Jon Westfall
06-23-2006, 12:00 PM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.the-mavens.com/' target='_blank'>http://www.the-mavens.com/</a><br /><br /></div>While wandering around the virtual halls of XDA-Developers, you occassionally stumble upon a novel program idea, a developer with time to devote to the community, and an idea that is pretty cool. ThumbMagic is one of those apps that can be a great asset to you. As an added plus, you also get to watch the product mature! This quick look is designed to let you know what Thumb Magic does, and how it can help you speed up regular tasks.<br /><!> <br /><img src=http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/westfall-tmagic1.jpg><br /><i>Figure 1: The ThumbMagic Main Screen</i><br /><br />Launching the application takes you to the main screen, which gives you the option to add contacts, messages, appointments, and tasks. The point of ThumbMagic isn't to be a PIM replacement, or even a PIM manager - it's simply to let you add new PIM entries without having to go through Pocket Outlook or your PIM of choice. Most of the time I need to enter an appointment quickly (Say a meeting on a date I know I have free), I wrestle firing up Pocket Informant, finding the date, and going through menus that, while chalk full of features, are overkill just to put down "Lunch with Maria" or "Call Steve". ThumbMagic, however, is simple and to the point. To Enter an appointment on June 28th at noon, I simply go to the main screen, choose "Appointment" and I'm off. Check out the figures below to see the steps. All buttons are large enough to tap with your thumb.<br /><br /><img src=http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/westfall-tmagic2.jpg><br /><i>Figure 2: The ThumbMagic Appointments Screen</i><br /><br /><img src=http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/westfall-tmagic3.jpg><br /><i>Figure 3: The ThumbMagic Calendar Screen</i><br /><br /><img src=http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/westfall-tmagic4.jpg><br /><i>Figure 4: The ThumbMagic Appointment Subject Screen</i><br /><br /><img src=http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/westfall-tmagic5.jpg><br /><i>Figure 5: The ThumbMagic Text Entry Screen, used for any point in the software where text needs to be entered. Unfortunately, a SIP cannot be used.</i><br /><br />In addition to PIM entering, the software also has a built-in calculator for quick calculations, and a device stats feature and appointment radar. <br /><br /><img src=http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/westfall-tmagic6.jpg><br /><i>Figure 6: The calculator</i><br /><br />There are a few additions that I'd like to see made to ThumbMagic. Notably, the lack of SIP support, D-Pad usage, and screen re-draws can be a bit annoying, but for a fast PIM entering, ThumbMagic has been a nice addition to my arsenal. <br /><br />Try out the software, see if you like it, and if you do, you can purchase a license over at Handango for $15.