Best Today Screen - Vote Now!

[Darius Wey]

Two months ago, we <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=34082">posted</a> on the <a href="http://www.sbsh.net/press/index.php?page=pr_dcontest">"Best Today Screen"</a> contest hosted by SBSH Mobile Software and Lakeridge Software, the two companies behind the famous <a href="http://www.handango.com/ampp/store/PlatformProductDetail.jsp?siteId=311&productId=95186&productType=2">PocketBreeze</a> and <a href="http://www.handango.com/ampp/store/PlatformProductDetail.jsp?siteId=311&productId=142080&productType=2">WisBar Advance</a> applications. The winner of the contest receives a Dell Axim X50v, with second and third receiving a Sandisk 512MB SD Card and a $50 Handango gift certificate respectively. It's needless to say, those prizes are fantastic. With the high number of entries, it has now come down to the final seven, and now it's your turn to decide! Pocket PC Thoughts is happy to be hosting a poll to collect votes which will ultimately help determine who the winners are. <!><br /><br />You will see the seven finalists' contributions below. Links have been provided if you wish to download the skin for your device! Note that trial versions of PocketBreeze and Wisbar Advance are linked above if you do not have them installed.<br /><br /><b>Fluid+</b><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/wey-20050105-Fluid.jpg" /><br />Download Fluid+ <a href="http://www.sbsh.net/press/contest/fluid.zip">here</a>.<br /><br /><b>Code Opus Rose</b><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/wey-20050105-CodeOpusRose.jpg" /><br />Download Code Opus Rose <a href="http://www.sbsh.net/press/contest/code_opus_rose.zip">here</a>.<br /><br /><b>Royale Redux</b><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/wey-20050105-RoyaleRedux.jpg" /><br />Download Royale Redux <a href="http://www.sbsh.net/press/contest/royale_redux.zip">here</a>.<br /><br /><b>Sketch</b><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/wey-20050105-Sketch.jpg" /><br />Download Sketch <a href="http://www.sbsh.net/press/contest/sketch.zip">here</a>.<br /><br /><b>Glass</b><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/wey-20050105-Glass.jpg" /><br />Download Glass <a href="http://www.sbsh.net/press/contest/glass.zip">here</a>.<br /><br /><b>Whistler CE</b><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/wey-20050105-WhistlerCE.jpg" /><br />Download Whistler CE <a href="http://www.sbsh.net/press/contest/whistler_ce.zip">here</a>.<br /><br /><b>Wooden Heart</b><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/wey-20050105-WoodenHeart.jpg" /><br />Download Wooden Heart <a href="http://www.sbsh.net/press/contest/wooden_heart.zip">here</a>.<br /><br />Once you have looked over the seven skins, please vote for your favourite in the poll. Voting ends on February 1, 2005. The winners will be announced on February 5, 2005.

[sheik]

I really hate to be unenthusiastic, but I don't love any of them.

I like the concept of Wooden Heart the best I think, but the red and green text is hard to read (which somewhat defeats the point of a Today screen IMHO). Did SBSH override the text colour settings of the designers or were those colours specified as part of the competition?

Code Opus Rose has a dreamlike quality to it, but the pink borders at the top and bottom are a bit sickly for my taste.

The others just seem too cluttered or hard on the eyes.

Anyway, a Today screen is in the eye of the beholder after all, I was just hoping to see some really arty designs. Full kudos to the artists involved for customising their devices, and also the developers for offering such generous prizes.

I imagine I am going to get hassled to post my Today screen now - it isn't very original, I use normal themes shipped with Pocket Breeze and Pocket Plus :).

/\dam

[Darius Wey]

I imagine I am going to get hassled to post my Today screen now

*Hassle, hassle, hassle* :D (Just kidding)

Each to their own opinion, I guess. I also like a clean today screen (and desktop, for that matter), and there are ways to make it look less cluttered. Personally, I think most of these screenshots aren't cluttered at all. It could be worse. Sometimes, the causative factor of the problem of a cluttered interface resides in the background itself. A poorly chosen background can create this optical illusion.

[jonathanchoo]

I agree... I have seen nicer looking Today screen designs. Of all these, Code Opus Rose is the best (but its a little too pink for my device).

[maymaio]

Code Opus Rose is the best in the group :D

[capo]

I was hoping for greatness, but I have to agree. Not much here that hasn't been done many times before. I suppose it must be difficult to come up with something fresh and still have it be functional. Of these contenders, my vote goes to Sketch. It is a little busy, making it less than easy to read the text on the today screen, but I like the full screen aspect of it and the "sketchy" quality as well. FWIW - I've been using Juni's "SPB Fruity" theme for the last couple of months (a long time for me to use the same theme).

(edit: in retrospect, I hope I haven't hurt anyone's feelings with my criticism. All of these are better than I've been able to do on my occasional attempts to make a skin. Being a musician myself, of course I always hope to blow everybody away with my creativity, but often it's the constructive criticism I end up appreciating the most.)

another edit: I take it back. Juni's suggestion to try them out seemed reasonable, after all, I've downloaded and installed more than a few that looked great on the webpage but sucked dirt on my iPaq. So, I tried them. There's a plain version of Sketch (without the colored graphic in the bottom right) that looks really nice on my iPaq (as long as I use a nice dark font on PB). I vote for Sketch.

[KTamas]

Whistler CE for me :)

[surur]

Can I agree that none of them really sets me on fire. I wanted to post this earlier, but did not want to hurt anyone's feelings. :(

I am quite disappointed that the least original one is getting the most votes, in this case the Royale Redux. Its just another Windows XP skin, isnt it.

The Wooden Heart looks like it may have taken the most work, but its much too dark for for my tastes.

I voted for Glass, at least its bright and a bit different :|

Surur

PS: when is some-one doing the Magneto skin :)

[amitregev]

Regarding text colors on the skins, all text colors can be fully configured inside PocketBreeze, I guess I had to select better font colors for some of the skins.

[ipaq_boy]

For me, the bests are Royale Redux and fluid. But there is a problem with Royale Redux: the background isn't compatible with wm2003se/landscape. And, mos't of wa graphics in different status are the same bitmap.
So, for me, liquid is best.

[ipaq_boy]

Btw, amit: Some screenshots have hidden the CB icons, eaven when the skin supports CB.

[disconnected]

I like Glass the best, but I have to agree that none of these is terribly appealing. There seemed to be a lot more creativity in the early days of Pocket PC. I was using Dashboard then, and there were a lot of really great Dashboard themes. These don't have separate VGA versions; I guess McDeb is almost the only source for those.

[amitregev]

I like Glass the best, but I have to agree that none of these is terribly appealing. There seemed to be a lot more creativity in the early days of Pocket PC. I was using Dashboard then, and there were a lot of really great Dashboard themes. These don't have separate VGA versions; I guess McDeb is almost the only source for those.

You can find many additional skins on our skins page, including VGA skins:
http://www.sbsh.net/products/pocketbreeze/index.php?page=skins

Those are just not part of the contest :)

[amitregev]

Btw, amit: Some screenshots have hidden the CB icons, eaven when the skin supports CB.

You are right - I will try to update the screenshots to include the CB icons too :)

[ipaq_boy]

These don't have separate VGA versions; I guess McDeb is almost the only source for those.
Well, think that all the skinners that have enter on the contest haven't yet a vga device.

[ipaq_boy]

Btw, amit: Some screenshots have hidden the CB icons, eaven when the skin supports CB.

You are right - I will try to update the screenshots to include the CB icons too :)
Thx, Amit!

[bdegroodt]

Yikes! Is "none of the above" an option? 8O I'm not feeling it from any of them.

[Darius Wey]

Yikes! Is "none of the above" an option? 8O I'm not feeling it from any of them.

No, I didn't provide a non-related option this time as this poll is being used to help judge winners of a contest. If none take your fancy, I think the rational thing to do would be to not vote? :?

[bdegroodt]

Yikes! Is "none of the above" an option? 8O I'm not feeling it from any of them.

No, I didn't provide a non-related option this time as this poll is being used to help judge winners of a contest. If none take your fancy, I think the rational thing to do would be to not vote? :?
Or let them know that the options aren't matching (what appears to be) the market's interest. As a small business owner, I'd sure rather hear from my potential customers that I'm off target than to have them pump sunshine. I am, of course, assuming this contest is an attempt by these companies to gain publicity--and ultimately sales.

[Darius Wey]

Or let them know that the options aren't matching (what appears to be) the market's interest. As a small business owner, I'd sure rather hear from my potential customers that I'm off target than to have them pump sunshine. I am, of course, assuming this contest is an attempt by these companies to gain publicity--and ultimately sales.

Wait a minute. These are just skins we're asking readers to vote on. We're not asking people to rate PB or WA. What you see in the screenshots aren't the works of SBSH or Lakeridge, but rather dedicated skin creators wanting to share their contributions to the community. It's hard to say that they're off target in the market when the "market" (if that's the right term) for skins is a diverse one. There are ones out there to match every user's preference. ;)

[amitregev]

Yikes! Is "none of the above" an option? 8O I'm not feeling it from any of them.

No, I didn't provide a non-related option this time as this poll is being used to help judge winners of a contest. If none take your fancy, I think the rational thing to do would be to not vote? :?
Or let them know that the options aren't matching (what appears to be) the market's interest. As a small business owner, I'd sure rather hear from my potential customers that I'm off target than to have them pump sunshine. I am, of course, assuming this contest is an attempt by these companies to gain publicity--and ultimately sales.

If you can't find any skin for your taste among the contest finalists you can find many more here:

http://www.sbsh.net/products/pocketbreeze/index.php?page=skins

These are all skins that entered the contest and I think there are some great skins among these skins :) which people worked hard to create.

[juni]

Well, I can appreciate all the hard work that went into making these skins and I wouldn't judge them without trying them on an actual device. Good luck to everyone who is competing :).

Whish I had had the time to participate. :/

[dmy]

I don't want to cause more hassles for the voting, but as these are only the "Top 7" I'd really like to see what all of the entries looked like.... Maybe after the voting is done?

As for me.... well... Others have said it and I'll not say it again... but I think I'll just take a pass on casting a vote.

[ipaq1940]

I agree... I have seen nicer looking Today screen designs. Of all these, Code Opus Rose is the best (but its a little too pink for my device).

I also agree. There are alot of nice ones, and they aren't here (although there are a few really nice ones).

[Programmer]

Well, I can appreciate all the hard work that went into making these skins and I wouldn't judge them without trying them on an actual device. Good luck to everyone who is competing :).

Whish I had had the time to participate. :/

I just took a look at some of others from SBSH and there are at least 2 or 3 I prefer better.

Your Black and White skin was nice. Would look very impressive with a black PocketPC.

OSX Devotion: Although I am tired of seeing this theme everywhere this one was very impressive. The etching in the font sets it off with the brush metal background. Clean simple and flashy but not overly so.

-- Robert

[amitregev]

Hi Robert :)

On our skins page there are many skins created by Juni which (*as I see it*) is also creating skins in a professional way and sales them; As far as I can say, the skinning contest was also here for other users to create and show their skins. I think we all know Juni creates amazing stuff, and running a contest without Juni give other users also a chance to win the contest and a reason to work on their best skins. :D (and I think some of the skins in the contest are really good too 8) ).

I thought it will be a nice change to see others create skins too (although after reading this post I'm getting the feeling I'm wrong :( ).

[ctmagnus]

Considering it's -20C here at the moment and for the forseeable future, I like RoyaleRedux ;) But I agree that the skins are all rather ho-hum.

[FrozenIpaq]

Juni you make the best Skins, i too wish you could have entered because none of these stand out really, too simple, but i voted for the royale just to get a vote in and help

[CESkins]

I am just wondering why Juni's latest VGA skins for PB which was released to the general public did not make the finalist list? I am using it right now and it simply rocks. Wish Juni had the time to make a few more VGA skins. I am glad he didn't formally enter the contest because it gives other skinners a chance to shine (Juni we all already know that your skins are top notch :D ). I do have to agree with one of the comments that in the old days when Dashboard reigned one saw lots of very creative and original skins.

[juni]

It couldn't get to the finalist list since I didn't put any skins into the competition. :P

[Don't Panic!]

It's because he's humble and lovable. Besides If he wins every contest it might discourage other skinners. :D

I don't use either progam but I like the wooden heart. Is that also available as a .tsk file somewhere?

[Darius Wey]

I don't use either progam but I like the wooden heart. Is that also available as a .tsk file somewhere?

The skins come with .TSK files. If you download the Wooden Heart skin, I'd assume you would find the Today theme in there.