Are There Too Many Ways to Locate Contacts on Your Smartphone?

[Mike Temporale]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.theunwired.net/?itemid=2847' target='_blank'>http://www.theunwired.net/?itemid=2847</a><br /><br /></div><i>"During the past two weeks, I heavily played with my new i-mate SP5 Windows Mobile Smartphone and one question came into my mind almost every day: how many contact buttons does a regular mobile phone user needs?As a matter of fact, the standard Windows Mobile 5.0 platform offers three ways to open the contacts: two from the Home screen and one from the programs menu. However, HTC just added a third way to open the contacts from, let's say, everywhere and I came to the conclusion that two of the options are too much."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.smartphonethoughts.com/images/Temporale-20060109-Contacts.gif" alt="User submitted image" title="User submitted image"/> <br /><br />Arne Hess over at the::unwired, has posted an article talking about the number of different ways he can do the same thing - open contacts, on his new SP5 Smartphone. Grand total: 3 from the home screen (non SP5 phones have 2), and 1 from the start menu. I agree, it seems like overkill. I didn't realize that the SP5 had a dedicated Contacts button. I can't imagine it will be long before someone figures out how to hack this button and have it run whatever application you want.

[f540xs]

I think you mean are there too many ways :)

[Mike Temporale]

I think you mean are there too many ways :)

:oops: Corrected.

[Brandon Miniman]

Heh -- they should exchange one of those shortcuts to open the calendar app, which you can only access via the Home screen (correct me if wrong).

[wivaku]

Been there, done that. :D

Found on Modaco:

go to HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Home
create "Keys", in there:
create "113", so now you have:
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Home
in there, create two new values ("Default" and "Open"), in my case I am using Papyrus:
- Default, String, Calendar
- Open, String, "\Storage Card\Program Files\Papyrus\Papyrus.exe"
(so in my example: instead of "Contacts" it now says "Calendar" and when I press the button it starts Papyrus)

[pugwonk]

This looks very handy, but just to be clear... what does it actually do? Reassign the "contacts" button to a particular application? Or does it change that "home screen soft key" to something else?

Chris

[wivaku]

It changes the name + executable for the right soft key available on the home screen. For more details and examples, see the modaco post (http://www.modaco.com/index.php?showtopic=208536).

[Mike Temporale]

Heh -- they should exchange one of those shortcuts to open the calendar app, which you can only access via the Home screen (correct me if wrong).

Calendar should also be in the start menu someplace. :)

[Brandon Miniman]

Been there, done that. Very Happy

Found on Modaco:

go to HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Home
create "Keys", in there:
create "113", so now you have:
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Home
in there, create two new values ("Default" and "Open"), in my case I am using Papyrus:
- Default, String, Calendar
- Open, String, "\Storage Card\Program Files\Papyrus\Papyrus.exe"
(so in my example: instead of "Contacts" it now says "Calendar" and when I press the button it starts Papyrus)

Good find!

Heh -- they should exchange one of those shortcuts to open the calendar app, which you can only access via the Home screen (correct me if wrong).

Calendar should also be in the start menu someplace. :)

Come on now -- that's like two actions... one too many! heh

[juni]

Sounds like something that should be added to tweaks2K2 ;)

[Mike Temporale]

Heh -- they should exchange one of those shortcuts to open the calendar app, which you can only access via the Home screen (correct me if wrong).

Calendar should also be in the start menu someplace. :)

Come on now -- that's like two actions... one too many! heh

Now, now, we're not that lazy, are we? :wink:

Forgetting the registry hack and depending on your homescreen, the start menu might actually be faster. On my current home screen, I have to press down twice, and then press action to launch the calendar. If i was to do it using the start menu, I press the left softkey, and then #4 on the keypad (since calendar is on the first page of the start menu). So, that works out to Home Screen 3 steps, Start Menu 2 steps. :mrgreen:

Personally, I just use the speed dial for anything that I run often - like the built-in Task Manager and calculator. Check out this article (http://www.smartphonethoughts.com/articles.php?action=expand,5880+) for details on how to setup speed dial. Oh, and if you wanted to take it one step further, you could use Voice Prompts (http://www.smartphonethoughts.com/articles.php?action=expand,7477+) to run your app. :mrgreen:

[stuartforrest]

Awesome. That worked for me and got rid of the extra contacts link I didnt need. Just need to know who to change the hardware buttons now???

P.S. for anyone changing it it didnt appear straight away for me but while I was doing some more reading it then suddenly changed to my new link so be patient.