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One of the things I find annoying in browsing for apps through the Programs entry in the start menu is that if you browse sub folder in it (like Games) you can't go back without closing the Programs menu...
Is there any freeware and lite app or hack that can add a Back and Front options to the WM bottom bar only when browsing Programs?
Thanks in advance
Bump...
Come on it's been a week... Doesn't anyone know of an answer?
Sorry if this seems shameless but if I get it right this thread has only one week left and then will be deleted...
If nobody posts an answer, then it's probably because nobody has one.
I don't have an answer for your question, but a piece of advice instead: ditch the default start menu - it's crap Use QuickMenu, TouchLaunch or MortButtons (this one takes some time to configure properly but it's probably the most powerful), or more than one of them. They all have their pros and cons, but all are better than the default start menu that hasn't changed at all since windows CE 3.0 (probably since 1.0, but 2 is the oldest one i used ). QuickMenu is great because it behaves like the start menu on a "big" windows - it's cascading plus it has some neat options lik ebuilt in task manager, screen rotation and SIP selection. Also, it can replace the default menu entirely. But it's not very finger friendly and it's best used with a D-Pad, a stylus or with a finger where you're not in motion. But it's rather hard to use with a finger on a bike or on a bus.
TouchLaunch is still a beta, but works really smoothly, and is very finger friendly. Also, it can view all shortcuts you have in the start menu ignoring folder structure, so as long as you know program's name, it will be really easy to find.
All of them are free and availible here at xda-devs, just do a search. So my advice is to try them all and choose the one you like the best, but forget about the default menu.
Thanks for the reply
I realized that people might not now the answer but they might as well have missed the thread since it was burried by a whole week of q&a's...
I've actually tried QuickMenu and TouchLanch in the past but I removed both. The first is a lot less finger-friendly than Omnia's big screen implementation for the start menu and seemed kind of unstable (at least the version I tried. I switched to wktask as a task manager/lister/launcher (I keep only the most usefull shortcuts).
The second is kind of heavy, didn't fit to my whole screen (and I couldn't config it to... at least that version) and the Launcher that comes with Omnia has a feature very similar to it (which is also heavy... that's why I still use the default Program folder sometimes)...
I generally use the default Start menu Programs browser for apps I use less often.
Will try MortButton though I don't know if this is what I'm looking for (or if I can even use it)... I always thought there would be a small .exe or scipt to address this WM flaw.
I don't understand what do you mean?
When I go to 'Programs', then 'Games' via the start menu, if I press OK it takes me back to Programs.
Maybe you have a task manager set up that closes windows when you press OK.
Strange... Is there an "OK" in your system? Mine is WM 6.1 (oficial rom). I don't have any buttons in the bottom bar while browsing Games and on the top bar there's an "X" in the right.
It doesn't seem to be the task manage. I'm pretty sure I remember this behavior as the default and I just double checked after exiting wktask and even after a soft-reset (with it's autorun feature disabled)... Even without a task manager that folder is closed without returning to Programs...
For anyone who would love to increase our joy in using Android by allowing us to multi-task more seemlessly and dynamically, as well as help Android keep up with next-gen multi-tasking platforms such as webOS, here are some ideas:
Here is a method of graphically presenting a task switching application. Imagine presenting thumbnail screenshots of all open application, lined up in a row, being zoomed out to take up about half the normal space on the screen, to be scrolled through with a flick of a finger. Think switching between windows in Steel (after tapping the window button which displays all of your open web pages in a row).
Now, the method for bringing up these apps to be scrolled through gives room to a bit of creativity as well. One could give the option to simply press the camera button (a la Task Switcher). Another option, should one not want to monopolize the camera button, would be to long-press the trackball. still, a more creative method would be this; the user gives the handset a quick shake, and BOOM, the current app zooms out and the other apps appear in line to the left and the right. Of course, games and apps that use the accelorometer would be given priority, requiring the user to pause the game or go to the menu screen before shaking the device to bring up the app switcher (something that makes sense anyway. You wouldn't want to leave a game in progress).
Hope someone somewhere likes this idea, finds it feasable and can invest their time and programing skills (of which I have none personally) into enhancing our Android experience this way.
Thanks!
I dont know what this has to do with multi-tasking as its only a visual aspect of it... but have you ever tried holding your home button? Voila a task switcher
like there isnt 1/2 a dozen ways to do this?
download task switcher, it uses the camera button to bring up a nice visual task switcher.
of course i should point out that android by default comes with a task switcher, just hold down the home button. also you can set up quick lauch shortcuts for apps. i dont see how it can get any better then that.....
I wouldn't mind if they were to put the apps that are running on the notification bar.
rogro82 said:
I dont know what this has to do with multi-tasking as its only a visual aspect of it... but have you ever tried holding your home button? Voila a task switcher
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Click to collapse
Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that a list of the last 6 recently used programs instead of currently running programs?
jaroque i think it depends. that IS the list of the last 6 used programs, however the way android works is it closes programs only when it needs memory so a lot of times some (or all) of the programs in that list are still indeed running because they dont require too much memory.
I use the app task switcher to seamlessly switch between my apps to take advantage of androids amazing multitasking, however being a N1 user (obviosly) i cannot set any shortcuts using keys such as holding down Search+5 etc.
Which brings me to the point of this thread, could anyone of you amazing devs out there build an app (X) that functions like so;
1. Launch the app X and assign ANY installed application to the rollerball
2. Long press on the rollerball on any screen e.g. while browsing
3. The assigned application launches and comes to the forground e.g. task switcher
I would do this myself but i have NO idea how to do anything like this. But being very fond of the xda community i am hoping someone out their can help me out. Please PM me if you think you can help.
Thanks
bratfink said:
I use the app task switcher to seamlessly switch between my apps to take advantage of androids amazing multitasking, however being a N1 user (obviosly) i cannot set any shortcuts using keys such as holding down Search+5 etc.
Which brings me to the point of this thread, could anyone of you amazing devs out there build an app (X) that functions like so;
1. Launch the app X and assign ANY installed application to the rollerball
2. Long press on the rollerball on any screen e.g. while browsing
3. The assigned application launches and comes to the forground e.g. task switcher
I would do this myself but i have NO idea how to do anything like this. But being very fond of the xda community i am hoping someone out their can help me out. Please PM me if you think you can help.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What you're describing sounds like what happens when you hold down or long press the home button
Yes..
Yes what i am describing does sound like what happens when you press on the home button however i do not intend for the 'Rollerball Launcher' to be used with just task managers if it can launch 'any installed application' as i mentioned in the OP it could be used as e.g. a dedicatd camera button, which i am sure people would find very useful. It seems to me although looking very nice the rollerball lacks function. Dont you agree?
i use it for selecting fine text and to take the picture with the camera.
I suppose some people might like to be able to program a special function to it though.
Hey,
Looking for the good visual/graphical task switcher on the Note.
In IOS as used to have "Mutiflow" that was very good, but i cannot find any decent one on Android.
An advice ?
stylobic said:
Hey,
Looking for the good visual/graphical task switcher on the Note.
In IOS as used to have "Mutiflow" that was very good, but i cannot find any decent one on Android.
An advice ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use Swipepad.
Really awesome. Its free but for the addons u have to pay.
This one worked perfect in sgsII and my dell streak.
However in note u have to take a little more effort to initialize the app. i.e u have to swipe real carefully. U will understand it once u install it.
Another one is taskchanger pro.... Lots of good reviews ,
Easy to initialise the app but however did not work well for me in note. I had some glitches like app , restarts and looses settings and so on.
Try swipepad first .
visual task switcher doesnt seem to work on the note since it doesnt support 2.3.
but smart task switcher works well enough. not as pretty as visual task switcher but it does the job.
Swipepad looks interesting and I will check it out.
For some time now (both on my previous phone and now on the Note) I've been using Perfect Task Switcher and am pretty much happy with it.
I checked swipepad, it's nice, but it's mainly a laucher...the task switcher is an paid option, unfortunately.
edit: Task Switcher wouldbe Perfect if we could assign the double press to home button to lauch the switcher
Well, i tryed a few apps for task switching, and i don't find nothing comparable to my IPhone. So, i can stick to a non graphical app.
in addition, I cannot find one lauched with double press home button.
any help ? because i already regret Ios, despite the small screen
stylobic said:
Well, i tryed a few apps for task switching, and i don't find nothing comparable to my IPhone. So, i can stick to a non graphical app.
in addition, I cannot find one lauched with double press home button.
any help ? because i already regret Ios, despite the small screen
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i dont think you'll be able to find one. i may be wrong, but iirc, double press home button is reserved by android. you cant really override it with software options. on my old atrix, i would just map the task switcher to the search button, but the note doesnt have the search button.
First of all - long home press = inbuilt task switcher. It's probably obvious but it took me a week and the manual to find that out, so chances are some people still don't know it.
For my own purposes I use Wave Launcher with recents on - this way I always have the access to all my most important apps + drawer + few last ones and this is spot on for me and works ALWAYS - no matter what app is in the foreground I naver had a problem of not being able to access Wave Launcher. I have been using PowerStrip for a long time for the same purposes but Wave is more natural.
The big advantage is the ability to access widgets this way - great if you need to for example change the screen brightness with SwitchPro while playing a full screen 3D game that hides the taskbar (so you can't use taskbar power controls). It works fine, apps don't crash.
I don't remember coming across any app similar to Multiflow but I must admit I was never looking for one because for me it beats the purpose - multitasking is all about efficiency, I need one gesture to access what I want. Double home + swipe + tap is too much work
Give it some time, it takes a while to find a perfect combination of apps to get that smooth user experience. I bet it took you a bit with iOS too.
pjm77 said:
First of all - long home press = inbuilt task switcher. It's probably obvious but it took me a week and the manual to find that out, so chances are some people still don't know it.
For my own purposes I use Wave Launcher with recents on - this way I always have the access to all my most important apps + drawer + few last ones and this is spot on for me and works ALWAYS - no matter what app is in the foreground I naver had a problem of not being able to access Wave Launcher. I have been using PowerStrip for a long time for the same purposes but Wave is more natural.
The big advantage is the ability to access widgets this way - great if you need to for example change the screen brightness with SwitchPro while playing a full screen 3D game that hides the taskbar (so you can't use taskbar power controls). It works fine, apps don't crash.
I don't remember coming across any app similar to Multiflow but I must admit I was never looking for one because for me it beats the purpose - multitasking is all about efficiency, I need one gesture to access what I want. Double home + swipe + tap is too much work
Give it some time, it takes a while to find a perfect combination of apps to get that smooth user experience. I bet it took you a bit with iOS too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
long press home shows you your recent task list. it doesnt tell you which ones are still running. you'd have to go into the task manager for that.
and task switchers like smart task switcher show you what apps, background apps and processes are running as well and give you a quicker way to close them.
while it might not seem useful to some people, i found it quite useful on my motorola atrix since it would allow me to free up more ram before multitasking. i find that my galaxy note with touchwiz doesnt manage the ram as efficiently, so if i dont free up some ram, it will close some of my active apps to free up ram for the game or browser or app in the foreground.
Ur right. But I was under the impression that the author of this thread was looking for an easy way to multitask rather than to know what is running or not or easy way of closing it. I might be wrong, it's not 100% clear.
yeah I could be more clear because you may not know Multiflow on IOS.
It takes over original multitasking (which is not real multitasking by the way) and lets you leave running in background some apps that you can recall easily by selecting the thumbnail in an additional graphic viewer.
I don't really need a similar design, but i need to open and leave some apps running, and switch between them.
Assigning to long/double press home button would be great !
swipepad could be ok because of the swipe action to open it, but the switching function is a paid option that i cannot try before, so i will not buy.
stylobic said:
...
I don't really need a similar design, but i need to open and leave some apps running, and switch between them.
...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, that's pretty much that Perfect Task Switcher enables you to do. Except that it's not bound to long home press, but just a single press.
So, here's how it works:
- when you install it you can configure in its settings (via the small gear icon that appears when it opens up) which is your preferred launcher;
- when you double-press the home button you jump to your home screen.
- when you single-press the home button the task switcher displays (in an overlay of whatever you are in at the moment) a graphical list of you currently running apps - you can switch between applications in this way.
hi 111bits
I tryed it already, but I don't get the same results as you.
I cannot make appear home screen by double click. nothing happens.
Then fo r the same effect, i have to click once, and touch home icon to do this.
why this double click dosn't work ???
And by the way, i have no preview in the multitask windows...
This problem has been bugging me for quite a while and I would be tremendously happy if someone could help me with it.
I have script shortcuts on my phone (using GScripts) that do a variety of things, varying from opening my garage to turning off my computer. I also have Widget Locker installed so that the first screen I see is the widgets/shortcuts placed on the page.
What I want is a way to simply press a button and have it search and open up the desired shortcut. I've tried things like AppVoiceLauncher and Voice App Launcher (free), and they work perfectly with my device, but the problem is that they don't open shortcuts, only programs.
So does anyone know of a way to be able to long-press the search button or press a widget that would search and run my GScript scripts? I want to be able to drive and press a button on my phone and simple say "open garage" ("garage" being the name of the shortcut script) and work without any other gestures with the phone.
Does anyone know of an app that I may have overlooked that does this? Or possibly a workaround?
Thanks for any and all help.