduce the speed. Although I could probably figure a way to not let it be affected.
Anywho, Thank you, ALL, so much for these ideas. I suppose that I will start attempting to make this once I am fully done with my FFP_LS pro (Which, by the way, works on Excaliburs! and other non-touch-screen phones ) and when I get my internet back fully.
Cyclonezephyrxz7 said:
I will see. I feel that that may increase the size of the app distinctly, and also distinctly reduce the speed. Although I could probably figure a way to not let it be affected.
Anywho, Thank you, ALL, so much for these ideas. I suppose that I will start attempting to make this once I am fully done with my FFP_LS pro (Which, by the way, works on Excaliburs! and other non-touch-screen phones ) and when I get my internet back fully.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your work and for sharing it, we will wait then
Revised Idea, and then some
Okay, so this post contains a little meat to it
1) I want to let people know about FFP_LockScreen Pro 2.0, now available on my website( www.chicken-eggsolutions.com ). My partner and I do app development as well as web design/development. FFP_LS Pro 2.0 is fully based on C++, has many customizable components, and best of all it is (what I consider to be) a pretty legitimate replacement lock for our phones. I have made this version (and all future versions) compliant with our lovely Excaliburs. Instead of having to press the screen, trick people with a "slight of hand" by putting your finger on-screen while pressing the space-bar with your knuckle (thats how it works for me) and it will start scanning. Trust me, it mystified half my family already haha. Anywho, it is shareware, so there is a free NON-EXPIRING trial. THe trial has its limiatations however. Also, another feature that is in this for our lovely Exca's that is currently NOT available to TOuch-Screen phones is true replacement (sorta) of the default lock. By using specific API commands, I was able to get it to run when we initiate the default lock! Cocky as it may sound, I feel this lockscreen beats S2U2 in 3 ways: (1) Tests have shown it to boot faster, (2) it actually replaces the default lock, and doesn't use some timeout trick, and (3) is actually blocks other windows [unlike S2U2 which can be overridden by pressing the TaskManager key or Messaging Key (on my phone at least)]. So yeah, personally I recommend it, but I made it. I will extend the same challenge here as I did on the Development forums: If you can make an interesting skin for the program, you can win a free license (3$ value)
2) So recently I have become extremely pissed off with tmail.exe. When I have actual 'conversation - length' messages, it is slow and just overall frustrating! So I thought, "Hey, I am already starting CycBubbles...why not make it a whole 'suite' type thing". So I am considering making my own Messaging Client EXE. It would be a major switch, as it would eliminate CE MAPI for the most part (it would keep messages stored there, but its main access would be via XML). Then as an extension to this I can h ave CycBubbles. Generally, I find, SMSBubbles works...and it is reliant on CE Mapi, so I can make one reliant on XML, not CE MAPI, that works comfortably with my own client. What do you think of that idea? This would obviously require a lot more time. But if it is what I imagine I can do, it will be faster and better
So I guess that is it really... If i remember anything else I wanted to say, I will post back again!
Hey guys, came across this great article about jelly bean and I wonder what you guys think about it. I really agree with some of the points he makes.
http://www.androidpolice.com/2012/09/18/ux-things-i-hate-about-android/
Read this article as well and yes he does make some good and valid points. However, Android is still a work in progress according to Matias Duarte. As much as Jelly Bean has improved the user experience there is still a ways to go to polishing the OS.
Here is a good follow up article you might want to check out:
http://www.androidcentral.com/duarte-i-m-third-way-where-i-want-be-android
He makes some good points, but also shows that he doesn't seem to understand Android programming at all.
If you open something within an app directly from a widget (his Gmail example), then obviously the back key would go one layer higher within the app. Opening an email from a widget layers home->gmail->email, not home->email.
Also, icons opening the "wrong" app. He uses Maps and Latitude as an example. Well, considering that Latitude is built on the Maps framework (and presumably calls an instance of Maps in order to operate), it makes complete sense that opening Maps would open the active Latitude session when one exists.
Other items just seemed like whining. For example, the section regarding the Google Voice icon. He makes the base assumption that people use it primarily for texting when texting is certainly not the primary function of the app. The app's primary function is voicemail, followed closely by VOIP calling. Texting is easily a tertiary function, even if it has been embraced by the community. [Edit: As mentioned below, I was incorrect regarding VOIP, which would make texting the secondary function of the app.]
Don't get me wrong. There were some good points, but I was shaking my head through a lot of that article.
Cilraaz said:
The app's primary function is voicemail, followed closely by VOIP calling.
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there is no voip from the google voice app itself. when you make a call with it, it basically calls the GV number + the number you are actually wanting to call.
Zepius said:
there is no voip from the google voice app itself. when you make a call with it, it basically calls the GV number + the number you are actually wanting to call.
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My mistake. I assumed it was VOIP rather than call-chaining, based on the app prompting if Voice should be used for international calls. So at that point, texting would become the secondary function.
Thanks for the info.
Cilraaz said:
He makes some good points, but also shows that he doesn't seem to understand Android programming at all.
If you open something within an app directly from a widget (his Gmail example), then obviously the back key would go one layer higher within the app. Opening an email from a widget layers home->gmail->email, not home->email.
Also, icons opening the "wrong" app. He uses Maps and Latitude as an example. Well, considering that Latitude is built on the Maps framework (and presumably calls an instance of Maps in order to operate), it makes complete sense that opening Maps would open the active Latitude session when one exists.
Other items just seemed like whining. For example, the section regarding the Google Voice icon. He makes the base assumption that people use it primarily for texting when texting is certainly not the primary function of the app. The app's primary function is voicemail, followed closely by VOIP calling. Texting is easily a tertiary function, even if it has been embraced by the community.
Don't get me wrong. There were some good points, but I was shaking my head through a lot of that article.
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Although you are totally right, you have to look at it from a consumer's point of view. And they won't think "hey, of course the back button goes to the underlying Gmail menu", they'll think "wtf.? I was on the home screen before I tapped that mail on the widget. Why did it take me into the Gmail overview now?"
The same is even more true for Latitude. It is obvious for us tech-enthusiasts that Latitude is just more or less a part of maps. But I guess most other people never even give a thought to this, so they're just confused why the Maps icon would open a (seemingly) completely different service.
Also I'm sure the author of the article knows all this as well as anybody. But he tries to look from the consumer's point of view.
To the article: I mostly agree with his points. Play store not remembering my scroll position and the different sizes of some icons (and even more the almost overlapping icon names sometimes) are things that bugged me too. But mixed UI designs and that calculator bug are just things that happen if you roll out such a major update with significant UI changes. It's nothing I get even slightly mad about.
qwer23 said:
Although you are totally right, you have to look at it from a consumer's point of view. And they won't think "hey, of course the back button goes to the underlying Gmail menu", they'll think "wtf.? I was on the home screen before I tapped that mail on the widget. Why did it take me into the Gmail overview now?"
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I can understand it from a consumer's point of view, but how would it be resolved programmatically? If we start requiring a pointer to where a screen was opened from, you increase the memory footprint of every app. It might also cause some problems with app deconstruction. In the Gmail example, pressing the back button deconstructs the single email instance, but if a pointer were to tell it to go back to the home screen because we got to it from a widget, do we deconstruct the base Gmail app also? What if the widget puts you 4 layers into an app? Not only would the pointers again add to the app's memory footprint, but we have the deconstruction issue on a larger level.
I'm not the greatest programmer (especially in Java), but the "inelegant" way that it works now seems to have a few positives for both devs and users.
qwer23 said:
The same is even more true for Latitude. It is obvious for us tech-enthusiasts that Latitude is just more or less a part of maps. But I guess most other people never even give a thought to this, so they're just confused why the Maps icon would open a (seemingly) completely different service.
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Again, I understand the consumer side of things, but is Maps opening Latitude more confusing than having Maps kill off Latitude? The user would then just try to re-open Latitude and be confused as to why the prior instance wasn't running. If Maps wouldn't kill off Latitude, then it would have to create a second instance of itself, which again has a negative impact on the app's memory footprint.
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I understand a general "hey, it should work like this instead", but there are plenty of reasons why it works the way it does now. Android might be able to get "perfect" functionality, but it would likely require some dumbing down of multitasking (either more process suspension instead of true(r) multitasking or the memory manager would be more likely to kill off background processes). I don't at all doubt these are discussions going on at Google, though.
Cilraaz said:
[...]
I understand a general "hey, it should work like this instead", but there are plenty of reasons why it works the way it does now. Android might be able to get "perfect" functionality, but it would likely require some dumbing down of multitasking (either more process suspension instead of true(r) multitasking or the memory manager would be more likely to kill off background processes). I don't at all doubt these are discussions going on at Google, though.
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Thanks Cilraaz, you really shed some light upon the deeper reasons for the sometimes odd behaviour of the back button and app layers. I'm no programmer at all, so I didn't know all this would add to the memory footprint of the apps and would affect developing in such a major way.
After reading your post I suggest we can be happy with some minor incosistencies and enjoy true multitasking instead of dumbing down our phones Again thanks for your nice clarification!
Some good stuff in this thread.
"complains about back button not taking him home, doesn't use home button"
crixley said:
"complains about back button not taking him home, doesn't use home button"
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That's not what he complained about. He complained about the back button behaving inconsistently.
I find it actually works very logically. If i click on one email in my widget to read it and then use the back button to go back, it makes sense to be taken to my inbox so i can read more messages, instead of being taken back to home screen and selecting a new email from there. Its more practical in case you get like 10 emails at one, which won´t fit in the widget all at once anyway. If i wanted to go back to the home screen, hey there is the home button.
That sounds like one corner case where the behaviour works in your favor, that doesn't mean it's right. It used to work better. For example if you have Navigation open, and select and email from the notification then you are brought to the email. Then when you hit back it brings you to your Inbox (which you have no reason to go to) then when you hit back again it brings you to your home screen. In previous versions of Android when you hit back from the email you are reading it would take you directly back to Navigation. That is what you most likely want, and that is what the Android documentation says should happen. But all too often it does not.
Totally agree with this article. I love Jelly Bean, and Android, but ultimately, it lacks a hell of a lot of polish. This is where iOS is still leagues ahead (and for that matter, so is WP7/8), I forgive it because it is a very open and powerful platform, but it is still a platform for the techie, and has a long way to go before it is as friendly and approachable as its rivals IMO.
The same sorts of arguments have been leveled at PCs for years and are equally valid.
Like it or not, most people AREN'T techies and this is why the likes of Apple are so successful, because they understand this and bring out an OS that is generally intuitive to average joe. Ironically I find some of the ways their software works confusing in places (particularly OSX) but that is more down to my "techie" approach and being set in my ways, as most techies are.
Well, he has some valid ponts, but most of the time, he is wrong. Especially for the back button.
e34v8 said:
Well, he has some valid ponts, but most of the time, he is wrong. Especially for the back button.
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Could you please tell me how he is wrong, specially if Android documentation says that the function of back button is X, and, sometimes you get Y, sometimes you get Z, and sometimes you get X?
Either document that back button has a bunch of functions that no one knows until you use it in a given context with a given app, or, give it a consistent behavior (and I'm not discussing which one would be better).... It is understandable when 3rd party software doesn't behave 100% as documented, but, built in phone apps should be consistent and provide the same experience...
Great article. A lot of those things drive me nuts, the icon size and back button in particular.
Another annoying thing the back button does is, for example, if you have been using the Play Store before, then you open an app that links to a Play Store page. Once you have seen the page and press back, rather than it taking you back to the app, the back button will just traverse through all the pages that you have been looking at on the Play Store in your previous session.
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crixley said:
"complains about back button not taking him home, doesn't use home button"
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Yeah I found that amusing as well.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
pfmiller said:
That sounds like one corner case where the behaviour works in your favor, that doesn't mean it's right. It used to work better. For example if you have Navigation open, and select and email from the notification then you are brought to the email. Then when you hit back it brings you to your Inbox (which you have no reason to go to) then when you hit back again it brings you to your home screen. In previous versions of Android when you hit back from the email you are reading it would take you directly back to Navigation. That is what you most likely want, and that is what the Android documentation says should happen. But all too often it does not.
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Maybe the "back" button should be replaced by a "higher level" (hope it's the right term ) button. Maybe in this case his function would be more logical.
However I agree on almost every point in the article