View Full Version : Why Didn't I Think Of This Sooner?
Brad Adrian
10-01-2002, 03:59 PM
Like most people, I've got a ton of applications loaded on my Pocket PC; some I seldom use, some I use every day. The problem I've been having is that on the Programs screen, the icons are all sorted alphabetically, but I'd rather have my most often-used applications listed at the top of the screen.<br /><br />The solution (once my tiny brain came up with it) is amazingly simple: just rename the shortcuts so the icons appear in the order I want.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/adrian/shortrename.jpg" /><br /><br />Using File Explorer, I just went to the My Device\Windows\Start Menu\Programs and use the ol' tap-and-hold feature to rename the shortcuts, adding a "1-" or "2-" to the beginning of the ones I want at the top of my Programs screen. Simple, huh?<br /><br />Such easy tips can still be really useful. What similar kinds of simple but helpful tips can you share?
Foo Fighter
10-01-2002, 04:09 PM
Brad...I'm ashamed of you. Even I knew about this trick for ages, and I'm not even a PPC user. You just now figured this out? 8O :P :lol:
Another workaround, if you want to keep a short list of your favorite apps quickly availlable, is to create a folder on your start menu *(call it My apps or something like that)* and place shortcuts to your most used apps there.
I use the Launcher and mini-Launcher of the Snoopsoft Dashboard for this purpose. I still edit the shortcuts in both these areas and in Programmes, etc.
If you remember that you have a Windows system here, these sorts of trick become more obvious - I do exactly the same thing om my desktops.
Question - does FileExplorer (and indeed other PPC apps) have take "command line" parameters? If so you could create shortcuts to open it at a particular folder.
Master O'Mayhem
10-01-2002, 04:17 PM
How about this one. WHen all else fails push the soft reset button
Foo Fighter
10-01-2002, 04:22 PM
Actually this brings up another of my pet peeves about the Pocket PC UI. I feel myself going into another rant, so I'll try to hold back and make this brief:
Microsoft desperately needs to add a sort filter to the program folder, similar to PalmOS's "View" selection....*All*...*Games*...*Apps*....*Utilities*..and so on. It makes digging through your programs list so much easier.
Foo Fighter
10-01-2002, 04:25 PM
Question: I can't remember for sure...does the programs screen "remember" the last place you selected from, or does it always take you back to the top of the screen? In other words, if I scroll down to the bottom of the page and tap on Vindigo, and later go back to Programs, will it take me back to the V's where Vindigo's icon appears...or am I at the top of the list?
Soft Reset: - I iften try it before all else fails
Programmes Filter: - They "should", but you've just shown how easy it is to do it yourself (if not for some novices).
Programmes "Memory": - I *think* it remembers, but as I've now only got 9 items in it, can't test.
Andrew
10-01-2002, 04:40 PM
I use a program called tdlaunch that puts icons on the today screen. The nice thing with this program is that in the options, you can move the shortcuts up and down in the list until they are in the order that you want them to be in, that way on the main screen I have my icons grouped and ordered as I want them. Plus the progs freeware too :)
Andrew
hrianto
10-01-2002, 04:49 PM
I use Scott's Launcher - lunch application directly from today screen and it's a freeware - thank's Scott. Here is the link http://www.scottandmichelle.net/scott/cestuff.html
Gerard
10-01-2002, 04:56 PM
As for opening File Explorer at a specific location, I hve made a bunch of File Explorer folder shortcuts and left them all over the device. I can jump from one such location to another in a single tap, often saving as many as 6 taps getting to deeply neste folders on storage media and in Windows subfolders. A couple of examples, made in GigaPad. (Tillanosoft Notepad would work fine too, or even Word if you rename the saved TXT file to LNK.)
57#\Windows\fexplore.exe \Windows\Temporary Internet Files\
62#\Windows\fexplore.exe \Storage Card\My Documents\Photographs\
As you can see, the path is to the app first, then the target folder. Before those, enter the total number of characters and spaces, including the #. I have about 15, scattered all over. Oh, and naming them with a ^ first ensures that these will always be the first files under the lowest folder in a given location.
Another thing I do is sorting my Dashboard shortcuts by categories. Rather than by most-used, I prefer to sort them by theme, so I use prefix letters to designate how the programs are used. m- for media, s- for system tools, p- for PIM stuff... That way, I have 8 groups of program icons all neatly grouped on my Today page (works fine if you use tdLaunch, Launcher, whatever) and I just look for graphics icons as a cluster rather than trying to spot a single icon right away. My eyes, at least, tend to skip over the tiny icons too easily. But I want all my most often used programs in one view, so currently I have about 50 there.
Numbering works, up to 9, but that is cumbersome at 10 and higher. So I use alphabetical listing in cases where a lot of files live in the same folder. Especially useful for masses of TXT files, like saved email. An aa, ab, ac... ba, bb, bc... system works for a very big list.
Resco File Explorer has an editable favourite places drop-down that takes you quickly around the file system. Very useful.
Speaking of ordering issues. Why oh why doesn't the Notes app remember the sort order you were using last time you had it open? It always defaults to 'By Name'. I always switch it to 'By Date' so I can see what I last made a note of, but I'd really like to be able to reverse the sort so I can see my most recent note at the top of the list. Resco File Explorer comes in useful here too, since the notes are just files on the file system.
John
Microsoft desperately needs to add a sort filter to the program folder, similar to PalmOS's "View" selection....*All*...*Games*...*Apps*....*Utilities*..and so on. It makes digging through your programs list so much easier.
The items in Start Menu\Programs are just shortcuts to the actual programs, so you can easily create folders and move them into more logical places. You can even have items copied into more than one folder - e.g. Solitaire in 'Games' and 'Fun' etc.
John
Spenser
10-01-2002, 05:38 PM
Numbering works, up to 9, but that is cumbersome at 10 and higher. So I use alphabetical listing in cases where a lot of files live in the same folder. Especially useful for masses of TXT files, like saved email. An aa, ab, ac... ba, bb, bc... system works for a very big list.
Why don't you use 01,02,03 etc ? Then sorting will result in the "right" order. 8O
Foo Fighter
10-01-2002, 05:40 PM
The items in Start Menu\Programs are just shortcuts to the actual programs, so you can easily create folders and move them into more logical places. You can even have items copied into more than one folder - e.g. Solitaire in 'Games' and 'Fun' etc.
I know that. I mentioned the same trick you are talking about earlier in the thread.
I'm talking about the Programs screen.
As for opening File Explorer at a specific location, I hve made a bunch of File Explorer folder shortcuts and left them all over the device. I can jump from one such location to another in a single tap, often saving as many as 6 taps getting to deeply neste folders on storage media and in Windows subfolders. A couple of examples, made in GigaPad. (Tillanosoft Notepad would work fine too, or even Word if you rename the saved TXT file to LNK.)
57#\Windows\fexplore.exe \Windows\Temporary Internet Files\
62#\Windows\fexplore.exe \Storage Card\My Documents\Photographs\
That's exactly what I was after, thanks. I could have tried it myself, but had only just thought of it and have been busy. I shall sort a few of those out for regularly accessed directories - including dashboard launcher ones. :)
Brad Adrian
10-01-2002, 06:04 PM
Brad...I'm ashamed of you. Even I knew about this trick for ages...
Well, you know me. Not the sharpest in the shed, but still a tool...
BevHoward
10-01-2002, 07:10 PM
don't forget the line of "recent" apps across the top of the today screen.
st63z
10-01-2002, 07:40 PM
Brad...I'm ashamed of you. Even I knew about this trick for ages, and I'm not even a PPC user. You just now figured this out? 8O :P :lol:
Another workaround, if you want to keep a short list of your favorite apps quickly availlable, is to create a folder on your start menu *(call it My apps or something like that)* and place shortcuts to your most used apps there.
Also been doing both tricks on my desktop PCs. Use the "01 - " numbering scheme for my Favorites folders (so copying them to another PC will show the same order). And custom shortcut grouping folders on the desktop, before those multiple-desktop managers became popular :)
Foo Fighter
10-01-2002, 09:04 PM
don't forget the line of "recent" apps across the top of the today screen.
That feature is absolutely worthless. It only shows you the last 6+ apps you have accessed recently. But it doesn't show you what apps are running NOW. PPC's multitasking metaphor really stinks, IMO. Lots of room for improvement.
Foo Fighter
10-01-2002, 09:33 PM
I think something along these lines would make a better multitasking UI. Sorry for stealing your screenshot Brad:
Mojo Jojo
10-01-2002, 09:43 PM
Actually it sounds like you would love the Toshiba 'home' application FooFighter. It uses a tab metaphor for navigation, so you can create a tab for Games, one for Utils.. ect... and sort your programs. From there the tabs can be viewed by alphabetical program icons or by order launched... newst closest to top.
In addition they have a tab that is directly linked to the apps currently running. So you can see what is open, switch back and forth, as well as close one or all open apps at a time.
In addition to that it also has all the available items like front light, memory alocation, and in my case (550G) processor speed selector.
All the views have various options you can do as well, like split column mod, try framed mode single ect ect... take a look it might meet your needs. Coming from a palm previously I can say it mimics a lot of the Palm category stuff.
I think it is a good value added item from toshiba that the standard ppc 2002 is missing.
mmidgley
10-01-2002, 10:24 PM
Did anyone ever use the program lister (Qstart?) Compaq packaged with PPC2000 that let you group programs like the previously mentioned Palm capability? I remapped that hard button immediately to something else (of course since then I've upgraded to 2002 so its not even in rom anymore) and used this method instead:
I keep my Start menu minimal--it contains only:
Today
Cool
Utilities
Sleep
Programs
Settings
Find
Help I also keep all of the Programs folders limited to one page of shortcut icons. That way its three taps (at most) to any of my applications--and no scrolling. Now, given I have a poor 3650 with only 32mb and fewer applications installed than many people would have, this works. For those who have 384MB super upgraded devices with the whole internet installed, they can figure something else out. :)
I also use Scott's Launcher and rename my shortcuts to force my perferred ordering ("## shortcut.lnk"), and find that I use this 95% of the time, and only use the Start menu to shutdown (Sleep) or ocassionally to return to the Today screen [from screens not presenting an (X), like viewing one contact. I'm fine with the smart-minimize (X) thing, but it should always be available].
m. (sorry for a bit of ranting)
BugDude10
10-02-2002, 02:06 AM
Gosh, Brad -- are you gonna work on world peace next...? :lol:
MultiMatt
10-02-2002, 04:33 AM
But it doesn't show you what apps are running NOW. PPC's multitasking metaphor really stinks, IMO. Lots of room for improvement.
Foo Fighter,
Have you not seen the iTask button on the iPAQ? With a push of a button, I know what apps are running and can close down any or all of them!
Brad,
To organize my multitude of apps, I have created sub-folders in the Programs folder (including one called Out of the way that holds stuff I rarely use).
My most frequently used are obviously located in the Start menu, but I can get to the others in a few easy taps!
Matt
Pony99CA
10-02-2002, 07:21 AM
Did anyone ever use the program lister (Qstart?) Compaq packaged with PPC2000 that let you group programs like the previously mentioned Palm capability?
I used QStart, and actually preferred it in many ways to iTask for starting programs.
I do like iTask better for viewing the currently running programs compared to the Qutilities.
Steve
Pony99CA
10-02-2002, 07:36 AM
But it doesn't show you what apps are running NOW. PPC's multitasking metaphor really stinks, IMO. Lots of room for improvement.
Foo Fighter,
Have you not seen the iTask button on the iPAQ? With a push of a button, I know what apps are running and can close down any or all of them!
I'm sure Foo Fighter knows about iTask, but his point is still valid. Microsoft should provide a standard task viewing/switching method instead of forcing each OEM to come up with their own.
This is one of the few times you'll see me encourage Microsoft to bundle functions into an operating system, mainly because viewing running processes is something an operating system should provide.
Brad,
To organize my multitude of apps, I have created sub-folders in the Programs folder (including one called Out of the way that holds stuff I rarely use).
I do the exact same thing (with the exception of the "Out of the Way" folder). However, I preferred the old Compaq QStart for this, because it was a lot easier to set up.
QStart allowed you to set up the folders within itself. To set up folders in the Programs folder like this, you have to go into a file manager and create shortcuts. If you could tap and hold to get a context menu in folders, then cut, paste and create new folders, the system would be much better.
Steve
I know that. I mentioned the same trick you are talking about earlier in the thread.
I'm talking about the Programs screen.
I AM talking about the 'Programs' screen - 'Start Menu'/'Programs' brings up the 'Programs' screen on my PPC. You can create folders there too, as well as in 'Start Menu' folder.
John
don't forget the line of "recent" apps across the top of the today screen.
That feature is absolutely worthless. It only shows you the last 6+ apps you have accessed recently. But it doesn't show you what apps are running NOW. PPC's multitasking metaphor really stinks, IMO. Lots of room for improvement.
... and for some reason the list of apps across the top of the Start menu doesn't always include all the apps you recently started. Why is that?
Don't forget you can increase the number of icons across the top of the Start menu by increasing the length of the text of one of the shortcuts in the Start menu e.g. I use 'Internet Explorer Web' instead of 'Internet Explorer'. It's still pretty feeble though.
John
PeterLake
10-02-2002, 03:04 PM
If you change the name of the shortcuts, will the uninstall progam still be able to find it?
If you change the name of the shortcuts, will the uninstall progam still be able to find it?
No. But it's a fairly minor problem. Just clean up the shortcut yourself.
Unreal32
10-03-2002, 03:42 AM
Numbering works, up to 9, but that is cumbersome at 10 and higher. So I use alphabetical listing in cases where a lot of files live in the same folder. Especially useful for masses of TXT files, like saved email. An aa, ab, ac... ba, bb, bc... system works for a very big list.
Actually numbering isn't cumbersome... if you use 01, 02, 03, 04...09, 10, 11, etc. It only becomes cumbersome when you use single digit number for the first nine.
Ekkie Tepsupornchai
10-03-2002, 11:03 AM
...and for some reason the list of apps across the top of the Start menu doesn't always include all the apps you recently started. Why is that?
Unless I'm mistaken, I believe that "most recently used" list only includes apps that you launch from the Start Menu or via the Programs screen. If you fire off an application directly from File Explorer of if you use a 3rd party utility like Scott's Launcher, the apps won't appear in the recently used list.
Ekkie
Unless I'm mistaken, I believe that "most recently used" list only includes apps that you launch from the Start Menu or via the Programs screen. If you fire off an application directly from File Explorer of if you use a 3rd party utility like Scott's Launcher, the apps won't appear in the recently used list.
Ekkie
Yes, I think you're probably right, and it's a pain.
ppcsurfr
10-03-2002, 09:36 PM
Well, I don't know with you guys... but the others do have a good suggestion of having folders in the Start menu t keep your apps in. A window holds about a dozen apps... so if you put all MS apps in a folder... it should nearly fit.
BTW, my folders are represented by icons which makes them a lot easier to spot.
Also... instead of numbering... I used to put a space before the name and gets bumped to the top of the list.
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