Task Switcher questions

[Pencils]

Hi again:
After two years, i've been trying to learn how to use the task switcher on the 545. Alright,.... get up off the floor and stop laughing... so i came at this feature a little late. Anyway, I can get it to work on the home menu, but i can't seem to get it to work by tapping the icon in the "recent" section at the top of the "Start" menu. Is that what this little list of programs is called? Can't find reference to it in my instruction booklet. Anyway, shouldn't tapping the task-switcher icon in the "recent" bar fire up the program and let me shut down or switch programs?

Side note: Can't find the hptasksw.exe file anywhere on the PPC, although the shortcut says it should be in the "Mobile Device/Windows" directory. Like i said, i can run the program from the "Home" menu.

Thanks,
P

[Pencils]

Hi again:
After two years, i've been trying to learn how to use the task switcher on the 545. Alright,.... get up off the floor and stop laughing... so i came at this feature a little late. Anyway, I can get it to work on the home menu, but i can't seem to get it to work by tapping the icon in the "recent" section at the top of the "Start" menu. Is that what this little list of programs is called? Can't find reference to it in my instruction booklet. Anyway, shouldn't tapping the task-switcher icon in the "recent" bar fire up the program and let me shut down or switch programs?

Side note: Can't find the hptasksw.exe file anywhere on the PPC, although the shortcut says it should be in the "Mobile Device/Windows" directory. Like i said, i can run the program from the "Home" menu.

Thanks,
P

[dlangton]

The reason it won't start is that it's already running. Check the bottom of the screen on the Today page, what in Windows is called the System Tray. You'll say the task switcher icon. Tap on the icon and you can switch between applications and close applications. The reason you're not finding the file in your Windows directory is that it's in ROM, and File Explorer doesn't see files in ROM. Try using Resco File Explorer or Windows Explorer to see files in ROM on you PocketPC.

[TopDog]

I have a better suggestion, use Scott Seligman's Pocket Nav:
http://www.scottandmichelle.net/scott/cestuff.html

There is no better taskswitcher... espesially for the PPC 2000

[rhmorrison]

Originally Posted by TopDog

There is no better taskswitcher... espesially for the PPC 2000

I use IcBar which I think is great and very simple to use. The cadillac of task managers is of course GigaBar that does just about everything.

[TopDog]

Originally Posted by rhmorrison

I use IcBar which I think is great and very simple to use. The cadillac of task managers is of course GigaBar that does just about everything.

I use Wisbar right now... but Pencils sound like a user that would find Wisbar/Icbar/Gagabar a little bit confusing... and PocketNav works excelent on PPC2000 with a today-icon and everyting :-)

[D.psi]

Originally Posted by Pencils

Hi again:
Anyway, I can get it to work on the home menu, but i can't seem to get it to work by tapping the icon in the "recent" section at the top of the "Start" menu.

Hi Pencil, as dlangton indicated the program is p'bly already running. The little task switcher icon will be running down in the task bar; tap on it, and the options to switch to or kill tasks will show up.

What shows up in the start menu is the command to start the task switcher program. This is useful if you accidentally stop the task switcher from running. My usual way to operate this is to continually run it (i.e. never explicitly kill it), then go to Today, tap on the task bar option and either switch to or kill whichever App I'm looking at. This is a convenient way to see how many apps are running.

D.psi

[Pencils]

Hi:
Thanks for the replies. I've looked at the suggested apps and like the look of Gigabar. Will think about it.

I guess I still do not understand the operation of the “Recent” bar at the top of the “Start” menu. If I start using “Excel” and then open “Word”, I can then go back to “Excel” by tapping the “Window” icon in the upper left corner, where it currently says ”Pocket Word”. The title changes to “Start” and the start drop down menu appears. I can then tap on the “Excel” icon in the “Recent” bar and switch back to the “Excel” program. I can do this for any other series of programs and switch between them all by tapping the appropriate icon in the “recent” bar. However, if I start up “Task Switcher”, and its icon appears in the “recent” bar, tapping on its icon does not open the program so I can use it. The “Start” drop down menu just disappears and I stay in the program i was in when I opened the “Start” menu.

I added Task Switcher to the “Start” menu, and it still won’t open and run allowing me quick access to it.

Doesn’t seem to me like Task Switcher is working properly. Or did HP/MS really mean for you to have to open the “Today” window or the "Home" menu every time you want to get to the task switcher? SHeesh!

Regards,
P

[rhmorrison]

I don't know about the hp Jornada 54x series but the 56x series it is only necessary to press and HOLD the ToDo list button (farthest right) for 1 to 2 seconds to bring up the Task Switcher Application. The same for Backlight (Calender), Sound (Contacts) and Turn Display Off/Align Screen (Home).

[Sven]

Originally Posted by Pencils

Hi:

I added Task Switcher to the “Start” menu, and it still won’t open and run allowing me quick access to it.

Doesn’t seem to me like Task Switcher is working properly. Or did HP/MS really mean for you to have to open the “Today” window or the "Home" menu every time you want to get to the task switcher? SHeesh!

Regards,
P

Actually yes, it is working as designed and you do need to go back to Today to use it. Is has been mentioned, all running the program does is put the icon in the task bar of the Today screen. It would do that from the recently used programs list, or the start menu. Running it a second time doesn't do anything, but re-install it onto the task bar.

The 540 series didn't have the secondary hold down function for the hardware buttons that the 560 series does (did) IIRC. So there is no way to access the task switcher function (after it has been initiated) other than to go to Today and use the task bar icon.

Personally I like PocketNav because it seemed to be the cleanest of all the options. It did task switching without any other encumbrances I didn't want or need. PocketPlus is also a good bet as it does include some other functions that are fairly common add-ons.

[Pencils]

Hi:
Bob(Luke use the force): The 545 has one button programable for the push and hold function, the "Home" button. I guess they must have realized it was a good idea and added the feature to the other buttons in the later models. C'est la vie! However, adding the task switcher to the button still doesn't make it run. Have to go to "Home" or "Today". SHeesh!!!! What is WITH this program?!?! Is it SHY?

Sven: Like the look of Pocket Plus. thanks.

"One task to find them, and in the darkness bind them",
P