Lakeridge Software Releases WisBar Advance 3

[Darius Wey]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.lakeridgesoftware.com/products.php?prod=WisBar+Advance+3' target='_blank'>http://www.lakeridgesoftware.com/pr...isBar+Advance+3</a><br /><br /></div><i>"WisBar Advance 3 expands upon the successful task management features found in the WisBar Advance 2. Included in WisBar Advance 3 is the ability to customize your running applications to a degree not seen in other programs. Utilizing a smaller memory footprint from previous versions, WisBar Advance 3 keeps your device running as fast as possible, leaving more memory available for any application you may use. WisBar Advance 3 also brings new life to your PocketPC with the ability to change the appearance of your system to a degree not matched in other software."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/wey-20070914-wa3.jpg" /><br /><br />Lakeridge Software has unleashed v3.x of the popular skinning and task management utility, <a href="http://www.lakeridgesoftware.com/products.php?prod=WisBar+Advance+3">WisBar Advance</a>. It offers a plethora of new features and improvements, including that all-important Windows Mobile 6 support. A free trial version is available, and if you like what you see, $9.95 will get you the full version.

[Nurhisham Hussein]

I'd also add that registered users of WA2 get $3 off the list price. Just input your registered e-mail address when purchasing.

[DaleReeck]

WisBar Advance is a great program, but for me personally, it does too much. I bought v2 previously, but I use WisBar Lite instead (which is free for Advance users). In my opinion, all the best features of Advance (like menuing) is in Lite, but much, much smaller.

[Rob Alexander]

I'm glad to see this. Version 2 had a few minor, but irritating, problems on my PPC and this new version eliminates them completely. It's also a bit more responsive. Well worth the $7 upgrade.

[Gerard]

Wish I could say the same. Unfortunately, after half a day trying it out, I had to go back to version 2. Several problems in my WM2003SE Toshiba e830:

- one icon (I'm still not sure which, but it seemed to happen to a couple by turns) was always turning into a blank white square, which would only go away if I closed WisBar then re-launched it

- response of WisBar 3 to taps was on average about 50% slower than in WisBar 2

- couldn't find the option to tap anywhere in the blank part of the bar to launch Start Menu... but perhaps I just missed the checkbox somewhere?

- very complicated configuration, or so it seemed, compared to WisBar 2

- couldn't find the option to hide name of top application

- icon for one program or another would vanish, making it seem to be closed, but then on tapping to re-launch I'd find the application already running - this was odd, considering that several other running program icons would be visible, just not certain ones

The most difficult to deal with was the slowness. I have to keep WisBar 2 trimmed down quite a lot to keep it stable, so no global nor even selective program skinning for me, no Favorites nor Documents in the cascading menus or I'll suffer lockups. The older version runs okay, more or less. It seems to cause the odd problem with the input panel selector and launcher vanishing, but perhaps this is caused by something else... hard to be sure, buy easily corrected anyway by toggling screen rotation or fullscreen in one application or another to refresh the lower bar. I was really hoping for a snappier performance out of WisBar for a long time, but it seems not fated to happen.

Just for fun, I tried WisBar Lite today after uninstalling WisBar 3. While going through the reduced settings config I must have tapped something I shouldn't have, because my Toshiba went into a soft reset without my trying to do so. It wouldn't stop, either, and no matter how many times I tried, there was no way to get it to finish a reset. And yes, I have SafeMode 2 installed, and no, it didn't work. I think that the last thing I checked in WisBar Lite was the option to load on reset... which I always use for WisBar 2, and it only makes sense to have it this way. After 10 minutes of fighting with it I gave up and hard reset the device, restoring from the Sprite backup file I'd made just before trying these two versions. All back to normal now. I'll putter along with version 2 and try not to sulk about how memories of GigaBar still make me homesick. That program just rocked, plain and simple, allowed me to fully customise everything about it and do about 5 times as many things as does WisBar. Oh well, seems Gene Knight is long gone from the scene, along with GigaBar compatibility for anything after WM2002.

[juni]

Fortunately Chris is ususally pretty quick with fixes :).

I must test this out myself and see what new has been added skinwise. :)

[haesslich]

Fortunately Chris is ususally pretty quick with fixes :).

I must test this out myself and see what new has been added skinwise. :)

3.0.0.2 came out tonight. Also see the manual (http://www.lakeridgesoftware.com/downloads/wa3.pdf) and the skinning guide (http://www.lakeridgesoftware.com/index.php?pg=skinning) for details on what's changed.

Skinning the wait cursor's... interesting. Ditto the Battery Bar. You should like some of this, Juni. :D

[jlp]

Wish I could say the same. Unfortunately, after half a day trying it out, I had to go back to version 2. Several problems in my WM2003SE Toshiba e830:

- ...


I'm glad I haven't tried it yet. Version 2 works quite well for me.

And you know the saying: "Don't fix something that's not broken."

I'll putter along with version 2 and try not to sulk about how memories of GigaBar still make me homesick. That program just rocked, plain and simple, allowed me to fully customise everything about it and do about 5 times as many things as does WisBar. Oh well, seems Gene Knight is long gone from the scene, along with GigaBar compatibility for anything after WM2002.

I strongly second that. I was an huge GB fan and was very upset with it not supporting VGA when I got my Loox 720 when my Axim x5 started to fall apart (sorta).

I've used GB ever since my PsPC days running it on my Cassopeia E-105, almost a decade ago 8).

Anyway, I think GB should have worked on WM03 QVGA devices like the Loox 400 series.

Back to GBA 3, I think I'll better wait another few weeks before trying it!!