04-04-2002, 08:46 PM
|
|
Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
|
|
Sub-folders are a beautiful thing
I have a dream. A dream where files and folders can live in peaceful harmony, files nestled comfortably inside the folders. Any file, any folder, it matters not. I have a dream where type A personalities can organize their files in any way they want, without the heat of oppression bearing down upon them. Do you have the same dream?
I carry 50+ themes with me on my CompactFlash card, yet due to some programming quirk or bad design decision by Microsoft, you can't place themes into a sub-folder of My Documents (whether in main memory or a memory card). They need to stay in the root of the folder, forcing the chaos you see in the screen shot above. Is this a small matter? To some. But I tell you my freedom-loving brothers and sisters, some of us like to be organized!
What's the point of having a real file system if you can't organize your files? There's so much inconsistency when it comes to the location of files. Some apps, like Windows Media Player and Microsoft Reader, will sniff out your content anywhere on the device. Great! Yet other apps, like the theme loader, are too limited to even look one folder deep inside My Documents. And what's with the one sub folder limitation inside My Documents? If you want to have a folder called music, with a sub-folder for 60's music, and then organize your music based on folders for each artist, guess what? You can't.
Sure, some of these are extreme user scenarios, but if you're going to call a device a "Pocket PC", it has to live up to the pedigree of a PC - flexibility and power.
|
| |
|
|
|
04-04-2002, 08:58 PM
|
|
Ponderer
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 102
|
|
You are not alone, Jason. That lacking feature drives me crazy too! I cannot stand to have everything under one 'My Documents' folder! :cry:
|
| |
|
|
|
04-04-2002, 09:03 PM
|
|
Intellectual
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 217
|
|
Sub-folders are a beautiful thing
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Jason Dunn
And what's with the one sub folder limitation inside My Documents? If you want to have a folder called music, with a sub-folder for 60's music, and then organize your music based on folders for each artist, guess what? You can't.
|
Are you sure?? I have just created a 5 deep heirarchy in My Documents with no problems on my 3870 :?:
I do totally agree with you on the themes limitation :x . It drives me nuts! I saw a feature of Theme Master that is supposed to support user-defined folders to use for Themes. I'm almost considering purchasing it, just for that
|
| |
|
|
|
04-04-2002, 09:23 PM
|
|
Sage
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 740
|
|
You **CAN** create sub folders. You can even double tap them to edit and save them. However, Pocket PC 2000/2002 applications cannot see any lower than 1 subfolder deep.
Try it. Create an Excel file, put it deeper than 1 subfolder in your devices synchronized, My Documents folder on your PC, sync, and then look for it in Pocket Excel. YOu won't see it.
However, if you use File Explorer (or some other 3rd party file browser), find it, double tap, you'll be able to edit and save the document.
This doesn't solve Jason's Theme problem, though...
I agree that this is an issue that could be easily solved and implemented in a ROM update; but as MS doesn't make any $$ from the development of Pocket Office apps, its doubtful that this will make it to the end users who would like this issue resolved.
Kindest Regards,
Christopher Spera
pocketnow Contributing Editor & Columnist
pocketnow.com -- it's all about portability...
http://www.pocketnow.com
|
| |
|
|
|
04-04-2002, 09:27 PM
|
|
Intellectual
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 123
|
|
Programs in Storage Card Root
You know what bothers me? When you install a program in main memory it puts it in the Program Files folder, but when you install a program to Storage Card it puts them into root. How hard would it be for them to have the programs installed to \Storage Card\Program Files\? Based on the criteria you set down in this thought, I must be one of those A personalities, because the PocketPC File System limits drive me nuts some times.
|
| |
|
|
|
04-04-2002, 09:53 PM
|
|
Pupil
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 10
|
|
Preach it, brother!
I spend far too much time meticulously arranging my files on my Pocket PC only to have to leave it such a mess because it refuses to see things in my folders.
|
| |
|
|
|
04-04-2002, 09:54 PM
|
|
Pupil
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 32
|
|
Yeah, I have the same problem with media player -- all my alubum directories have to live directly under My Documents. It sucks, as does the lack of a decent file manager, a task manager, the ability to really close processes, the lack of the Alt key functionality in menus....
I don't know why Microsoft is so resistant to fixing these numerous problems. The PocketPC platform would be so much more straightforward to use if they just made it work the sameway as their desktop operating systems instead of intentionally crippling it for "dummies".
|
| |
|
|
|
04-04-2002, 10:01 PM
|
|
Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
|
|
Sub-folders are a beautiful thing
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by sweetpete
Are you sure?? I have just created a 5 deep heirarchy in My Documents with no problems on my 3870 :?:
|
You're right - I worded that poorly. As someone else pointed out, you CAN create them, but nothing will see it - not even the apps that scour the whole device. So it's not really a solution...
|
| |
|
|
|
04-04-2002, 10:22 PM
|
|
Sage
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 623
|
|
I totally agree with you Jason, it drives me crazy having all my files in the one folder. I carry around about 50 themes as well, and they always get in the way when I put other things in the My Documents folder. I hope they will pay attention and fix this very soon, although I have my doubts. Anyway, that was my "I agree" post.
__________________
~SpencerOwner-Editor of TabletPCBuzz.comMicrosoft MVP - Tablet PC
|
| |
|
|
|
04-04-2002, 10:33 PM
|
|
Magi
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,341
|
|
This is, I think one of the widest talked about short comings of the Pocket PC. Right from day one people have complained about this.
Has anyone at Microsoft ever said this is why we did it this way (Ok everyone can stop laughing now. I know how silly that sounds... Microsoft sharing their omnipotent wisdom with the Plebes.) Is it supposed to make the system look faster then it is by not having to look so deep? Are there any real problems created by changing this.
Dave
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Linear Mode
