04-23-2004, 05:30 PM
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Thoughts Media Review Team
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 749
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A Whole New Today -- Snoopsoft Dashboard v2 Reviewed
Product Category: Software: Plug-ins
Manufacturer: Snoopsoft
Where to Buy: Handango (affiliate link)
Price: $13.00 USD
System Requirements: OS: Pocket PC, Pocket PC 2002 or Windows Mobile 2003 (Note: Windows CE2.11 is no longer supported as of version 2.0)
Compatible Devices: @migo 600-C, Casio EM500, Dell Axim X5, HP iPAQ h1910/h1920, HP iPAQ h1930/h1940/h1945, HP iPAQ h2210/h2215, HP iPAQ h3100/h3600/h3700, HP iPAQ h3800 Series, HP iPAQ h3900 Series, HP iPAQ h4150/h4155, HP iPAQ h4350/h4355, HP iPAQ h5100/h5400/h5500, HP iPAQ h5450/h5455, HP Jornada 520/540 Series, HP Jornada 560 Series, T-Mobile Phone Edition, Toshiba 2032, Toshiba e310, Toshiba e330 Series, Toshiba e350 Series, Toshiba e550 Series, Toshiba e570, Toshiba e740, Toshiba e750 Series, Toshiba Genio-e, ViewSonic Pocket PC V35, ViewSonic Pocket PC V36, ViewSonic Pocket PC V37
Specifications: Install via ActiveSync; Requires 1.34M memory. It is recommended that Dashboard be installed to main memory.
Pros:- Easy to install and use;
- Multi-lingual;
- Seamlessly integrates Today plug-ins from other applications;
- Completely customizable and skinnable;
- Very reasonably priced.
Cons:- Documentation is a bit sparse in some areas;
- Can take time to load information when changing views.
Summary:
Snoopsoft�s Dashboard is a Today screen replacement which integrates Appointments, Tasks, and Email with other application plug-ins, to give your Today screen much more functionality. Adding the ability to use multiple display �skins� for the various screens, and you truly have �The Today screen as it was meant to be� (To quote from Snoopsoft�s Web site). Judging from the number of downloads at Handango and the general discussion/reaction around this site, Snoopsoft�s Dashboard has to be one of the most popular Today screen replacement/plug-in managers available! Since they have just released version 2.0.047 (which addresses some niggling bugs with VGA support), it felt like a good time to finally getting around to doing a full review of this product. So�
Read on for the complete review�
A Whole Different Look to Today
There comes a time in our lives with the Pocket PC (at least, for most of us) that we yearn for something different � a new look, perhaps, or more functionality for our electronic companion. For those of us who are disposable-income-challenged, a favorite target is the Today screen. The standard one provided in the Pocket Mobile O/S is pretty spartan and only provides basic information. Yes, it has some customizability, but there�s so much more we want from it.
Well, Snoopsoft�s Dashboard is a Today page module which sets the standard for customization in providing a �skin environment� where developers can create a whole new look and feel for the Pocket PC.
The dashboard consists of five views which are available (depending upon the skin chosen) via a set of icons located at the bottom of the screen.
Figure 1: The default skin, provided by Snoopsoft, showing the location of all the modules.
They include:- Agenda � which shows appointments and tasks from Pocket Outlook;
- eMail � displays mail items from the ActiveSync Inbox;
- Tasks � tasks only from Pocket Outlook;
- Launcher � displays icons for all programs and games, etc.;
- MyDash � can be customized by developers but supports the PegMaster game in the default skin provided by Snoopsoft.
Each one of the views can be customized by the user to include available plug-ins, and change the order of their display.
Figure 2: The configuration screen for the Agenda view (accessed by tapping the checkmark next to the Help icon).
Snoopsoft�s Dashboard automatically integrates other Today screen plug-ins that are already installed on your Pocket PC. In my case, it seamlessly included Pocket Music 3.0 and PtravelAlarm into the configuration.
Notice also that there is a small Options icon located outside the plug-ins box, below the directional arrows, to place the plug-ins in your desired order. For the 'standard' plug-ins, like the Agenda, Tasks, and Contacts, tapping this icon will provide an additional set of options available for the plug-in. For instance, here's the Options screen for the Agenda plug-in.
Figure 3: Configuring Agenda Plug-In Options
...and from the Tasks tab, you can configure which tasks are shown as 'active'.
Figure 4: Agenda Options - Task tab.
Installation
The installation package provided by Snoopsoft uses the standard ActiveSync installation routines, so it is possible to install the Dashboard on a CF or SD card. However, Snoopsoft (and I) recommend you keep it in main memory to avoid any card power up problems and provide the best possible response time. When installed, the Dashboard takes up 1.34Mb of memory. After installation, you will need to do a soft reset to activate Dashboard as your new Today screen. Fortunately, Snoopsoft requests that you do this, rather than forcing an immediate soft reset.
A 30-day trial version is also available, but this does not include the Inbox mail module, Contacts module, or the PegMaster game. With the installation, Snoopsoft provides two default skins based on their corporate logo. Personally, I like the look of these a lot. They�re very professional (with just a bit of whimsy) and use good colour combinations without going overboard on either intensity or variation.
Figure 5: Snoopsoft�s default Dashboard skin (note the battery level icon in the top right corner).
Integration With The Standard PIM Applications
One of the best features of the Dashboard is its ability to bring more of the PIM information to the Today screen of your Pocket PC. There are lots of replacement PIMs that integrate appointments, tasks, and email, but they require that you go into the PIM to see the consolidated view. With Dashboard, everything is right there when you turn on the PDA.
Since each skin may present the information in a different manner, I�ll focus on the default skin provided by Snoopsoft.
Dashboard provides view modules for:- Agenda items;
- Tasks;
- Email and;
- Contacts.
Each of them makes use of the existing Pocket Outlook databases, so there is no concern about keeping different versions of data in sync. The response time moving from PIM-related view-to-view was sometimes a little slow -- taking about three to four seconds to load information for the new view. Readers of my other articles will know by now, though, that I tend to keep a lot of information in my appointment and tasks databases (almost 18 months worth!) and have approximately 200 contacts.
The Agenda module shows upcoming appointments for today and tomorrow, with icons to the right to show if this is a recurring appointment, all-day event, meeting with others, etc.
Figure 6: Dashboard�s Agenda view (with tasks).
Arrows to the left and right of the clock at the bottom of the screen allow you to move backward or forward one day. Tapping on the clock itself will present a calendar where you can select which day to display. The arrow to the left of the date is an icon which, when tapped, collapses the appointment information for that date through three levels � full, single line per appointment, or just the date line (no appointments visible).
Using the magnifying glass icon at the bottom of the screen, you can change the size of the font through two larger sizes � making things a bit easier for us eyesight-challenged folks. The Agenda module also shows Tasks, according to the currently defined criteria in the Tasks module.
The Tasks module can be configured to show All Tasks, Active Only, Due Today, or by any of your defined categories. This is done by tapping the Tasks header displayed on the screen. Something to be aware of with �Active Only� is that it does not by default, display Tasks with no due date. This is a bit different from the operation we see in the Tasks module of Pocket Outlook, but can be adjusted via the Task module options.
Figure 7: The Task module (configured for �All� tasks).
The Contacts module is similar to that provided in Pocket Outlook, but according to the standards of the skin selected. One neat addition is that when you tap on an entry in the Contacts list, a separate box opens up overtop of the screen, displaying all the contact information available.
Figure 8: Contacts module display.
Figure 9: Display of expanded contact information.
I don't have a POP3 email server available  , so I wasn't able to try out the email portion of Dashboard. I understand from the documentation though, that there are two versions available. Basic email functions (review, reply, etc.) are provided in the module supplied with Dashboard. If you want advanced email functionality, you can purchase a different module from Snoopsoft.
Skins
One of the most powerful features of this product is its ability to incorporate skins, which not only provide backdrop pictures, but also allow the developer to change the overall look and feel of Dashboard. There are a few skin designs available from the Snoopsoft site , and a larger number are available from Juni. There are also Dashboard skins available from www.ceskins.com. Finally, there's a large assortment of skins available at www.wincustomize.com.
After the skins are downloaded to your Pocket PC, selection of which skin to use in Dashboard is made from the Skins tab when you tap the selection (check mark) icon.
Figure 10: Configuring skins in Dashboard.
The Rotate checkbox and associated time selection boxes allow you to specify a group of skins which will change according to the time interval specified. Never will your PDA be boring!
The Launchers
Snoopsoft�s Dashboard comes with two application launchers. The first is the Launcher module, which is accessible from the Launcher view.
Figure 11: Dashboard�s Launcher module.
Here, Dashboard presents all the icons it can find in the Program folder, to allow you to launch them directly. If, as in the case shown here, you have sub-folders holding various types of applications (such as the Games folder I set up), then Dashboard will present a list of these folders and allow you to choose among them.
The other launcher is called the Mini-Launcher, which is a plug-in which you can attach to any of the five views. The idea is to attach your most frequently accessed applications to the Mini-Launcher, so they are available at any time. To add icons to the Mini-Launcher, you must copy the icon (or a shortcut) to the �MiniLauncher� folder in the main Dashboard installation folder on your PDA. On my machine, it was located under Program Files/Snoopsoft/Dashboard.
Customizing the Views
Dashboard provides fairly extensive capabilities for changing the functionality of each of the views. The configuration screens are accessed by tapping the checkmark icon next to the Help screen question mark at the bottom of the screen. The configuration module has tabs for each of the views and for overall Dashboard options.
The General, Font and Skins tabs allow you to make selections about Dashboard in general � from the language used (Dashboard supports English, French, German and Italian) to remaining battery power, the font can be used as a base, and the skin interface.
Figure 12: Configuring languages.
There is also a Quick Launch tab which allows you to change the default applications associated with each of the View icons. Thus, if you are a fan of another PIM than Pocket Outlook (such as Pocket Informant, or Pocket Day), you can have those attached to each of the view buttons at the bottom of the screen.
Figure 13: Configuring Quick Launch
Documentation
An online manual (about 10 pages) is available from the Snoopsoft Web site. It provides a general overview of the main features and functionality of Dashboard and links to more detailed information for developers on how to design and build skins and modules for Dashboard. More extensive user-focused documentation is provided in a Help file (in PIE format) attached to the application.
Games
Yes, Dashboard even comes with a game! It�s called PegMaster and it�s provided as an option on the MyDash view. It�s basically a clone of the �Cinqo� game, where you attempt to guess the colour and order of four pegs after being given responses as to the number of correct coloured pegs and whether they are in the correct position. You get eight guesses on each turn, and there are three levels of difficulty � each adding another colour of peg to the possibles. It took me a couple of minutes to find out how to work this, as there are no instructions provided, and it�s not mentioned in the Help file.
Figure 14: Snoopsoft�s PegMaster game
Conclusions
This is an excellent utility. It�s well written, bug free (as far as I could tell) and provides a lot of functionality which is sadly lacking in the standard version of the Today screen. Snoopsoft has also provided all the documentation and tools necessary to allow others to design new, customized skins for Dashboard. I�m kind of glad Microsoft has taken a hands-off approach to these kinds of enhancements to the O/S, since it leaves room for innovators like Snoopsoft to do some really incredible work.
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04-23-2004, 07:23 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 366
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Don,
Great review. One question that I think I know the answer to already: does this latest version work in VGA mode?
I'm guessing no, because I don't see the Tosh e805 in the supported devices list. My guess would be that there will be a VGA update after WM2k3SE comes out, but I thought I would ask just in case.
Thanks!
KCT
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04-23-2004, 07:57 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 184
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Dashboard is great. I love this today screen replacement. It is clean, easy to read and easy to use. That being said, I had my first problem wih version 2.047 and had to revert back to 2.042 which works flawlessly. This is a highly recommended program.
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04-23-2004, 08:11 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 12
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I'm using PPX at this time and am quite happy with it. Would Dashboard be a better choice?
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04-23-2004, 08:36 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 90
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A year ago, in a topic called "Dashboard, is it worth it?" (I don't know how to link to the topic), prior users stopped using because of a perceived slow down of the device.
Don, did you notice or hear of that problem with this version?
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04-23-2004, 08:39 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 184
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I don't know what PPX is, but I like Dashboard. I've tried PI and others and feel Dashboard is the cleanest and easiest. No, I don't work for Snoopsoft, I just like the program.
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04-23-2004, 08:47 PM
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Moderator
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 6,878
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Add to it the fact that I bought this years ago, and I still get updates for the program!
Steve
__________________
"My eyes are rolling back in my head so far I can see my grey matter bubbling and frothing from reading this thread....bleh." JD
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04-23-2004, 08:52 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 350
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Add me to the list of very satisfied users of Snoopsoft Dashboard. It keeps getting better and better. I do not see any slowdown of my machine.
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04-23-2004, 09:19 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 468
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I love Dashboard and have been using it for ages.
Great review!
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04-23-2004, 10:36 PM
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Sage
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 667
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Dashboard is great! I've been through the whole cycle of the various PIM replacements and such, and I always come back to Dashboard. Nothing organizes the things I need to know at a glance better.
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Linear Mode
