MTekk Reviews Sprite Backup 1.0

[Mike Temporale]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.mtekk.com.au/browse/page864.html' target='_blank'>http://www.mtekk.com.au/browse/page864.html</a><br /><br /></div>"I'm sure many people have come across the situation where you wish you hadn't installed some program because it just won't-uninstall-itself, at least not without great difficulty, changing the registry, or something like that. If this sounds like why you are reading this review, congratulations, you've found the right piece of software. Right now, the Sprite backup utility 1.0 for Smartphone does not have all the jazz that the brother application - Sprite backup for PPC offers, but it definitely has a lot of potential in becoming a useful tool."<br /><br />Jackie from MTekk does a great job at covering Backup 1.0 from Sprite Software. In case you are not aware this application is only for unlocked applications. We have heard that Sprite is working to have it approved by Verizon for the i600, but we don't know when that will be ready.

[gambit]

Background: I wrote Sprite Backup for Smartphone 1.0 but have since left Sprite. So i can speak of why it does what it does. I can't speak for where they will take it now.

It is compatible with 2003, (and should also be ok on 2003 SE), i spent most of my time writing it on an E200. having said that i have seen the "clear phone before restore" option fail, but it was very rare, so i couldn't debug it, perhaps someone smarter than i am will pick up that baton.

scheduled backup was the most requested feature, so i'd be supprised if it wasn't in version 2.

When i wrote version 1 i tried to make it as simple and easy to use as possible, so alot of the advanced features from the PPC version didn't make it over. As for exporting Contacts etc to text file, it would mostly likely show up in the PPC version first, so as its not in there at the moment, i wouldn't hold my breath for the short term. but as i say i don't speak for sprite, so who knows. if enough people ask for it...

riki

[Mike Temporale]

Wow! Thanks for the info.

Are you (not Sprite) working on any cool new applications for the Smartphone that we should be looking forward too?

[gambit]

well asside from ThemeChanger, I have written a Start Menu replacement. I wrote it when surrealstart was still 1.0, and i didn't like the way it handled themes, since then they have fixed it up, but i will probbally release it anyways.

I have called it "AbstractStart" for the moment, as homage to SurrealStart. I was going to put it on handango for $5.

Its big feature is it reorders the start menu, putting the programs you use most on the first screen and so on down. Personally i only use a half dozen programs regualy, so i find it great. It also sets the MRU list, which is the list of programs you see when you reboot the phone on most homescreens. so instead of solitare i have my filemanger and registery editor in the list. also quite handy for me.

If you want to give it a test I have an installer built and am quite happy with it. :-)

riki

PS i am thinking on writing a componate for ThemeChanger like Handango's Inhand, but for themes, so it will get a list of themes from a webserver and allow you to download them directly onto your phone. And maybe in the long term carriers might be interested. *shrug* buts that just on the drawing board at the moment.