Spb Pocket Plus 2.5 Released

[Darius Wey]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.handango.com/ampp/store/PlatformProductDetail.jsp?siteId=311&productId=50351&productType=2' target='_blank'>http://www.handango.com/ampp/store/...1&productType=2</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Spb Software House has just released a new version of the world's most popular Pocket PC application - Spb Pocket Plus. Spb Pocket Plus 2.5 introduces new idea of Spb product integration. Every new release of Spb products featuring Today plug-ins from now on can be embedded as separate tabs in Spb Pocket Plus Today plug-in. For example the updated version of Spb GPRS Monitor (starting from version 2.3) can be placed now in tab of Pocket Plus plug-in thus saving Today screen area. The new feature is implemented with the idea to save maximum Today screen user area and to provide better Pocket PC user experience."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/wey-20050211-PocketPlus.gif" /><br /><br />Many of you are familiar with the excellent features that Spb Pocket Plus delivers. The release of 2.5 raises the bar even further by including product integration amongst some of the other Spb products (that includes Spb Finance and Spb GPRS Monitor, as well as a couple others that may surface in the future). I suggest you try it if you haven't already. It's a whole lot of joy being able to save even more space on the today screen. A trial version or the full version (for $19.95) can be found at <a href="http://www.handango.com/ampp/store/PlatformProductDetail.jsp?siteId=311&productId=50351&productType=2">Handango</a>. [Affiliate]

[foebea]

In my opinion, and that of at least 3 other people, there is one option which is still missing, and which now seems even more possible :)

I want to include other today screen items in tabs. I want to put a newsreader on 1 tab, apps on another, games on a third, weather and such on a fourth, etc. (as it was in a gone but not forgotten app, todayplus. i think that was its name :))

I hope this is not too much to ask for :)

Ever your customer,

foebea

[bnycastro]

off topic: sbsh.net's pocketbreeze has calendar tab, task tab, special events tab, contacts tab (additional tab), and is compatible with pocket rss (additional tab).

I hope this version can now read the sd card memory of HTC devices. didn't see any info about this issue on the main page for spb pplus... will be reading the FAQ now.

[bnycastro]

ok i have installed ver 2.5 and still no memory card support for HTC (well i-mate JAM atleast) memory card data in the today plugin. it's kinda frustrating for me since I really like this app (had it on my iPAQ) I wrote customer support a few days ago and they said that the next release would include support for HTC memory cards but this turned out to be not true :cry: I guess it's back to omegaone's batt pack pro for now...

[Darius Wey]

off topic: sbsh.net's pocketbreeze has calendar tab, task tab, special events tab, contacts tab (additional tab), and is compatible with pocket rss (additional tab).

The problem is, these are more PIM tabs than actual program tabs. Spb is offering something a little different.

[bnycastro]

i know this. but just wanted to share that pbreeze already has the newfeed thingie, maybe if has pbreeze he should try it out since it still saves today screen space imo and it's also 1 click only :lol:

[TheWolfen]

The best new feature for Dell x50v owners... a working brightness slider!!! :mrgreen:

[ignar]

Where can I find a change log? I can't find it on their website. If the integration of SPB products are only major enhancement, I don't have a reason to upgrade. (PocketPlus is only app I use from SPB.) But, based on relatively big jump from 2.2 to 2.5, I suppose there should be other improvements.

[bnycastro]

been testing it out and i think you can make more tabs than in ver 2.2...

what the heck i don't need to see my memory card data all the time! I am uninstalling battpackpro and going back to spb pplus! I can't get over the tabs and of course it's skinnable (well the today meters i mean)

what i would like to know is how to make a custom link/shortcut for pplus to a program... I'd like to make a link to bluetooth since my bt icon is missing since installing today plugins. anybody has any ideas???

[Jonathan_w]

Yeah you could look for your Bluetooth Manager file in the windows directory and create a shortcut of that file in Program files.
And also to create a custom file for Pocket Plus: go to pocket plus settings tap on Today Plugin, select the tab you want the icon in, than tap on item. next click on the dropdown and select custom. from that widow tap on Add which is located on the buttom corner of the screen. from there you should have no problem.
You also stated in a previous post that you wanted weather in one of the tabs check out this link, and read the NEW listing. http://www.spbsoftwarehouse.com/products/pocketplus/?en

[Darius Wey]

You also stated in a previous post that you wanted weather in one of the tabs check out this link, and read the NEW listing. http://www.spbsoftwarehouse.com/products/pocketplus/?en

My friend -- you just stumbled upon something I've been hiding for the past few months. I guess it's hard to hide now, so expect something nice soon. :)

[bnycastro]

thanks the nearest exe i could find was the Bt settings not BT so it takes atleast another tap but hey it works! thanks for the advice. re: the weather I think it is another person. I use sbsh pocket weather :)

[Darius Wey]

what i would like to know is how to make a custom link/shortcut for pplus to a program... I'd like to make a link to bluetooth since my bt icon is missing since installing today plugins. anybody has any ideas???

You can create a custom shortcut for BTTrayCE.exe which is in the Windows directory.

[ctmagnus]

Better yet, put that shortcut in the \Windows\StartUp directory and you should have your BT icon back where it belongs from now on.

[bnycastro]

I don't have that file! it is missing

I've tried searching with this string in resco bt*.exe and all i get is BTSetting.exe

I am using an imate JAM

[Jonathan_w]

Better yet, put that shortcut in the \Windows\StartUp directory and you should have your BT icon back where it belongs from now on.
I think that is not the problem he keeps losing it, I mean the file is there when you saftreset the pda.
I read a lot about that in aximsite.

[Jonathan_w]

thanks the nearest exe i could find was the Bt settings not BT so it takes atleast another tap but hey it works! thanks for the advice. re: the weather I think it is another person. I use sbsh pocket weather :)
no matter, I just though I would give you a little hint since you wanted tabbed interface for weather.

[bnycastro]

yep if i disable my today plugins and do a soft reset the icon is back. but still no BTTrayCE.exe for me can this be file be regained after a hard reset? should i hard reset?

[darrylb]

I don't have that file! it is missing

I've tried searching with this string in resco bt*.exe and all i get is BTSetting.exe

I am using an imate JAM

The Jam uses the Microsoft Bluetooth Stack. The Bluetooth tray file is different... I'll fish it out when I get home and post it (unless someone beats me to it)...

[ctmagnus]

I just read the fine manual (I'm so ashamed! Betraying my geek heritage like that!) and I can find nothing on how to actually add an Spb product-specific tab to the panel. Can anyone else figure it out? :confused totally:

[bnycastro]

wow thanks. i will wait for it then :D

[Darius Wey]

I just read the fine manual (I'm so ashamed! Betraying my geek heritage like that!) and I can find nothing on how to actually add an Spb product-specific tab to the panel. Can anyone else figure it out? :confused totally:

Go to the Spb Pocket Plus Today Plug-in feature options, and click the Add button. If you have a product that is supported, it will appear as a selectable option.

[darrylb]

I just read the fine manual (I'm so ashamed! Betraying my geek heritage like that!) and I can find nothing on how to actually add an Spb product-specific tab to the panel. Can anyone else figure it out? :confused totally:

Tap and hold the tabs that are there and select new tab - a sub menu pops oit with the supporteds tab as an option

[jmbneaf]

The best new feature for Dell x50v owners... a working brightness slider!!! :mrgreen:Does this mean that SPB Pocket Plus supports real VGA modes using SE_VGA or OZ_VGA?

I have often considered getting this ap but I have yet to get a really good answer if SE_VGA is supported. In particular, SE_VGA in landscape mode.

Can anyone comment on this?

Thanks - JB

[nosmohtac]

I like that they made the changes necessary to include other spb plug-ins within pocket plus, but if they are truly concerned with our today screen real estate, they would add the functionality that is in claunch. In claunch I can set the size of the display, and if the icons don't fit within it, it automatically makes another page behind it within the same tab. If you want to see the other icons, you just tap the tab you are viewing and there they are.

I don't know though, maybe they have added this feature. I haven't tried it since 2.0 which really slowwwwwed down my e800.

[ctmagnus]

I just read the fine manual (I'm so ashamed! Betraying my geek heritage like that!) and I can find nothing on how to actually add an Spb product-specific tab to the panel. Can anyone else figure it out? :confused totally:

Go to the Spb Pocket Plus Today Plug-in feature options, and click the Add button. If you have a product that is supported, it will appear as a selectable option.

Tap and hold the tabs that are there and select new tab - a sub menu pops oit with the supporteds tab as an option

Ok. There are new versions of Spb Finance and GPRS Monitor out now. I didn't know that. :oops:

[Darius Wey]

Ok. There are new versions of Spb Finance and GPRS Monitor out now. I didn't know that. :oops:

Yes, there's been a bit of confusion about this. The previous versions of Finance and GPRS Monitor do not fully support the product integration feature, so you will have to update your existing version.

Spb Finance Update - Download (http://www.spbsoftwarehouse.com/products/finance/download.html?en)

Spb GPRS Monitor Update - Download (http://www.spbsoftwarehouse.com/products/gprsmonitor/download.html?en)

[ethancaine]

Two questions:

Can anyone confirm that the Brightness slider bar actually works for the Axim X50v?

I just purchased version 2.2 two weeks ago, how do I go about upgrading? (I saw instructions for upgrading from 1.X, but not from 2.X)

Thank you.

[wbgordy]

I hate to say this, but this is a complete PocketBreeze rip off...

[Darius Wey]

I hate to say this, but this is a complete PocketBreeze rip off...

Are you talking about Pocket Plus here? If so, you're comparing apples with oranges. :?

[wbgordy]

What I'm talking about is program-tab integration not program launcher vs. pim add-on. Oh, it's verified - backlight slider works on the Axim X50v.

[SteelWheel]

I tried using version 2.4 the other day, with my brand new Verizon XV6600. Worked fine, except for one problem: It kept on moving the icons in the lower right hand corner of my system tray around, sometimes just making them disappear altogether (such as the Bluetooth icon, the Wireless Sync icon, etc). Getting rid of the app solved the problem, so I just figured that it was another one of these situations where the hardware is ahead of the software developers.

I tried Omega One's Battery Back Pro instead--that one was buggy in some weird ways, which ultimately resulted in a hard reset, so the less said about them the better.

I was going to go and try eXPerience instead, but then saw that SBP 2.5 has been released. Any reason to think I'll do any better this time? I saw you guys talking a few posts up about what sounded like similar prolems to mine. Are there ways to kind of "force" certain icons to appear in the systray by configuring the Windows/Startup folder appropriately?

Thanks for any help.

[Jonathon Watkins]

The best new feature for Dell x50v owners... a working brightness slider!!! :mrgreen:

:mrgreen: Been waiting for that!

[Jonathon Watkins]

....then saw that SBP 2.5 has been released. Any reason to think I'll do any better this time.

Welcome SteelWheel. I'll be installing SBP 2.5 after I upgrade my X50v ROM this weekend. I have high hopes for it personally, though I can't say if your issues have been resolved. The best thing to do would be to download it and give it a go. Good luck. :)

[Darius Wey]

I was going to go and try eXPerience instead, but then saw that SBP 2.5 has been released. Any reason to think I'll do any better this time?

Hi SteelWheel, welcome to Pocket PC Thoughts. :)

Pocket Plus 2.5 is the official public release after 2.2, so the version you tried the other day was a beta, and not all bugs had been ironed out by then. Of course, no one will really know whether this new release will work fine with your device, but there is no reason to suggest that it wouldn't. So I suggest you give it a go, and if it causes the same problem again, then it's probably best to run a notice down to Spb at their support page.

I saw you guys talking a few posts up about what sounded like similar prolems to mine. Are there ways to kind of "force" certain icons to appear in the systray by configuring the Windows/Startup folder appropriately?

Placing shortcuts in the Startup folder will not necessarily make it appear in the system tray. If you want icons to appear there, then this (http://www.phm.lu/Products/PocketPC/PowerToys/#TrayLnch) application may be of interest.

[shawnc]

I thought I had the most recent version of pocketplus but I just checked and it indicates v2.0. This seems like a great product but all I seem to use it for is the tabs on my today screen and the taskbar battery indicator.

I guess since I slept through v2.2 that I would likely have to pay to upgrade to v2.5. It's a nice product, but I don't see any added functionality when compared to v2.0 that would benefit a non-techie like myself, especially at $20.

[Paladin27]

Awwww crap. I excitedly downloaded the latest upgrade and installed it. Now my Ipaq h6315 brightness isn't controlable anymore with SPB Pocket Plus. After I did the install, I got to thinking that I had a patched or beta version I think to make that work. Nuts. Does anybody know if SPB has an official support forum somewhere? I even bought this program back when it started working on my h6315. :(

UPDATE: Ignore my previous rant. After a soft reset it appears to be working as normal. Whew... I was panicking. :D

[Darius Wey]

I guess since I slept through v2.2 that I would likely have to pay to upgrade to v2.5. It's a nice product, but I don't see any added functionality when compared to v2.0 that would benefit a non-techie like myself, especially at $20.

IIRC, minor point upgrades are free, so if you already own 2.0, you should be able to update to 2.5 without having to pay again.

[Menneisyys]

The PIE window names still seem to be non-changing when loading new pages...

[Phillip Dyson]

I've noticed that SPB Finance also received updates to today.

Cant seem to download the QuickEdition though. :?
Maybe they are still in transition. It seems to have been a busy two days for PPC software.

[muaddip]

Sigh...the one thing I wish they would fix they have not. I really do not understand why there is such a huge gap on the right side of the plugin, that even though small icons will fit into, it doesn't let you. I recognized that is it probably to facilitate the scroll bar if it pops up, but honestly it is stupid that you cannot put icons there if there is no scrollbar.

Looks like I will have to send another email asking for this to be fixed.

[Darius Wey]

Cant seem to download the QuickEdition though. :?
Maybe they are still in transition. It seems to have been a busy two days for PPC software.

Try it now. It should be working fine.

[brianchris]

Where can I find a change log? I can't find it on their website. If the integration of SPB products are only major enhancement, I don't have a reason to upgrade. (PocketPlus is only app I use from SPB.) But, based on relatively big jump from 2.2 to 2.5, I suppose there should be other improvements.

DITTO

[brianchris]

You also stated in a previous post that you wanted weather in one of the tabs check out this link, and read the NEW listing. http://www.spbsoftwarehouse.com/products/pocketplus/?en

My friend -- you just stumbled upon something I've been hiding for the past few months. I guess it's hard to hide now, so expect something nice soon. :)

I can't find the NEW listing refered to here.....not sure what this is about.

[MerlinAZ]

I'm considering a weather application right now.
I looked at that posted link and can't find any information.
Anyone know?
Thanks.

Sam

[Phillip Dyson]

I can't seem to get the plugin option to enable in the Add/Delete tabs section.

I just successfully updated to SPB Finance QE 1.3 and did a soft reset.

Anyboty else having any problems?

[shawnc]

IIRC, minor point upgrades are free, so if you already own 2.0, you should be able to update to 2.5 without having to pay again.

Thanx Darius. I sent them an email asking whether this was the case and hadn't heard back from them. If it's free then I'll definitely be installing.

What's IIRC :oops: ?

Note - I'm using the embarrassed emoticon in anticipation of feeling quite stupid once someone give me the answer.

[Sven Johannsen]

[What's IIRC :oops: ?
FYI it's If I Recall Correctly. Don't feel bad, there are tons of these. You should be in a government/military environment. I've heard 5 minute conversations using nothing but articles and acronyms.

[Jonathon Watkins]

I'm considering a weather application right now.
I looked at that posted link and can't find any information.
Anyone know?

Yes. Just keep reading PPCT. You'll see. :wink:

[MerlinAZ]

I'm considering a weather application right now.
I looked at that posted link and can't find any information.
Anyone know?

Yes. Just keep reading PPCT. You'll see. :wink:

ETA?
Thanks.
Sam

[LightMan]

I just tried v2.5 along with Finance Money Edition and I LOVE IT! The ability to have the SPB Finance plugin on a tab is just perfect for my needs :D

Thumbs up SPB for this great integration :mrgreen:

[Phillip Dyson]

I got the Finance plugin working.
I had to activate the today function in Finance first. Then add the tab in Plus.

[SteelWheel]

Installed 2.5 a little while ago... so far, so good. It hasn't yet started moving around my system tray icons, so my biggest concern is over with. I actually liked some of the features on Battery Pack Pro better, but SPB PocketPlus seems as if it's a little more stable all in all (that one weird problem was the only one I had, and so far, 2.5 doesn't seem to be doing it to me, so I may be ok after all).

Thanks for the encouragement.

[ethancaine]

[What's IIRC :oops: ?
FYI it's If I Recall Correctly. Don't feel bad, there are tons of these. You should be in a government/military environment. I've heard 5 minute conversations using nothing but articles and acronyms.

Speaking of which, I had to wait for DISA to release my LES so I could see if my TSP was taken out and what was left of my BAS and VHA would cover my COL so I could go to the NEX and buy accessories for my PPC.

Sorry, couldn't resist.

[shawnc]

Speaking of which, I had to wait for DISA to release my LES so I could see if my TSP was taken out and what was left of my BAS and VHA would cover my COL so I could go to the NEX and buy accessories for my PPC.

Sorry, couldn't resist.

You're KILLIN me :mrgreen: !

[Darius Wey]

I'm considering a weather application right now.
I looked at that posted link and can't find any information.
Anyone know?

Sam, unfortunately I'm not really supposed to give out an ETA. All I can tell you is it's soon. Just keep reading PPCT as Jonathon has suggested. ;)

[MerlinAZ]

I'm considering a weather application right now.
I looked at that posted link and can't find any information.
Anyone know?

Sam, unfortunately I'm not really supposed to give out an ETA. All I can tell you is it's soon. Just keep reading PPCT as Jonathon has suggested. ;)

Will keep checking.
Thanks.
(Also, how do you respond with quotes so it comes out correctly?)

Sam

[Darius Wey]

You had the "Disable BBCode in this post" box ticked when you posted it. I've corrected your post for you, and if you wish to make this change universal from now on, you can enable the BBCode option in your profile's preferences. (http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/profile.php?mode=editprofile)

[shawnc]

I thought I had the most recent version of pocketplus but I just checked and it indicates v2.0. This seems like a great product but all I seem to use it for is the tabs on my today screen and the taskbar battery indicator.

I guess since I slept through v2.2 that I would likely have to pay to upgrade to v2.5. It's a nice product, but I don't see any added functionality when compared to v2.0 that would benefit a non-techie like myself, especially at $20.

You get what you pay for. I sent SPB an email asking about upgrade policy. Got a response in less than 24 hours indicating that my upgrade to this version was free. Downloaded, launched, upgrade successful, in less than 2 minutes. This may seem like a minor deal to some, but for a non-techie, installing some of these PPC programs can be a major pain in the a#&amp;!

These guys are great!

[midtoad]

I want to include other today screen items in tabs. I want to put a newsreader on 1 tab, apps on another, games on a third, weather and such on a fourth, etc.


The Toshiba e830 comes with a Home app that provides exactly this feature. You can add tabs, and then apps to those tabs. I have one tab for my net apps, one for my utilities, etc.

cheers
S

[nitestrike]

When upgrading to version 2.2 and now to 2.5 my hx4705 will freeze up when drawing the Today Screen. The last time I had to uninstall it using active Sync, then Uninstall with iPAQ remove program, Delete the Folder on the iPAQ, and then clean the registry of any reference to it. And doing a soft reset after each step. And then version 2.2 started working after a reinstall and two more soft resets. Have not had the chance to try this with the version 2.5. Am I doing something wrong?

[Darius Wey]

Under usual circumstances, how do you normally "update"? Do you just do a straight install over the previous version, or do you uninstall the previous version, and then install the new version fresh?

[nitestrike]

I do a straight install over the older version. It usually verifies that I want to do a re-install.

[Darius Wey]

I do a straight install over the older version. It usually verifies that I want to do a re-install.

Usually, that is the case with most programs, and 99% of the time, it works fine. However, Spb does advise that the best approach to updating is uninstalling the old version, and doing a clean install of the new version. This is probably a safe approach to help avoid any problems - whatever they may be. Perhaps in the future, you might want to try this method of updating and see if it rectifies your problems.

[couplandsj]

I've updated from v2.0 (all worked fine) to v2.5.

I now dont get the Task Bar Batery Indicator across the top of the screen and more often than not the icons in the tabs are missing (but sometimes they appear, after several soft-resets).

I also have the GPRS monitor, v2.3, which works OK as a standalone version, but when installed in a TAB in Pocket Plus tells me that the Trial Period has expired. If I try to register it tells me I am already.

I have an iPAQ 6340. I also did a hard-reset and reinstalled Pocket Plus &amp; GPRS monitor as the only apps.

Has anyone else seen these issues, or is it just me..?

cheers

simon

[shawnc]

However, Spb does advise that the best approach to updating is uninstalling the old version, and doing a clean install of the new version.

Darius, are you sure about this? SPB sent me an email telling me I was eligible for a free update and the instructions explicitly stated that I should install v2.5 over my current version. That an uninstall was not necessary.

[Darius Wey]

However, Spb does advise that the best approach to updating is uninstalling the old version, and doing a clean install of the new version.

Darius, are you sure about this? SPB sent me an email telling me I was eligible for a free update and the instructions explicitly stated that I should install v2.5 over my current version. That an uninstall was not necessary.

Usually, it's not necessary to uninstall it first. In fact, I don't even bother with that 99% of the time. A reinstall is suffice. What I stated earlier was just a rephrase of their "general" instructions:

5. I see that there is a new version of a product on the website. What is the best way to upgrade it?
Please, visit both Support and Frequently Asked Questions sections on the corresponding page - the special instructions on upgrading (if any) are always listed there. Otherwise, if no certain instructions are given, you should upgrade the usual way: uninstall the version of the software that is currently installed on your device then download and install the newer one. If you are uncertain about how to upgrade, please contact our support team.

[nitestrike]

I did finally find my problem. It was another utility I had installed. Had to disable it/turn it off to get it to install properly. After fully cleaning the PocketPlus install. Thanks for all the help.

[birick]

I want to include other today screen items in tabs. I want to put a newsreader on 1 tab, apps on another, games on a third, weather and such on a fourth, etc.


The Toshiba e830 comes with a Home app that provides exactly this feature. You can add tabs, and then apps to those tabs. I have one tab for my net apps, one for my utilities, etc.

cheers
S

You can do exactly this with Pocket Plus.