There used to be a launcher called TSF Shell and/or TSF Launcher Prime.
It has not been developed in several years.
This Launcher was far and away the single most customizable and capable interactive shell I have ever used. It had just about every option you could think of.
Of course it had its flaws and one of those was a learning curve. Some of the widgets were kind of useless and there were other issues that I can no longer remember. I know it was rare to get updates also.
The reason for this post is an attempt to resurrect the Launcher. I am by no means a developer and wouldn't know where to begin. What I do know is that there are many smart and capable developers and UI designers here on XDA, so I figured I would give it a shot and ask if someone could pick up the pieces of this gem and bring it and all it's glory back to the realm of the living.
I'm sure if someone does, there will be a pretty decent dollar amount that comes with it, I bought it for $10 (USD) from the play store without a 2nd thought. I'm certain there are many thousands of people that share my opinion.
Also, many of the themes available for TSF Launcher still exist in the play store but the Launcher itself
Here is a link:
https://m.facebook.com/tsfapp/posts/?ref=page_internal&mt_nav=0
Honestly, the only issue with the current version is the icons. For some reason many of them are little gray androids. I don't know why but I sure would love for some assistance in fixing it. I'm tellin' ya' there is no interactive shell like TFS. It is the best hands down. I've tried all of them. If anyone out there can fix the icons i will pay $250 USD but it has to be fixed for real. This would be the 3rd time I've paid someone for their android development work.
I actually have been using it and tweaking it for quite sometime, no issues with icons nor gestures! It even works with my (interactive)live wallpaper, I work quite a lot but I'll see about kicking together some stuff to post
TSF Launcher was the best launcher ever. I purchased it with $15/- and was not happy when it was taken over and killed by other launcher.
I would still pay to get this launcher back on my phone.
Waiting for someone to take the mantle and develop this launcher further
Afi
Related
http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/31/google-tightening-control-of-android-insisting-licensees-abide/
Looks like the Honeycomb lockout is just the beginning... It's because so many people complained about Fragmentation..
*le sigh*
I thought this was to get 'early' access to code. If that's the case, then I heartily agree.
Besides, I personally think fragmentation is the single, worst aspect of Android on phones.
Yeah, as long as this is for the manufacturers that are getting early access before the source is released to the public, I think it will be a very good thing.
If this removes the ability of Motorola adding it's "moto-blur" on top of Android, Samsung from adding "Touch Wiz" and HTC from adding "Sense-UI".....I'm all for it!
Maybe I am just a minority when I say I didn't mind fragmentation...
Kinda made each device unique...
I have an evo with sense on it. I have a gtab with launcher pro. and I have a xoom with (motoblur?, honeycomb default?) not sure lol .
But each one is very unique to me and feels like a different device. If everything was the same it would feel like that fruit labeled company
ah well, each their own
To me it's just annoying that their whole marketing game about it being an open dev process is just a crock. That being said, I'm glad we have earlier android source available, and I think it would be just dandy if somehow the devs here took that branch and advanced it further than google could do w/ honeycomb .
akodoreign said:
Maybe I am just a minority when I say I didn't mind fragmentation...
Kinda made each device unique...
I have an evo with sense on it. I have a gtab with launcher pro. and I have a xoom with (motoblur?, honeycomb default?) not sure lol .
But each one is very unique to me and feels like a different device. If everything was the same it would feel like that fruit labeled company
ah well, each their own
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand where you're coming from, I just think the manufacturers use their additional code as an excuse when users want to update/upgrade. Samsung seems to have taken a lot of flack recently for their delays.
Then we just have to get these OEM's stop bolting their ROM's / code down.
Personally, Viewsonic has built loyalty for me by not locking down their device and (seemingly) encouraging independent development. Combine with nice hardware, I would buy again paying even more if they would use a little better screen the next time around.
captain_fid said:
Personally, Viewsonic has built loyalty for me by not locking down their device and (seemingly) encouraging independent development. Combine with nice hardware, I would buy again paying even more if they would use a little better screen the next time around.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
By far, the screen is this devices biggest failing. Drove me nuts to the point that I tried rooting a Nook Color. That's a nice screen. However, I took it back, the damn soft key thing was driving me ape....
Understandable....but you can make each device your own without the need of a vendor hacking their code into the android AOSP code. .
Different launchers are available, different home screen setup options are easy enough...
Without worrying about this device needing a moto-blur tested app or an HTC Sense tested app can increase updates and stability of apps. It also removes the apps that "only" work on moto-blur or sense-ui, etc... as that was what the platform the developer was working with and used some of those extra library functions, etc...
Vanilla AOSP is best. Make your hardware/price point stand out and people will flock to it. Let the people decide what they want their UI to look like (via launchers, widgets, and such).
akodoreign said:
Maybe I am just a minority when I say I didn't mind fragmentation...
Kinda made each device unique...
I have an evo with sense on it. I have a gtab with launcher pro. and I have a xoom with (motoblur?, honeycomb default?) not sure lol .
But each one is very unique to me and feels like a different device. If everything was the same it would feel like that fruit labeled company
ah well, each their own
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
therealkired said:
By far, the screen is this devices biggest failing. Drove me nuts to the point that I tried rooting a Nook Color. That's a nice screen. However, I took it back, the damn soft key thing was driving me ape....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed. For the price, though, (especially for all those wooter's out there) it is an amazing device.
Got sad at first as I hate to see any amount of extra control being grabbed by Google. After reading the article again and the comments I became a lot more ok with it. Some sort of quality control over what kind of overlay can be put over stock android sounds fair.
The good part is that it's not a limit for the everyday dev, and even for company's doing things with android that it wasn't intended for...
You could still see a toaster come out with Android 3.1 that is custom skinned... but only after the AOSP dropped would the development be able to begin. You wouldn't have that toaster getting preferential treatment by google and early access to the source.
akodoreign said:
http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/31/google-tightening-control-of-android-insisting-licensees-abide/
Looks like the Honeycomb lockout is just the beginning... It's because so many people complained about Fragmentation..
*le sigh*
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try reading from more than just one source..http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/mar2011/tc20110324_269784.htm
Rubin says that if Google were to open-source the Honeycomb code now, as it has with other versions of Android at similar periods in their development, it couldn't prevent developers from putting the software on phones "and creating a really bad user experience. We have no idea if it will even work on phones."
"Android is an open-source project," he adds. "We have not changed our strategy."
Honeycomb + Gingerbread + Google TV = Yummy
Google is looking to bring all the deserts back into one.
With an added topping of Google TV.
This is the best of all worlds, so a bug/feature add goes out to all devices, tablets, phones, TVs, Settops, etc..
Sure it will take them a few months or so to get this done, but I think the wait will be worth it.
Here's the way I feel. There is not a single thing about sense/motoblur/touchwiz that should cause the manufacturer to integrate it into the android code. All of these would work just fine with apps/launchers. If htc wants sense on there devices, program a launcher, dont bogg down the code with an extra 100 megs of useless crap. Make the launchers and apps uninstallable.
This whole thing only forces the manufacturers to make their UI's the way they should have to begin with. I'd say this is better for the community, not worse.
--- Coming Soon ---
Very nice,but i want some app like WP7 Calendar or WP7 Email
No doubt once the UI is finished those apps will be a lot easier to develop. I know the WP7 Android team has started on those.
I have checked out the demo, and it looks really good, once you have a beta version I would be happy to be a tester. I have a dhd un-rooted. This looks better than the wp7 ui already on the market.
Nice but I feel this still needs some work....
Okay i installed it.
Thought it would be a home replacement.
Is it going to be a home replacement, or a full rom?
where are you heading with this?
the stuff within the app all works as you cant do much with it.
if you could get a full winp7 ui working it would be nice. but at the current stage think we need a bit more information on what you are trying to achieve.
As mentioned above, I intend to make a library for developers to use to make applications with this Windows Phone 7 UI. This is only a DEMO of the UI, not a functional app. As far as a home replacement, possibly.
This is looking great keep up the good work, great to see some new devs here!
Hey it's now august first, you posted on your blog that a public release might happen today? Is this still possible?
Sorry, I removed that some time ago (perhaps your browser has cached it). I just have not had the time to work on the UI, and without a finalised API a public release would not make sense.
I see, can you give us an estimate time? Also as iammodo said a home replacement would be amazing, i'd be willing to pay 15$ plus for that.
I would love to but I have learned my lesson with anticipated dates. Android development is a hobby not a paying gig for me. As for a launcher, I would have loved to collaborate with the developer of Launcher7 but he declined. As I know nothing about launchers it. would be quite some time before I could ever release one. For now you have my Windows Phone 7 Calculator in the Android Market, and the notion that more is on the way.
has anyone tried the Shell SPB 3d launcher on the market..it was a little expensive at 14.95..but it is definitely worth it..i just tried it and its extremely smooth with 3d on the ICBBIN KH1..is this something devs are looking into incorporating more features into the samsung touchwiz or a different launcher? i really like the htc sense interface with its lockscreen..and that would be awesome to have something like that on the galaxy s 4g.
shell is a really cool launcher. a bit much for me, but i do agree that it should be more popular. im a zeam launcher guy. haha.
sense...this issue has been discussed a billion times, but it wont be coming to the sgs4g anytime soon. there are variants, though. look into agile lock for the lock screen.
I don't think I could justify spending 15 on a launcher. As good as it may be, I'm really happy with Zeam Launcher right now. Definitely over LauncherPro.
Just an fyi there have finally been some themes released for it that look pretty good. Unfortunately they aren't free but a new look atleast
From the big ole Note
Thanks for the heads-up, will check them out asap. EDIT: Really ugly ones, was hoping they would be available from the devs themselves
I downloaded TSF illegally, *gasp*, and I tried it out for about an hour and uninstalled it forever...I was completely unimpressed. I think it should be illegal to have something like that for 17 dollars in the Play store with a 15 minute window of use nonetheless. Now they want you to pay for extras? Absolutely ridiculous. Some developers think way too highly of themselves, it's terrible.
Yea I know but some like it so I was just giving a heads up
From the big ole Note
I purchased it, but within 15 minutes I wasn't impressed. So I got my money back. I'll stick with ssLauncher, which is highly configurable
Sent from the Note taker with Tapatalk
they released a new update, more home screens now.
They have released several new themes for the crack priced launcher if you are one of the ones who like it. You would think the damn themes would be friggin free since the launcher itself is so dang pricey but oh well, who am I to argue with extortion?
It has certainly made some big improvements recently.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using XDA
who need tsf launcher when we have ics?
jvc.silence said:
who need tsf launcher when we have ics?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeeeesssss
I think too theme will be free.
So i start a theme and add many icon.
When i finish the meego icon pack with 1500 icon,
I start a new one.
You can follow it and post comment here https://plus.google.com/111849507977405160485
I'm a user and fan of android since the begin, and tsf is for me the best launcher ever.
I'm desapointed that's so expensive and Many people will never used it to see how it's cool.