Pocket Artist 2.6 Released

[Ed Hansberry]

<a href="http://www.conduits.com/products/artist/">http://www.conduits.com/products/artist/</a><br /><br />Conduits has updated their popular graphics program Pocket Artist. I've been playing with this since last summer and really enjoy it though I am about as far from an artist as you can get.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/hansberry/2003/20030604-pocketartist26.jpg" /><br /><b>Lone Post</b> by Peter Reilly, created with Pocket Aritst<br /><br />New features include:<br />• Antialiased degree-adjustable rotation, scaling tool <br />• Photo tools <br />• Improved memory usage <br />• Redesigned menu interface <br />• Added filters <br />• Hue/Saturation adjustment <br />• Grain reduction tools <br />• Red-eye tool<br />• And more!<br /><br />They also seem to have removed the "Exit" option from the menu. :evil: That is the second software update I have put on this week that removed "Exit." It is $49.95 for new users, $19.95 for version 1.0 or 1.2 Pocket Artist users or free for existing 2.x users. There is a 30 day trial available.

[Jason Dunn]

They also seem to have removed the "Exit" option from the menu. :evil: That is the second software update I have put on this week that removed "Exit."

Totally off-topic, but I'm willing to bet this is because they want to get certified, and no certified app can have an exit option, which sucks. Just get Pocket Plus and forget about it. :wink:

[Ed Hansberry]

Totally off-topic, but I'm willing to bet this is because they want to get certified, and no certified app can have an exit option, which sucks. Just get Pocket Plus and forget about it. :wink:
I have that. :D This is a great app, and I don't want to detract from its release, but an app that takes up 1.7MB+ with no images loaded should be able to be closed by the average person.

[Jason Dunn]

...but an app that takes up 1.7MB+ with no images loaded should be able to be closed by the average person.

I agree completely. The real problem here is the fact that Microsoft's application certification REQUIRES that there be no visible means of closing a program. &lt;sigh> :roll:

[Jason Patterson]

True, we had to redesign the menu in order to get certified. You also cannot have a "File" menu in your application (forcing us to rename two menu items, File is now Image, and Image is now Adjust).

As with most logo certified (and Microsoft) applications, Ctrl-Q will exit the application.

[Duncan]

True, we had to redesign the menu in order to get certified. You also cannot have a "File" menu in your application

That is dumb. Dumber even than the lack of provision of an x=close button in PPC OS to begin with. Making programers remove 'Exit' to be certified is... well, dumb (I repeat for emphasis)!

[felixdd]

I agree completely. The real problem here is the fact that Microsoft's application certification REQUIRES that there be no visible means of closing a program. &lt;sigh> :roll:

Umm...why? That completely defies logic.

[Kati Compton]

Umm...why? That completely defies logic.
Microsoft doesn't want you to ever quit a program. Quitting a program might mean that you're dissatisfied with it. Which would be bad. Microsoft wants you to be happy. So if you cannot leave the program, you must be having a good time with it. Therefore, your computing experience is improved by not having an "Exit". An exit is for weenies anyway. You don't want to be a weenie do you? Stop complaining and enjoy the program. Without exiting. Ever.

:razzing:

[Marc Zimmermann]

Umm...why? That completely defies logic.

Properly written applications will cause the operating system to close applications in the background when more memory is required. Unfortunately, not many apps are written properly in this regard.

It's a bit like Windows 9x had a poor stability reputation, but it was mostly due to poorly written drivers. Likewise, the automatic memory allocation and program shutdown in Pocket PC would work well if all developers did it right.

[Kati Compton]

Properly written applications will cause the operating system to close applications in the background when more memory is required. Unfortunately, not many apps are written properly in this regard.

I'm sorry - I like my explanation better. ;)

That does make sense, but they certainly don't make that obvious for newbie programmers. I'm not sure where in the docs (perhaps the certification docs?) it explains this, but it's the first time I've heard it.

Personally, I like to have more explicit control. I don't like my OS deciding what should and should not stay open for me...

[malcolmsharp]

True, we had to redesign the menu in order to get certified. You also cannot have a "File" menu in your application (forcing us to rename two menu items, File is now Image, and Image is now Adjust).

Not blaming you, but there should be logical exceptions. After all, your fine app is for graphic pros and semi-serious graphic users. I very much doubt that anybody that hasn't used Photoshop or it's equal is going to use this app. It's more like a mobile extention of that.

In a perfect (or even average) world, such things would be taken into account.

[malcolmsharp]

Umm...why? That completely defies logic.

Properly written applications will cause the operating system to close applications in the background when more memory is required. Unfortunately, not many apps are written properly in this regard.

Sorry, but isn't that a bit like asking for apps to mind read? Sometimes, I know what I'm going to do ahead of time better than any code could figure out.

And really, sometimes the OS and apps can make an incorrect choice. When that happens, I'd like to have the option.

How in the hell do you expect some coder to understand my wants and needs that deeply?

[Kati Compton]

How in the hell do you expect some coder to understand my wants and needs that deeply?
This is why I turn off the "only display the most recently used stuff" in the OS and in MS Office.

[hollis_f]

I agree completely. The real problem here is the fact that Microsoft's application certification REQUIRES that there be no visible means of closing a program. &lt;sigh> :roll:

Umm...why? That completely defies logic.Because you're stupid. And I'm stupid. And everybody who buys a PPC is stupid. Only the people at Microsoft aren't stupid. They know how you want to use your PPC much better than you and I - because we're stupid and they're not.

We might think we want to close a multi-megabyte program down completely - thinking (stupidly) that we weren't going to be using it again for a while. But those people at Microsoft know better - they know that we really want it kept in the background consuming resources.

Of course, if the memory managment worked properly this wouldn't be a problem for users. It would make the whole thing seem to work faster. Unfortunately it was written by those supposedly not-stupid people at Microsoft. You know - the ones responsible for such woderful gems as the Win95 memory management (that thinks I need a 1GB swap file if I've got 512MB RAM) or Fastfind (Findfast?? Whatever - the thing that took over disk access whenever I stopped typing for ten seconds, freezing the PC for a minute) or that bloody paperclip.

Thank the gods that us stupid people have Microsoft to decide how we should do things properly.

[cyp]

Sorry for my ignorance, but why is it so important to be MS certified?

[Kaber]

Sorry for my ignorance, but why is it so important to be MS certified?

That's what I want to know also. It's almost like MS is forcing users to look for 3rd party solutions to enhance thier crippled "experience".

Are they throwing a bone to the devs? Do they not see how popular apps that change the way they intended us to use the device are? Apps that make it work more like Windows.

Oh yes, and Pocket Artist is cool. Buy it.