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View Full Version : Spb's Pocket Plus 1.2 Reviewed


Sanjay Srikonda
02-22-2003, 12:00 PM
I wish I knew how much space was left on my CF card. I wish I could tell either by percentage or by time how much charge was left on my battery. I wish I had a way to shut down an app quickly. Ever wish for any of these things before? Spb's Pocket Plus 1.2 may be the answer you're looking for. Version 1.2.1 adds a few bug fixes, but the version reviewed here (1.2) is essentially the same as 1.2.1.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/srikonda-feb13-pocketplus-0.gif" /><br /><!><br /><i>You ever sit there on the train and wonder how much browsing time you have left on your PPC? Or at the office and want to quickly check your Pocket PC while it's still in the cradle to see how much storage space is left without opening the Memory applet? How about adjust brightness or shut down a program quickly? You can do all that PLUS a whole lot more with Spb's Pocket Plus 1.2.</i><br /><br /><b><span>Everything and the kitchen sink</span></b> <br />Everything you could want in one place is exactly what Spb's Pocket Plus 1.2 offers. A few of the features are: <ul><li>Ability to shut down applications with one tap, or just minimize the application <li>View and change backlight settings right from the today screen <li>Add repeating alarms with a lot of extra features not normally found on a PPC <li>Full-screen Pocket Internet Explorer</ul> Those are just the major features. Each one of them has a plethora of menus you can set and options that you can customize. This program gives you so much control over how it works that you'll start to wonder why all programs don't have this many options. <br /><br /><b><span>Installing the Application</span></b><br />Can you say easy? Can you say, double-click setup.exe and away you go? This could be simpler to install, but then it'd already be on your PPC. Once I double-clicked the setup program, a simple install wizard was displayed. It guided me through the entire setup process, even though it really wasn't necessary to guide at all, the setup process was amazingly simple.<br /><br /><b><span>Using the Application</span></b><br />This is going to be a long section, folks, it has to be. With all the options and menus that are under the hood of this application, I was amazed I stopped tweaking how the application worked in the first place. I'll start with the main options menu (shown below) and go through each individual sub-menu for the four main parts of the options screens.<br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/srikonda-feb13-pocketplus-1.gif" /><br /><i>Figure 1: Main Options Screen</i><br /><br />This is the main options screen. It shows you what you can control with Pocket Plus. As you can see, what's covered here are: <ul><li>Close Button<li>Repeating Alarms <li>Pocket Internet Explorer<li>Today Plug-In</ul><span><b>Close Button</b></span><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/srikonda-feb13-pocketplus-2.gif" /> <br /><i>Figure 2: Close Button Options screen</i><br /><br />As you can see from the image above, there are more options than I ever thought possible for a close button. You can choose to: <ul><li>Either minimize the program or close it by tapping the Close button<li>Show any of the context menus when you tap the OK button on the top right of any screen:</ul><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/srikonda-feb13-pocketplus-3.gif" /> <br /><i>Figure 3: Programs to Minimize Options Screen</i><br /><br /><ul><li>Show options so that you're taken back to the main Pocket Plus options menu<li>Show a quick link to the "Today" screen to jump back there from anywhere<li>Show a "Close All Inactive" option in the menu to close all inactive programs to free up memory with just one tap<li>Programs to Minimize: Tapping on this takes you to a completely new sub-menu that lets you add as many programs as you'd like to the list of programs to always be minimized when you tap the minimize option (the only complaint I have about this option is that there's no way to go browsing for a program's executable file. You have to indicate it by knowing which one you want to include here) </ul> <br /><span><b>Repeating Alarms</b></span> <br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/srikonda-feb13-pocketplus-4.gif" /> <br /><i>Figure 4: Repeating Alarms Options Screen</i><br /><br />Want more control over your repeating alarms than you possibly thought you could ever have? Well, here you go. This should make ANY control freak just about bubble over and... well, you get the idea about how much control those control freaks would have. There are so many options here I wonder if Spb didn't have a control freak programming this application. This is absolutely great. I loved being able to change so many things about the alarms. You can:<li>Choose <br />what alarm to play (by default there are too many alarm WAV files to count. A lot more than 10.<li>Choose to repeat the sound either at a steady volume, maximum sound volume from the first time, or ascending in volume from lowest to loudest. I chose the last option because it let me hear the alarm the first or second time without disturbing others around me in a meeting. <span><b>Repeating Alarms: Settings tab and Advanced Settings</b></span> <br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/srikonda-feb13-pocketplus-5.gif" /> <br /><i>Figure 5: Repeating Alarms Advanced Options Screen</i><br /><br />Choose Advanced settings:<ul><li>Play sounds continuously or play the sounds by series, which means that you can choose to have the alarm play continuously until you shut it off or respond to the alarm, or have it repeat a certain number of times, stop and start up again</ul> <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/srikonda-feb13-pocketplus-6.gif" /> <br /><i>Figure 6: Repeating Alarms: Settings Tab</i><br /><br />Settings tab lets you:<ul><li>Use Repeating Alarms for Clock<li>Use Repeating Alarms for Tasks<li>Stop playing alarms when battery is at a certain percentage (This is useful. Especially if your battery life, like mine on my iPAQ 3850 really isn't that great)</ul> <span><b>Pocket Internet Explorer options</b></span><br /> <br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/srikonda-feb13-pocketplus-7.gif" /> <br /><i>Figure 7: Pocket Internet Explorer Options Screen</i><br /><br />As you can see, not a lot of options here, but probably a really useful one for the screen real-estate on a PPC. You can choose to hide the menu bar so you can view IE with as much screen real estate as possible.<br /><br /><span><b>Today Plug-In options</b></span> <br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/srikonda-feb13-pocketplus-8.gif" /><br /><i>Figure 8: Today Plug-In Options Screen</i><br /><br />You can choose which applications appear in the Today Screen area where Pocket Plus runs. You can add as many programs as your heart desires. You can be as cluttered or as clutter-free as you like. For me, personally, I chose to let Pocket Plus just show the four main programs on my Today screen.<br /><br /><span><b>What can do from the Today screen?</b></span> <br />Glad you asked. One of the most powerful aspects of the application is what you can do from your Today screen. If you tap the little icon to the left of running meters, it brings up the main options screen. If you tap and hold any of the default meters, you can choose even how those are shown as well as what type of information is shown: Tapping the Battery Meter brings up an options screen.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/srikonda-feb13-pocketplus-9.gif" /> <br /><i>Figure 9: Battery Meter Options Screen</i><ul><li>Use a statistical estimate of battery life<li>Use fixed battery lifetime</ul> <br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/srikonda-feb13-pocketplus-10.gif" /> <br /><i>Figure 10: Memory Meter Options</i><br />Memory Meter<ul>Free Program Memory<li>Free Storage<li>Total Free</ul><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/srikonda-feb13-pocketplus-11.gif" /> <br /><i>Figure 11: Storage Meter Options</i><br /><br />Storage Meter<ul><li>Show the iPAQ File Store available space<li>Show Slot 2 available space (if you have one installed)<li>Show either free or used space </ul><b><span>Gotchas</span></b> <br />I have one major gotcha and a few minor ones. The major one is something that I seem to bring up with a lot of applications. Better written help. Since there are so many options here, there should really be better help. You're controlling a lot of the look and feel and a lot of how the program works while installed on your PPC, and as such, there really should be more help than is currently here. For example, I really had to wonder what the program meant (on first glance) in the Close Button options at the bottom of the options screen when it said, "Minimize program by gesture" or "Close program by gesture". Maybe it's just me but that really threw me for a bit until I sat down and figured out what the application was asking me to decide. To be completely fair, there was help available on the Spb site in PDF format but clearer explanations on the screen would have been very helpful. <br /><br />The minor gotchas I have are that you can't use any other control type application while you have Pocket Plus running. Wisbar also has a close button at the top of the screen and the two do not like each other. Which, I guess makes sense, you're being asked to use one or the other and they're pretty much doing the same thing in different ways in terms of closing your applications. It just would have been nice to know that. I had a few technical issues with the application restarting my PPC without asking when I installed it initially, but that was just so the startup options could be set to run when the device started. It just threw me for a second to have my PPC restart for no apparent reason like it did.<br /><br /><b><span>Where to Buy</span></b><br />You can download a 15-day free trial of the program directly from Spb by clicking on the link on the <a href="http://www.softspb.com/products/pocketplus/index.html">Spb Pocket Plus page</a> or from <a href="http://www.pocketgear.com/software_detail.asp?id=6846&associateid=204">PocketGear</a> for $9.95 (affiliate).<br /><br /><b><span>Specifications</span></b> <br />The program was originally released on December 17th, 2002 and has been recently re-released (version 1.2.1) on February 21st, 2003. The total size on their Web site states that it's 245k, but that may be for the previous version. On my device, the total size needed according to ActiveSync's Add/Remove Program screen the total is 345.5k. The program runs on most PPCs. I think you can install it to a removable storage card, but this may cause problems if you don't have your card inserted when starting up your PPC because the program runs on start up.<br /><br /><b><span>Conclusions</span></b> <br />The program performed well. It did exactly what it was meant to do and did it with an eye to control. Like I said before, any user who is a control freak will love using this. I can't remember a program meant to control so many different options and still be unobtrusive but display vital information graphically. Sure some people will say, there's Wisbar that does a lot of the same things, and I am an avid fan of Wisbar, but it's lacking when it comes to the graphical representations of system resources that Spb's Pocket Plus has. I like this program for what it does and how well it does it.

dlangton
02-22-2003, 02:46 PM
Not a question about Pocket Plus (I have it and love it), but where did you get the moonphase plug-in? I sort of like it better than the one I'm currently using.

Kaber
02-22-2003, 02:56 PM
MoonPhases (http://www.furrygoat.com). I use that too. It rules for werewolves!

seeker
02-22-2003, 03:03 PM
Looks and sounds like a great program.

I tried to use the links to download a trial version.... just sits there and does not trigger a download. I went to the PocketGear site directly and got the same result. It appears that PocketGear has server problems today.

:cry:

dlangton
02-22-2003, 04:27 PM
Thanks for the link to Moonphases!! Now if only someone would write a Moonphase applet which lives in the system tray on the PocketPC!

maneufeld1
02-22-2003, 04:34 PM
Is there a way to make it so the alarms repeat but the calendar reminders sound once? i love the repeating alarms but have no use for the reminders to sound off in such a fashion.

ux4484
02-22-2003, 05:30 PM
Sanjay,

Right now I'm using Dell's task switcher (very similar to PocketNav), mainly because when using WisBar on my Dell, often the icons go white, dissapear, or take extremely long to refresh (needless to say....no more WisBar).
Any such problem noticed with Pocket Plus?

thanks,

suhit
02-22-2003, 05:53 PM
This is a very nice review, but it would be nice if you also told us what the bugs are that 1.2.1 adds :wink:. Especially since I notice from your screenshot that you are using 1.2.1 (the Storage card meter is available only in 1.2.1 AFAIK).

Suhit

goirish!!
02-22-2003, 06:17 PM
Sanjay,

Right now I'm using Dell's task switcher (very similar to PocketNav), mainly because when using WisBar on my Dell, often the icons go white, dissapear, or take extremely long to refresh (needless to say....no more WisBar).
Any such problem noticed with Pocket Plus?

thanks,

That's very odd. I've used Pocket Plus since the first week it came out and also use WisBar with no problems.

Are you using the Axim Advanced 400? :?

Sanjay Srikonda
02-22-2003, 06:18 PM
I've been using the program, replaced Wisbar to use this one. It works much better, i like the graphical meters which is why I'm uisng it over Wisbar.

The version I had didn't give me the chance to choose whether or not to restart after installing or changing settings. Maybe that's a good thing. I did notice that it gave me some weird readings on my CF 1Gig Microdrive but once I took out the microdrive, reinserted it, everything was fine.

The program, like I said, works well for what it is. It's a good graphical customizable way to change the look and feel of how your meters are shown on the Today Screen.

I like this more than Wisbar. Of course, Wisbar is free and this you have to pay for. I did notice that there was a very extended thread on the forums from others who have been having problems. Maybe I'm living a charmed life and didn't encounter those problems. Read the thread and decide for yourselves:

http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=9111

You can always try the trial version. If the program doesn't work for you at least you can go back to what you had before. You have to give a lot of credit to a company that doesn't give you a disabled trial that only has a percentage of the features working. The trial from Spb is complete and doesn't have anything disabled.

Read the forum thread. Try the trial.

Decide if it's right for you.

goirish!!
02-22-2003, 06:23 PM
This is a very nice review, but it would be nice if you also told us what the bugs are that 1.2.1 adds :wink:. Especially since I notice from your screenshot that you are using 1.2.1 (the Storage card meter is available only in 1.2.1 AFAIK).

Suhit

One thing I've found is that the Dell will not open the Free Storage/Program menu. It will take you to the OS if tapped though.

The Dells had a problem with the short cuts when the program first came out but they were all corrected.

NOTE: The tap and hold menu for the File Storage works fine. I really like this new feature!!!!!!! :D

ux4484
02-22-2003, 07:07 PM
thanks sanjay,

I've read the thread before, but I will trial Pocket Plus.

goirish,

yes, I'm using a Axim 400Mhz

I loved WisBar on my old Jornada, but on MY Dell, it's just darned flakey-weird. I don't like erratic behaviour in any sofware and would rather pay for something that works rock solid than be semi-crippled by something thats free but flakey (for me).

Not trying to start a WisBar war here, seems most WB fans are Palm-like in their fanaticisim of it (seem logical being freeware :wink: ). I Just don't like how it works (more like doesn't work) for me.

lipinski77
02-22-2003, 08:43 PM
Is the tap and hold menu new in this version. I cannot get the menu to pop up on version 1.2 :(

I have a Casio E-200 and also the backlight today "meter" does nothing for me. :cry:

Thanks,

James

Kaber
02-22-2003, 08:56 PM
I'm still down with the Gigabar (http://www.gigabar.com). Once you figure out how to set up the menus just right and use the tap functions and make your own skins...

well after spending all that time customizing it I'm very reluctant to give it up. It does have a HIGH learning curve, I'll admit... and I have to close it before starting some programs...

maybe I should try this.

goirish!!
02-22-2003, 10:15 PM
thanks sanjay,

I've read the thread before, but I will trial Pocket Plus.

goirish,

yes, I'm using a Axim 400Mhz

I loved WisBar on my old Jornada, but on MY Dell, it's just darned flakey-weird. I don't like erratic behaviour in any sofware and would rather pay for something that works rock solid than be semi-crippled by something thats free but flakey (for me).

Not trying to start a WisBar war here, seems most WB fans are Palm-like in their fanaticisim of it (seem logical being freeware :wink: ). I Just don't like how it works (more like doesn't work) for me.

No fanatic here, just wondering. I am also using the Axim 400. It just struck me as odd that one would have probs, and one not. Weird how software works.

I am lucky enough to be Beta testing the new PI and am the only one experiencing a very small hiccup with one item. So no telling what is happening with your WisBar. Tried V-bar instead?

PetiteFlower
02-22-2003, 10:19 PM
ux--I have not used WisBar(I have the 300m Dell) but I use and love Pocket Plus, no problems found here :)

Thanks for the Moon Phases app though, that rocks!

Skoobouy
02-23-2003, 12:30 AM
Any possibility of MP3/WMA alarms in the future?

goirish!!
02-23-2003, 04:00 PM
goirish[/quote]

One thing I've found is that the Dell will not open the Free Storage/Program menu. It will take you to the OS if tapped though.
[/quote]

UPDATE: After a couple of soft resets and a reload of the program ALL features are working fine!! Don't know what happened but hey, as long as it works who cares??

This is a must have app!!!!! :rock on dude!:

l0o5er
02-23-2003, 09:47 PM
I downloaded & installed the trial version but after half an hour decided it didn't offer me any value that my existing utility suite (Smallmenu (http://www.tillanosoft.com/ce/index.html), Double Launcher (http://www.orthancsoftware.com/DoubleLaunch.htm), Zapit (http://asia.cnet.com/downloads/handheld/swinfo/0,39001949,20053224s,00.htm), & Todays Info (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&q=todaysinfo) offer (although I like the aesthetics of the today plug-in).

What was annoying though was that the damned thing won't uninstall properly. I think this is pretty poor that a commercial grade application won't do something as simple as uninstall (even if it was installed to the \Ipaq File Store). Come on Spb - where's your testing?

pschultz
02-24-2003, 12:45 AM
What do you like better, Battery Pack or the Pocket Plus today screen plugin and why? Thanks for your help.

JoeMoon
02-24-2003, 05:16 AM
What do you like better, Battery Pack or the Pocket Plus today screen plugin and why? Thanks for your help.

Has anyone tried using Novosec's Pocket Facelift?

It provides pretty much all that, and a few other options... A better today screen utility, skins for the buttons, task switcher, launcher, memory meter, battery meter, backup batter meter... Nice app...

Joe...

ux4484
02-24-2003, 07:54 PM
I had tried Pocket Facelift on my Jornada, while I liked the changing weekday skins, I found it a bit of a resource hog on my painfully slow SH3 processor. I supposed that might now be a problem with my Axim ;)