Jazz Up Your Pocket PC With FlashDash

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.handango.com/brainstore/PlatformProductDetail.jsp?siteId=311&productId=139905' target='_blank'>http://www.handango.com/brainstore/...roductId=139905</a><br /><br /></div><i>"FlashDash™ is a dazzling new Today Screen replacement system for Pocket PC 2002 and Windows Mobile 2003 devices. It integrates the most popular Today screen features into the desktop of tomorrow, today...FlashDash includes the Bluesteel™ interface designed by TRUTH in Design and co-developed by Gigabyte Solutions Ltd, using the FlashDash API. Bluesteel is licensed exclusively from TRUTH In Design. Because FlashDash recreates and improves the Today screen, the whole of the original Today screen can be used for displaying 3rd party Today plug-ins. Additional interfaces will be available soon to completely transform the look and feel of FlashDash."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/FDfishFull.jpg" /><br /><br />This comprehensive program has a <a href="http://www.gigabytesol.com/fd_details.htm">boat-load of features</a>, including full-screen animated themes, a theme manager with preview, date/time applet, owner information applet, battery/memory displays, a task manager, and a lot more. This program looks amazingly comprehensive, so I'm looking forward to reading a review of it - and we just happen to have one coming up tomorrow right here on Pocket PC Thoughts. :D

[Jonathan1]

Hmmm interesting app. One question.
How much space does it take up and how much memory does it use while its running? I can't seem to find that info on their site. There's a reason I stopped using www.objectdesktop.com on my laptop and desktop and that's because it was killing the performance. Last thing I would want to do is kill the speed of my pocket pc for a few bells and whistles.

[steddyman]

Hi

The space used on the device is around 4mb for all themes installed, but they can be deleted if you don't like it.

When running FlashDash takes around 6mb of memory. Additional themes can add to this but we have no control over theme authors.

If you are unsure, then download the free trial available from the site and try it for yourself. It is a fully functional trial.

It will not impact device performance since FlashDash freezes all Flash processing when the Today screen is not visible. It does work best with a modern Pocket PC with a minmum of 32mb of RAM and we highly recommend 64mb.


Regards

[Jonathon Watkins]

The space used on the device is around 4mb for all themes installed, but they can be deleted if you don't like it.

Thanks for that Stephen. Good looking program. I look forward to the review tomorrow for more details. :D

[jkendrick]

Nice looking program. The tasks and appointments don't display on the screen even though they appear on the normal today screen. Is this a limitation of the trial version?

[T-Will]

FlashDash includes the Bluesteel™ interface designed by TRUTH in Design and co-developed by Gigabyte Solutions Ltd, using the FlashDash API. Bluesteel is licensed exclusively from TRUTH In Design.

Hmmmm...this company better be really careful, I can swear I've seen Blue Steel (http://www.zoolander.com/flash_site/about_looks.html) trademarked by someone else already... :lol:

[jkendrick]

Your 4 MB for themes doesn't include the demo, does it? I don't see them anywhere.

[kmchong]

how does this different compare to snoopsoft dashboard or even the native today?
nothing really fancy but it just real eyes catchy and decorate your pda

[juni]

Interesting, but I want to see a few reviews of it first :)

[Shaun Stuart]

I bought the full version (used the 15% pocket pc thoughts subscriber discount for handango) - it has got a lot of features but my pocket pc feels a little sluggish.

You need to change the directory in the options menu to "my documents to see the new themes"

I cant find a way of showing my worldmate plugin on the new today screen though

[popabawa]

I just gave the demo a go on my 2210.

It looks great. I love being able to 'tab' between the different displays. Very nice. And the animated clock looks super-slick.

Appointment and task display very nicely, battery and memory display is a bit lacklustre compared to the rest of the high-quality graphics though.

For me it's missing weather and RSS info but I guess they could be written for it.

My main issue with it was performance, I tend to run with only about 10mb of RAM available and installing FlashDash (and Flash which I didn't have installed) seemed to take most of the rest of my RAM (I could have deleted a lot of the themes). Thus, performance was pretty sluggish, especially with any of the plug-in's turned on or using a Flash animated theme.

If I upgrade to a VGA pocket PC with a faster processor and more RAM I'd definately give it another try.

Sticking to my combo of TodayPlus, Battery Bar and Egress plug-in home screen for now :)

I look forward to reading the 'official' PPCT review!

Iain.

[steddyman]

Sory for the delay in replying to these questions, we are based in the UK.

In answer to the question of what is different from Dashboard or the stanard Today screen:-

FlashDash will show you 14 days of appointments and tasks on the Today screen (defaults to 7) whereas the standard Today modules will only show 1 day.

FlashDash is also a Program Launcher, Task Manager, Theme Manager, Battery / Memory / Storage display, Analogue clock, thingy. It is really hard to sell FlashDash since its not a simple concept, its a all load of programs put into a single interface.

The difference from Dashboard is the extra functionality above, plus full screen and normal animated theme support and more importantly the look and feel of Dashboard is fixed with only the images and placements able to change. FlashDash can have the interface completely redesigned. Imagine a Star Trek tricorder interface. FlashDash provides an extension API to interface developers so not only the look but also the functionality can be changed, such as weather modules. Because the Bluesteel interface provided looks a little like the Today screen this can lead you to believe it is the Today screen and has to look that way, but it doesn't.

Also, FlashDash creates a tabbed Today screen. FlashDash will not display Today plug-ins within its tab, but will provides single click access to the normal Today screen. Also, because FlashDash recreates and extends normal Today plug-in functionality you can disable the normal Today appointments, tasks and owner displays and use that space for 3rd party plug-ins.

With regards to performance, FlashDash has been designed with modern devices in mind and we do recommend it only for devices with 32mb of memory or more.

Performance can be improved on earlier devices by not using Animated Full Screen themes. FlashDash still provides all the features mentioned above on static themes and the performance impact will be minimal. Also the performance is only affected when the Today screen is visible. If you are in an application such as a game it will run at full speed.

I hope this helps

[juni]

Ok, I gave it a go and it is amazing :)

A few issues:

- I couldn't get it to display any appointments (I have mostly recurring appointments) or tasks (maybe they are disabled in the trial version?)

- needs a weather plugin (I offer to do the graphics in exchange for the full program ;) )

- the launcher (the little one with just icons) needs to be made so that it can be put on the "main" screen. And also so that you can modify it to display the programs you want. Also, the top of the launcher with the big icons should have an option to disable the background tiles (they are a bit ugly)

But otherwise it really spruces up the today screen. Makes me want to learn flash to be able to properly modify it :)

[muaddip]

Yeah, I can see this app rocking on a new device, but I tried it on my 2215 and uninstalled after a hour or so of playing with it. I think it has enormous potential and if I do end up getting a new souped up device this will defiantly be on my buy list.

The one thing I don't like, that others have mentioned, is not being able to put in other Today Plug-ins. However, there is a button that is added to the menubar on the bottom that allows you to switch between your Today screen and FlashDash, which is a neat feature.

Anyway, excellent app guys, keep up the great and innovative work.

[Glisson]

It works great on my Dell Axim X5 Advanced. No noticed slowdowns as of yet. I love the meters and how did you say it? Clock thingy? Been waiting for a full screen animated today app since I moved to the PPC from the BE-300. Glad to see we have finally caught up with that device! :wink: Looks and works great. Expect my oreder shortly. Oh yeah, what is the link to the full screen animated taday screens?

Glisson

[steddyman]

Hi

Sorry for the lack of updates. We had a major problem on our mail server so have only just received mails from 24 hours ago.

I have found this issue with missing tasks and appointments which is related to the long date format used on the device.

I will have a fix available soon.

Thanks for your patience and great comments on FlashDash

[jkendrick]

Thanks for being so responsive. It's a neat program but it sure slows down my Toshiba.

[steddyman]

Any slow down should only occur on older device and only when using Animated Themes with the Today screen visible.

Newer devices or even older devices showing non-animated themes will work fine.

We have a fix for the missing appointments / tasks that a few people are seeing. We are just completing final testing then will release the update.

[jkendrick]

Perhaps the slowdown is due to VGA resolution.

[steddyman]

It runs fine on the Toshiba e800 I use for development which is running WM2003SE. Again, Animated Themes may push the processor and its actually the speed of the graphics subsystem that is more important than the processor.

UPDATED VERSION AVAILABLE
=====================

We have just completed testing of an update which fixes the issue a few people have seen with missing tasks or appointments. The update can be downloaded from:

http://www.handango.com/PlatformTrialDownload.jsp?siteId=360&platformId=1&productType=2&productId=139905

Download and install this version directly over the currently installed one, or you can remove the old one first if you wish.

There is now a readme included which briefly explains the interface and a few gotchas.

I apologise for any inconvenience this problem caused. It was actually due to a bug in the Microsoft Outlook SDK on the device when using dates containing the day name.

[steddyman]

It appears that Pocket PC Thoughts can cause an issue with URL encoding on that link.

If you get a problem, then click the 'Refresh' button once the page appears blank or download it from the link at the bottom of the following page:

http://www.gigabytesol.com/flashdash.htm

[mrkablooey]

UPDATED VERSION AVAILABLE
=====================

We have just completed testing of an update which fixes the issue a few people have seen with missing tasks or appointments.

Is there a way to display UNDATED tasks? My dated ones now show up with the update, but the 2 undated tasks are MIA.

[steddyman]

Hi Mike

I've had one other person report this and the install had not fully worked. The main executable had updated but the bits with the dates hadn't.

First of all, uninstall the current one and soft reset.

Then, perform a reinstall and try it again.

If it then doesn't work switch on the debug mode (about tab) then reload a theme. When it completes loading, send me the following two files from the device (to [email protected]):

\windows\atasyncdbg.txt
\windows\flashdashdbg.txt

Thanks

[steddyman]

Sorry Mike.. the debug option is actually on the Options tab.