The folks who watched last night's PalmCast Live had a chance to enter to win an Incipio Horizontal Carrying Case by answering this simple question: What's in your Launch Bar. The results were pretty much in line with what you might expect - but that 'other' category was bigger than you might have guessed.
Actually, given how well Universal Search works for dialing, I was somewhat surprised to see that both the Phone and Contacts apps were so popular.
During the 'Cast, Lisa had an excellent tip: consider leaving your most used apps out of the Quick Launch Bar. Instead, just leave the suckers open all the time in cards and use that precious launch bar space for something else. It's a little counter-intuitive, but I've dropped Mail and Messaging from my Quick Launch Bar and haven't suffered for it.
Me, I'm now: Calendar, Tweed, Web, and Camera, with Messaging and Email cards always open. How about you, what's in your Quick Launch Bar? We'll throw the most popular options in the poll after the break, but feel free to give us more detail in the comments!
Comments
I like having a clean "desktop." If I could I'd remove the quick launch bar all together and just use the wave launcher.
I agree. I would like to remove the quick launch altogether.
open reliable output security adjust shut
Even when it is there, I use the Wave launcher. I'd want it gone too. But I'd like the wave to be more sensitive and be more than 4 as well.
Good Point ! 100% agree. I only use the wave bar now. Its more accurate and therfore easier to use for myself. I could get rid of the lauch bar totally and not feel a loss. I would be nice to have more than 4 options as well.
seen thermohaline taken production pollution cfcs
i do not understand why the wave launcher is the only thing that we can put on the screen. it is a really stupid 'today' screen. i want to see calendar events, missed phone calls, sms messages and emails.
i hate WinMo, but WinMo has done the today screen proper.
It is not a "today screen", it's not meant to be a today screen!! As explained by the OS developers before the phone was released (remember the lonnnnng period between announcement and release?), the UI is to seem invisible and super clean. That's why you will not see widgets and so forth on the home screen that you get with WinMo and Android. The notification bar turns into your "dashboard" for displaying missed calls, sms/IM messages, emails, 3rd Party Push notifications, and so on! It is a desktop-style, home screen where instead of shortcut icons there are full live app cards organized on the home screen. I mean, this is the crux of Pre's UI! I think everyone knew this a long time ago. If you didn't like it, why did you ever buy it?
I had Phone, E-mail, Text, and Web...
But now I might just leave Phone/E-mail always open or something. Good idea on that!
i have all the top picks, but chose calendar over web since it displays the date
I have Phone, Where, Calculator, and Camera.
I was always afraid of leaving programs open, because I thought it drained battery life faster.
As to the Where program, I have found it useful when in the car to find a place I am looking for, along with phone #. I have used it for placing carry-out orders, call ahead reservation etc...
Does anyone know if having an app Open vs. Closed drains additional battery life?
If it does drain additional, what about email, since it is still "always" active, is it an exception?
Having an application open will drain the battery. How much depends on what the application is doing while in the background and how good the programmer was.
I'm surprised the Tasks app hasn't been mentioned. I use it very often. Although I'm PHONE,CAL,TASKS,WEB i'm considering replacing phone with messaging. It's a very big decision lol.
I have Phone, Task, Mail, and Calendar. I like the idea of having camera, now who gets removed?
I don't keep programs open because I like my wall papers (that change every 5 minutes) thanks to Switcheroo.
Currently I have Web, Email, Messaging, and Calendar.
Leaving the "most used apps" on open cards rather than Quick Launch is interesting, but I kind of like being able to see my desktop.
I may try I for awhile to see if I like it...any truth to the rumors that open apps drains battery life?
(double post)
While I tend to leave my phone connected to a charger, on those occasions when I *do* go mobile I don't want my battery being unnecessary drained by running apps. I can verify that there is a noticeable difference.
I don't have battery issues since getting the Seidio2600 (also hacked my back cover to accommodate it)....but does anyone else feel like the OS drags when multiple cards are left open for hours? I really like the idea of leaving cards open, especially websites I like to check often (precentral etc), but the Pre seems to get less reaponsive. For example, if I leave an email, 2 websites, and a messaging card open...then lock the screen for a couple hours...when I come back to it all, it 1) seems more sluggish and 2) I inevitably get the TOO MANY CARDS warning if I try to open anything else...which normally wouldn't happen with 4 cards.
Anyone else?
I'm surprised that Google Maps isn't garnering a larger number. Being able to pull that up quickly while driving is a must for me. I've got WEB,CAMERA,CALENDAR,MAPS with email, messaging, and phone always open.
I like the Sprint navigation better than Google Maps for driving directions. I feel like Google Maps is a step down from the PalmOS app, and the spoken directions are very nice while I'm driving.
I agree about Google Maps being a step down, mainly because the text on directions is too small to read and sometimes doesn't even fit in the limited area afforded it.
Schep you're gonna kill somebody! I confess, I do it occasionally, but not often enough to put it on the quicklaunch! Please be careful.
If you want to leave apps open and sorta' see your background just tap outside and it'll zoom out, which is ideal for leaving it in standby mode I think.
I like a clean screen as well. I wish we could customize it more.
Tweed (Gives me quick access to what PreCentral and others are talking about on Twitter)
Web (Because I'm always calling up bookmarks)
Camera (Because you just never know when you'll need it in a hurry)
Sprint Nav (Sometimes I need to load up GPS navigation while driving)
Honestly, I think I could use one or two more spaces for stuff I check frequently, like the App Catalog or fileCoaster.
"Camera (Because you just never know when you'll need it in a hurry)"
Exactly. I was actually surprised that more people didn't have the camera in the launcher. It seems every time I want to take a picture it is something I want to take real quick.
On another note, I do feel sorta dumb for having the phone in the quick launch. I still haven't gotten used to Universal Search yet. Time to find another app to put in there. I am leaning toward File Coaster because the home brew scene is really picking up.
Why even have phone in there? You can search contacts from anywhere. Mine are Mail, Clock (for alarms), Web, and Camera. Though I'm still hoping to be able to remove the launcher icon. Never use the thing...
Web, Email, Messenger, Calendar... Most practical things or me. Out with the launcher icon completely i say.
I agree with the OPTION to remove the launcher icon. Personally I use it often: when using the wave to open something while I'm already in a card. Less strokes = good.
I'm a PHONE-WEB-EMAIL-GOOGLE MAPS man, optimized for easy app pull-ups while I drive. I've gotten into the habit of wrapping my Pre around the rear-view mirror with the car charger cable, so it hangs just below the mirror like a mini-nav system. So as I drive, I can safely pull up the maps as guidance, scroll through my call list (all the people I usually call are in the call log anyway), check email if it pops up, and have the web handy as needed via bookmarks. Easy peasy.
I don't bother with email or messaging, because I have notifications turned on for those: if I get an email or message, I can tap the notification area to bring up the app. (And when I'm sending messages, I just go through the contact search, same as when I call people.)
Thus, I have the web (with bookmarks for the sites I visit most frequently), calendar (which I wish had an agenda view or, better yet, tied in to the lock screen a la KeyguardTime+ for the Treo), camera, and sprint navigation (which I'm waffling about swapping with Tweed or possibly Classic).
I don't understand why you'd want to get rid of the launcher icon. Without it, how would you access all of the other apps on the phone? Granted, most of us just rely on Universal Search to pull up what we need, but without a launcher icon, how would you even remember that you have other things on your phone like settings, Sprint Nav, etc. Whether you use them or not, they need to be accessible.
Now, if you want to remove the Quick Launch BAR, then that is a great idea, since having it on your 'desktop' makes the Wave Launch Bar pretty useless. But, you can't remove the Quick Launch ICON itself (the grey up arrow) because you need to look through your phone contents!
The Launcher icon's functionality is redundant with the upward swipe (or double upward swipe if full-screen on an app). I never use the Launcher icon so replacing it with something useful would be wonderful.
Ditto, I never use the launcher, always the swipe.
Your Question: I don't understand why you'd want to get rid of the launcher icon. Without it, how would you access all of the other apps on the phone?
My Answer: A simple, short swipe-up from the button onto the screen brings up the Apps Launcher. I find this MUCH easier than using the actual Launcher icon. Since there are only 5 spaces for Quick icons, the fact that Palm FORCES us to keep the Launcher icon "Locked" in Place is ridiculous... especially when there is a very easy way to access it via a simple gesture!
*
Very good point...I completely overlooked that. As a matter of fact, that's exactly how I bring up the other apps when I'm working in a different app, so my bad. I guess we definitely could do without the Quick Launch Icon. The swipe up gesture is clean, simple, and gives us an extra spot on the Bar.
I guess the fact that there are multiple ways to bring up what you need bring about much debate. For example, one takeaway I took from these posts was by @asciiphil, who got rid of mail in the Quick Launch Bar because he just launches his mail when a notification comes in. I noticed that I do the same, so I replaced Mail with Music (I always use music).
So while we may find some things obtrusive or redundant, Palm put them there so that people have options. Between gestures, the Launch Bar Icon, the wave bar, the Launch bar, and Universal Search, we have everything we need. Maybe it's better to have these options instead of having some eliminated.
I'm glad my info helped and I totally agree with your point regarding Palm giving us "Options". However, the only "Option" they didn't give us in this case is the Option to replace the Quick Launch icon with something we find more useful for ourselves.
Wow I learned somthing new! Now I don't need the launcher either.
My quick launch bar icons are Web, Calendar, Tasks and Email. I keep Calendar, Tasks and Email open most of the time. Seems to work pretty well for my setup.
I currently have Phone in there, too, but I'm now looking for a replacement. I don't think I have any apps to leave open that I use more often besides the web, but that needs to stay there to launch new web cards (app menu option = bleh). I do use the launcher icon on the wave (1 motion > 2 motions), but could learn to live without if there was something stronger to put in there.
,
@dolphinsexed
Swipe from Card View gets you into the launcher.
Very good point...I completely overlooked that. As a matter of fact, that's exactly how I bring up the other apps when I'm working in a different app, so my bad. I guess we definitely could do without the Quick Launch Icon. The swipe up gesture is clean, simple, and gives us an extra spot on the Bar.
I guess the fact that there are multiple ways to bring up what you need bring about much debate. For example, one takeaway I took from these posts was by @asciiphil, who got rid of mail in the Quick Launch Bar because he just launches his mail when a notification comes in. I noticed that I do the same, so I replaced Mail with Music (I always use music).
So while we may find some things obtrusive or redundant, Palm put them there so that people have options. Between gestures, the Launch Bar Icon, the wave bar, the Launch bar, and Universal Search, we have everything we need. Maybe it's better to have these options instead of having some eliminated.
I have PHONE, MESSAGING, WEB, TWEE.
I agree with a previous commenter. I'd rather do away with the quick launch and just go with the Wave.
Quick Launch and Wave Launch are one and the same, really. Modders trying to get rid of the first also nixed the latter. Still, we should have the option of displaying it or not on the Home screen or in Card View.
I have the camera (for the fastest opening if there is something to take a photo of), the clock so I can use the alarm - although it sucks, and a shortcut to google reader. I think the clock may go until it gets better.
I would like to have DIFFERENT shortcuts on the Launch Bar and Wave for TWICE the shortcut goodness.
I agree! I'd also like to have different icons on the wave if you swipe on the left vs right of the button. Complete flexibility.
thats a wicked awesome idea, wonder if it would work in practice as well as theory
I have phone, mail ,calendar and photo. I wish I could remove the launcher icon since I never use it. I just swipe up to open the launcher and to minimize cards. The center button should also be customizeble like for taking a pic on landscape mode.
Pandora, messaging, camera, sprint nav
I love uni search for everything - bookmarks which I have placed in the launcher instead of traditional browser bookmarks.
On the Wave, I place those items that I want to quickly access - usually one-handed. I was without "messaging" on the wave for a while but find that I often send my messages to multiple recipients so typing a name to launch a new message wasn't cutting it
I see most/many listing "WEB" as one of their icons. I agree to some extent. However, since the "Web" does not offer us any true "Homepage" option, I recommend assigning your "Homepage" Favorite Icon to the Quick Launch Bar. This provides you with instant access to your favorite page / homepage functionality, and you are only 1 tap away from your entire bookmark/favorites list in the browser.
So, for me, using an actual "Favorite Web" icon provides dual function... Homepage & General Web App Launcher.
Brilliant!
phone - I have hundreds of contacts (even without the facebook ones) and it's too much hassle to search when I can just open the recent calls list. plus, not every number I call is necessarily one I save as a contact.
web - close call for most used app.
messaging - I tend to have several convos open at a time.
music - tied with web for most used app and about 5gigs worth of songs.
email and other apps aren't as prioritized as most of my emails, tasks etc. are on a per use basis and usually don't require my immediate response.
Mine is Phone, Quick Contacts, Messaging, Mail. Would it be tough to write a quick "launcher Card" that chould always be left open as a card for access to more than the 4 that we get on the Quick Launch bar?
I like the Idea of leaving a card OPEN, but tend to run into a lot of memory issues, "too many cards open"
I especially see this after using the web app a lot. Whats Odd, is that I sometimes get the error with no cards open. Yesterday I had them all closed, then tried to soft reset my phone, but was not allowed to open the card for device info.
I gave up and pulled out the battery.
Messaging, Web, Spaz, Camera.
I send far more texts/mms than I do mail on my phone and when I do send mail it's usually just a reply from a notification. Same with phone calls.
Web - Tweed - Phone - Camera - Worthless Stupid Launcher Button
I usually close unused cards, since it makes little difference in time to open incoming email and I don't want memory leaks slowing things down.
Tweed, Web, Camera, Messaging.
Although after last night I'm considering dropping messaging because most of the time I'll open Messaging from a notification anyways.(Email was somewhat popular last night, but I again always open it from a notification so I don't need it in my wave launcher)
Tweed is probably my number 1 most opened app on my Pre. With Web coming in as second. Camera is there for those quick shots moments(half of which I post via tweed =) ) Messaging is my number one form of contacting people directly. I'm not a big talker so I don't need the phone.
Gotta start considering a replacement, maybe calendar since I don't use it as much as I should.
Memos, Email, Web, Phone...
I always have at least 5 apps open, like messaging, cal, Tweed, Accuweather, and stocks, with no mem. issues or slow downs. I also love tapping below the cards array to further minimize the array and leaving like that so I can super quickly flow from one app to another.
I've seen mentioned a couple of times about the "quick Launch Bar" vs the "Wave Bar". Aren't they one in the same, the wave just bringing it up with that cool wave look. The icons are the same between them, right?
I have two 'modes'. When I'm in connected mode, I have phone, messaging, email and web in the quick launch bar. When I'm in productive mode, I use calendar, memos, tasks and email. If I'm somewhere in the middle I'll replace phone with calendar.
So, I missed this last night. I have been trying to figure out how to change them, but don't know how. Would anyone be willing to give me a quick run-down!
Uh yeah, I don't recall ever seeing how to change the quick launch bar either. A little help would make this post much more useful. Thanks!
Ya definitely get rid of the quick launch button and doesn't it also seem like the glowing button is also useless? I'd prefer it to just be an enter button or something.
Ya definitely get rid of the quick launch button and doesn't it also seem like the glowing button is also useless? I'd prefer it to just be an enter button or something.
I don't know if someone has suggested this already, but I know that by now, if I do want to keep something always open, I end up closing it by accident because the swipe away gesture is so fun. What about adding an "always on" or "lock" feature to apps which will keep them always open if you choose and wont allow you to swipe away (or have it swipe away and then come back on the screen from the bottom like a circle!! that would be fun - ah, the little things - but I digress).
From Left to Right...
Phone, SMS,email,tweed.
i would love to see the wave have more options than just 4.
Phone, Contacts, Classic. "Saving" a spot for something really cool...
How do you change the Icons in your Quick Launch Bar/Wave?
Sorry, I'm still learning on the Pre. Thanks!
Bring up the launcher, then hold your finger down on the icon you want to change until it gets large curves surrounding it (you'll see what I mean). After that, drag the icon to a spot in your launcher pages and lift up your finger. You can do the same thing to drag other icons into the quick launch bar to take the old icon's space. The only restrictions are that you can only have five icons in the quick launch bar, and you can't move or get rid of the Launcher icon on the right,
Thanks...why didn't I think of that?!!! :)
Again...many thanks..
how do you switch the quick launch bar? and how do you download these apps?
ha, nevermind....i didnt read the one right above......still dont know how to download the apps though?
Here's how to download Homebrew Apps from here. It takes a 30-60 minutes to go thru the process, but there are now 104 homebrew apps..some are quite good....and they are free.
http://www.precentral.net/how-to-install-homebrew-apps
I wish I could have at least 2-3 more spots for a total of 6-7 icons (excluding launch icon).
I didn't know this could be changed...thanks ;)
I'd rather just use the wave bar, though......
fuels natural economists revolution intergovernmental report features
away fall lime developing comment partners
Phone, Messaging, Email, Web
I don't understand people saying "Why use the phone app when you have universal search". Well, for one, I don't want to have to open the slider and type every time I want to make a phone call. It's easier to open the phone app and open the contacts from there or make a call from the recent calls list, or dial a new number since I don't make 100% of my calls to contacts, all with one hand.
As for the camera, it's only one more tap away as it's one of the top 9 icons on the first screen of the launcher so it takes me a half a second longer to launch the camera from there compared to being on the quickbar. Contacts, Google Maps, Photos, Calendar, Music, and a direct link to my wife's contact card are some others that I keep on the top of my first launcher page. One extra tap or swipe isn't that big of a deal to access those quickly.
The fact that "Phone" is still the most common item on launch bars tells me that most folks still don't get that this is a Palm Smartphone! Just start typing and you will look up a contact or make a call!! There is no reason I know of to have "quick" access to the phone app. I have camera, memo, calendar, and (for now) Classic app on my launch bar --- the things I need to get at quickly using the wave gesture when I'm doing something else. Email and messaging pop up on the notifications (and phone calls, too, though more rarely) and can just be left open.
Bottom line: use the power of your smartphone -- don't be a dumb user!!!
After reading these posts, I now have Messaging, Calendar, Yahoo!, and Tasks. However, I can't say that Tasks will be there for long. I just can't jive with with the Web OS version of tasks. Is it just me?
Twee, PrePod, Web, Checkbook.
I have - Device Info, Regional Settings, Help, and Date & Time in my Quick Launcher. Cause you never know when you're gonna have to pull up one of those apps in a hurry.
how do you change the quick launch icons i canT figure iT out
please help
how do you change the quick launch icons i canT figure iT out
please help
Want to leave a comment? Register for free!
In an effort to reduce comment spam, you need to log in to comment. Registration is fast, free, and easy and gives you access to comment, discuss the Palm Pre on the largest Pre forums on the 'net, enter contests, and much more. Join now!