Database Users

Whether you hate to hear this or not

but, everyone loves Touchwiz.
At the onset of SGS release, a large portion of us, excluding me for sure, has harshly criticized the Samsung's iPhone-wannabe TouchWiz UI.
However, I have seen a trend lately. The TouchWiz UI has gained its popularity from other android device communities. For example, TouchWiz launcher has ported to Nexus One and HTC Desire .
What do you think? Love for SGS is emerging? :]
Remember, this is only for discussion sake, no need to flame. It's just an interesting finding for me.

I love it much much more than HTC's Sense because it is like iPhone. It's far more useable and functional this way. My sons and wife thought that it was a new iPhone. In fact, I think the body of the phone looks more iPhone than iPhone 4.

eaglesteve said:
I love it much much more than HTC's Sense because it is like iPhone. It's far more useable and functional this way. My sons and wife thought that it was a new iPhone. In fact, I think the body of the phone looks more iPhone than iPhone 4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ha Ha, well since the iphone 4 is broken and is about to have either a massive recall or suffer endless ridicule, the SGS might just be the "new" iphone

Personally I thought the widgets were annoying, too much clutter in them, like stocks and things that I didn't want, nor need.
The page-flips in the apps-listing was annoying, took me too long to go through it, and it made sorting a *****.
It's buggersome and slow, at least at the moment.
LauncherPro on the other hand, now there's a gem! Grey and sleek icons, sweet previews, and fast, even on the luggy SGS.

Morghus said:
Personally I thought the widgets were annoying, too much clutter in them, like stocks and things that I didn't want, nor need.
The page-flips in the apps-listing was annoying, took me too long to go through it, and it made sorting a *****.
It's buggersome and slow, at least at the moment.
LauncherPro on the other hand, now there's a gem! Grey and sleek icons, sweet previews, and fast, even on the luggy SGS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1. I feel much the same. Launcher Pro makes a big visual difference.
TouchWiz looks nothing like the iPhone -- it's garish and tacky.

I've seen quite the contrary, in fact the first thing i did to my phone was to install HTC sense UI
accinfo said:
but, everyone loves Touchwiz.
At the onset of SGS release, a large portion of us, excluding me for sure, has harshly criticized the Samsung's iPhone-wannabe TouchWiz UI.
However, I have seen a trend lately. The TouchWiz UI has gained its popularity from other android device communities. For example, TouchWiz launcher has ported to Nexus One and HTC Desire .
What do you think? Love for SGS is emerging? :]
Remember, this is only for discussion sake, no need to flame. It's just an interesting finding for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

AllGamer said:
I've seen quite the contrary, in fact the first thing i did to my phone was to install HTC sense UI
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I wanted an iPhone look and feel I would have bought the iPhone 3gs, but I want something new, interesting, and completely original. Touchwiz is not that and the htc sense is. In addition the stock Android 2.2 is extremely powerful and very user friendly. I really wish the hardware developers started learning that all they need to do to the phone is customize the OS to work the best on the phone. Do not add any UI flavors, because the customer will do that. The android system was designed so that the customer can customize their phone. Yes the touchwiz is pretty cool, but that is not why I would buy the phone.

ritkit said:
If I wanted an iPhone look and feel I would have bought the iPhone 3gs, but I want something new, interesting, and completely original. Touchwiz is not that and the htc sense is. In addition the stock Android 2.2 is extremely powerful and very user friendly. I really wish the hardware developers started learning that all they need to do to the phone is customize the OS to work the best on the phone. Do not add any UI flavors, because the customer will do that. The android system was designed so that the customer can customize their phone. Yes the touchwiz is pretty cool, but that is not why I would buy the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with you that manufacturers should not be adding any UI "enhancements."
I feel that TouchWiz is really ugly (colors, icons) and Sense is just tacky (the curved "dock" at the bottom). We should be able to go to the Market to get any UI customization we need.
I am hoping Google will just ban integrated "enhancements" on Android 3.0.

I hate Sense, if I could have TouchFlo 3D on Android that would be good.
TouchWiz is shameless iPhone rip-off but I prefer it over stock and Sense.

I really like touchwiz.. It's straightforward, very consequent and the widgets look not grey/boring like sense on my Hero. Only thing what's missing, is exchange widget. Also i like the fact that touchwiz is not drifting too far from stock android.
I must say that i'm not constantly comparing it to the iPhone and have an unbiased view of the shell.. And in that view: I like it!!

us1111 said:
I really like touchwiz.. It's straightforward, very consequent and the widgets look not grey/boring like sense on my Hero. Only thing what's missing, is exchange widget. Also i like the fact that touchwiz is not drifting too far from stock android.
I must say that i'm not constantly comparing it to the iPhone and have an unbiased view of the shell.. And in that view: I like it!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is a nice UI enhancement, but it like trying to put a Ferrari body on a truck frame. Just does not work very well enough.

I have seen the video demo of Wiz3 earlier and I still have to say.. the UI is gay.
because of 2 main reasons:
1. no vertical scrolling of apps
2. no cool gadgets on home screen
if samsung ever fixes this, then the UI would be the best one out there.

emclondon said:
I have seen the video demo of Wiz3 earlier and I still have to say.. the UI is gay.
because of 2 main reasons:
1. no vertical scrolling of apps
2. no cool gadgets on home screen
if samsung ever fixes this, then the UI would be the best one out there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol, I hate vertical scrolling. Love the way it's done in Samsung.

err.. well, its matter of user preference. I say samsung must include settings for UI where one can change the orientation to cater users with different preferences.
I personally "hate" the list view. been seeing list view ever since i was a kid, why do i need it in a smart phone?

i like some of its features but dont like that if set up a certain way it mimics ios. overall win though, just needs some optimization.

emclondon said:
1. no vertical scrolling of
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wrong
In the app drawer, press menu and select list view

though I can understand somewhat the similarity between touchwiz UI and IPhone UI, the similarity are so minor and stopped at the side scrolling applications.
If something works then it works, no point in avoiding it for the sake of being original. You could as well call iphone for copying palm device for the shape of their phone and windows mobile for the dail pad.

CM6/AOSP has really helped me appreciate Sense!

I loaded CM6 when the nightly was first posted and had been loving it. I thought it was awesome that it was pure Android with all of the proprietary HTC stuff stripped out. I was sure that AOSP was the way to go and hadn't looked back until yesterday when I loaded AvaFroyo-V3. Not using Sense for a while has really made me appreciate the aesthetics and usability that HTC has put into their devices. I can see why they keep it so locked down because it really does make their devices stand out amongst the other Android hardware, especially to the majority of their users who could care less about rooting, open-source, etc. Who knows what I'll be running next week but I'm going to stick with Sense for now.

Really? It makes me realize how bloated and completely unnessecary Sense is, but that's just me... Personally, I don't have any problem with taking the time to download my own widgets and apps so I can customize everything exactly how I want it.

Sense is a bloated pig but to each his own.
Almost every sense widget has an equal replacement in the market if you know where to look. Launcherpro plus, fancy widget and others come to mind.

Aridon said:
Sense is a bloated pig but to each his own.
Almost every sense widget has an equal replacement in the market if you know where to look. Launcherpro plus, fancy widget and others come to mind.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Only one I couldn't seem to find was a replacement for the favorite contacts slider. Which also happens to be the one I use the most.

cosine83 said:
Only one I couldn't seem to find was a replacement for the favorite contacts slider. Which also happens to be the one I use the most.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://www.launcherpro.com/?p=130

cosine83 said:
Only one I couldn't seem to find was a replacement for the favorite contacts slider. Which also happens to be the one I use the most.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LauncherPro Plus has the contacts widget.

PFx00 said:
I loaded CM6 when the nightly was first posted and had been loving it. I thought it was awesome that it was pure Android with all of the proprietary HTC stuff stripped out. I was sure that AOSP was the way to go and hadn't looked back until yesterday when I loaded AvaFroyo-V3. Not using Sense for a while has really made me appreciate the aesthetics and usability that HTC has put into their devices. I can see why they keep it so locked down because it really does make their devices stand out amongst the other Android hardware, especially to the majority of their users who could care less about rooting, open-source, etc. Who knows what I'll be running next week but I'm going to stick with Sense for now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What is it that you like about Sense?
I think most people like Sense cause it looks good out of the box, the iPhone type users like Sense a lot. Those of us that like customizing our phones usually hate Sense, because it's bloated and HTC disallows uninstalling programs until rooted.

A week or so ago there was a 'scrollable contact widget' in the market that worked great. It was free too. Maybe HTC C&D'd them too.

Yea it was called mecontacts I have it but it is no longer on the market, at least not for me

firemedic1343 said:
What is it that you like about Sense?
I think most people like Sense cause it looks good out of the box, the iPhone type users like Sense a lot. Those of us that like customizing our phones usually hate Sense, because it's bloated and HTC disallows uninstalling programs until rooted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I love sense and customizing my phone. And i am not a Iphone type user.. You shouldnt really categorize people. it just boils down to the old saying "to each their own"

CM6 + Launcher Pro blows sense out of the water...
No bloat + more options
It takes some time to set up, but once you figure out what you are doing Sense will be a thing of the past.
CM6 + Launcher Pro FTW!

firemedic1343 said:
What is it that you like about Sense?
I think most people like Sense cause it looks good out of the box, the iPhone type users like Sense a lot. Those of us that like customizing our phones usually hate Sense, because it's bloated and HTC disallows uninstalling programs until rooted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm all for customizing but I like for my phone to have a consistent look and feel between all of the widgets too. Like I said, it took not using sense for a while to appreciate this.
xero187 said:
CM6 + Launcher Pro blows sense out of the water...
No bloat + more options
It takes some time to set up, but once you figure out what you are doing Sense will be a thing of the past.
CM6 + Launcher Pro FTW!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No doubt that there are more options and, with some effort, you can get close to the same experience. I thought CM6 and Launcher Pro was the way to go until yesterday. Now I'm torn.

xero187 said:
CM6 + Launcher Pro blows sense out of the water...
No bloat + more options
It takes some time to set up, but once you figure out what you are doing Sense will be a thing of the past.
CM6 + Launcher Pro FTW!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's getting really, really, really hard for me to pick between froyo+sense and cm6+launcher pro plus (which I recommend every true lover of launcher to get; support your devs!!!).
Pros for sense: Widgets-Bar none, the implementation htc has with sense's widgets are just plain awesome, I mean friendstream, bookmarks, messaging, mail, everything is right there and accessible from the get-go.
Cons for sense: Slow as balls, no customization, gives me some weird purplish tint on my nova,slow, has those stupid sprint apps, slow, aaaand did I mention slow?
Pros for launcher/adw/whatever's not sense: Customization is AWESOME, can do whatever I want, from changing the app drawer opening time to the color of my task bar (cm6), if I see it I can change it.
Fast as HELL- Pretty much gives you a brand new phone; really makes it feel worth the $350 I paid for it on launch.
Cons For launcher/adw/whatever: Customization- Some people really don't want the hassle of having to set up EVERYTHING to their liking, sense really simplifies the overall experience.
Widgets-While there are competitors out there, I've yet to find widgets that truly replace some of the htc widget's for me. And I can use my yahoo mail account with sense so that's definitely a factor to me lol
At the end of the day, it really is up to personal taste. After all, this is android and android DOES everything you want it to. What's great is we're given so many awesome choices; and even when finding flaws in both their still better than anything else you can find on the market. To me, the real winner is the evo+the supporters that have made this phone what it is today-awesome.
p.s-I hope this thread doesn't turn into a pissing ground against sense or people who choose something different than what you have; it's called an opinion and everybody's is different, grow up if you can't understand that.

To be more specific about what I like ... and remember this is personal preference with zero effort to setup:
Clock - Sure clock widgets are a dime a dozen but I've become accustomed to the Sense's clock and weather. You can use beautiful/fancy but neither have the full screen weather animation (which serves no purpose but I think its pretty cool).
Copy and Paste - I love that copy and paste functionality is built in across all applications. I use this most in the web browser. I'm not a fan of the select text feature.
Keyboard - I like the haptic feedback when I type, I also like having the arrow keys (both took a while to grow on me). Plus, the keys seem a little bigger so its easier for me to type on. I was using various keyboard mods but they stopped working on CM6
Touch to focus camera I never really knew how much I missed this until now. Such a handy feature. Hopefully they'll get this working when a new kernel source is released.
Facebook Contact Integration Sure you can load a hacked .apk but I also think HTC's integration is a little better than stock. Especially how they pull other peoples' pictures into the gallery.
Dialer- Was using Dialer One, but still like the look and feel of HTC's better. Also, the contact pictures that are synced from Facebook are much higher quality.
Calendar Widget- I never really found a good free replacement for the HTC Calendar Widget. Several people have recommended a paid calendar grid app.
4G Toggle Widget- Never really looked for an alternative but missed it when it was gone.
Radio- I never used this but thought I'd throw it in the list.
HTC Sync- This is the only option to get my work calendar on my phone because Google sync doesn't work with Office 2010 and Windows 7. There are 3rd party applications but I don't want to load them on the secured network at work.
Other Misc Widgets These are kind of useless to me but still nice to have options that are skinned to match perfectly - Music, Friend Stream, Day in History, News, Weather, Etc.
Don't get me wrong. CM has an awesome ROM that I'm sure I'll go back to at some point but I'm lovin' me some Sense right now.

edtate said:
It's getting really, really, really hard for me to pick between froyo+sense and cm6+launcher pro plus (which I recommend every true lover of launcher to get; support your devs!!!).
Pros for sense: Widgets-Bar none, the implementation htc has with sense's widgets are just plain awesome, I mean friendstream, bookmarks, messaging, mail, everything is right there and accessible from the get-go.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While I liked Sense when I first got the Evo (new to Android) I think your pros pointed out exactly why I sought out and found LauncherPro so quickly. I don't use any of the Sense widgets! the first thing I did was remove friendstream, book marks, messaging and mail widgets.
In any case, Sense UI is a good UI for people who take advantage of all the widgets but others may see it as 'bloated' if they don't. I like paring down my screen real estate and LauncherPro allows me to do that easily. But it does take up time and effort to set things up just so.

kong97 said:
Yea it was called mecontacts I have it but it is no longer on the market, at least not for me
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is still there. I just did a search for it.

Both have thier pros and cons. I personally love sense. The only things I wish it had is the normal bluetooth stack so that I could run wiimote and then I wish sense would go into landscape. And also I like the 3D app drawer.

Does Launcher Pro allow you to sync your contacts Facebook info (pics, statuses, birthday, etc) like in Sense? That is invaluable for me.

akarol said:
Does Launcher Pro allow you to sync your contacts Facebook info (pics, statuses, birthday, etc) like in Sense? That is invaluable for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That has nothing to do with LauncherPro. You do that with the Facebook app.

akarol said:
Does Launcher Pro allow you to sync your contacts Facebook info (pics, statuses, birthday, etc) like in Sense? That is invaluable for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Facebook will link some of that information to your contacts by default but that function is broke in 2.2 right now. There is a hack that you can run in the shell to fix it or search for the hacked .apk on these forums.

Motoblur, is it any good?

Anyone with both Motoblur experience care to give their opinions, maybe a pro / con thing. It's the only aspect that has me a bit concerned as I am loving Sense right now.

I'm interested in this as well. TouchWiz was criticized by many people before I got my Captivate, but it turned out not to be that bad.

opensourcefan said:
Anyone with both Motoblur experience care to give their opinions, maybe a pro / con thing. It's the only aspect that has me a bit concerned as I am loving Sense right now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have limited experience with Motoblur on the Dext but it's pretty good. Not as pretty as SenseUI on your Desire Z but I'm sure the new version on the Atrix will be improved.

I actually find Sense to be the worst. I'd prefer Motorola realize that nobody actually likes Motoblur, but they seem quite adamant to keeping it. It looks like Motoblur on the Atrix and the Bionic will look significantly different from either variation of Motoblur we've seen on phones so far.

I've not used Motoblur either but from what I have read and seen(in video) about it was that its really slow
but the Atrix running with the 1Gb of RAM and Dual-Core processor and from what I've seen on the videos it looks pretty fast.
Also what people don't like is the "crapware" you will get on it that you won't be able to remove and some other UI tweaks that may or may not be of use for your needs that you may or may not find annoying.

It looks like MotoBlur, especially the more recent versions, is much less obtrusive that most other custom UIs. They don't muck about too much with the core apps, and most of the UI is actually just a bunch of widgets that can be turned off if you want. If the launcher really bothers you, you can always replace it with one of the many available options in the Market.
I absolutely HATED Sense when I had it because of the cartoonish UI and how much the core apps get changed (for the worse). But MotoBlur seems to be much more manageable.

stoli412 said:
It looks like MotoBlur, especially the more recent versions, is much less obtrusive that most other custom UIs. They don't muck about too much with the core apps, and most of the UI is actually just a bunch of widgets that can be turned off if you want. If the launcher really bothers you, you can always replace it with one of the many available options in the Market.
I absolutely HATED Sense when I had it because of the cartoonish UI and how much the core apps get changed (for the worse). But MotoBlur seems to be much more manageable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's always been my impression as well. If Blur can be turned off (by using a different launcher, and they don't mess with core apps), then who the hell cares? Sense is immersed. It's just over looked because HTC phones are pretty easy to flash.

I have used the Moto Blur interface on a few different devices now. I can say that it is not horrible in terms of functionality. But it looks ugly and unfinished, and due to lack of polish looks like something that belongs on a child's phone.
That being said, it's nothing that a different launcher cannot fix. Motorola didn't really mess with the app interfaces too much, save for contacts and the phone dialer, it's mostly the home screen and launch bar they changed. I always used launcher pro and this took away the "ugliness".
I also like some of the moto blur features such as the phone locator (cannot remember exactly what they call it atm.)
If they have not polished how moto blur looks on the atrix, I will be using a different launcher for sure.

I have a Captivate and my boss has a DroidX. Whenever I have to use his phone to help him out, I really dont like Blur.
But i'm not an everyday user of it, so maybe its something that you can get used to, or just load launcher pro.

I like Sense and thank goodness because it is full integrated. If Blur is deeply integrated I sure hope it's good. Motorola's website doesn't really go deep enough but I guess right now it's all speculation.

i have yet to use a moto phone with it .. only messed with a few friends phones .. didnt care for it to much ... once the phone is released tho because of the specs i am seriously considering getting it ... if you can replace it with a different, then i will do just that.

I used the bravo found motor blur to be interesting and liked it.

MotoBlur in the past has been horrible because the hardware couldn't support all the shiny graphics. With the atrix, it flies, and is pretty cool. I'll probably still use launcher pro (which i suggest to anyone that doesn't like the skinned themes), mostly to just use as little ram as possible. MotoBlur is great if your a social network fiend, or really have to stay connected all the time.

link12245 said:
MotoBlur in the past has been horrible because the hardware couldn't support all the shiny graphics. With the atrix, it flies, and is pretty cool. I'll probably still use launcher pro (which i suggest to anyone that doesn't like the skinned themes), mostly to just use as little ram as possible. MotoBlur is great if your a social network fiend, or really have to stay connected all the time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What I love about Motoblur is that you don't have to have all those widgets if you don't want to, and you don't have to add all your social network accounts if you don't want to. Everything is optional more or less. And beyond those optional add-ons, they do relatively little tweaking to the underlying OS. This is in contrast to Sense which is there whether you want it or not, and makes major changes to the UI and functionality.
I'll probably end up using Launcher Pro as well. However you can still use the Motoblur widgets on LP if you want, which is a nice advantage. There are still some issues with resizing Motoblur widgets in LP, but hopefully the developer will get those taken care of soon.

The only complaint about Blur that I've heard is that it is a resource hog. It gives you push notifications for all your social networking needs. I think the Atrix is where we'll see Blur not be a hindrance. Plus, if you don't like it, wait for a vanilla Rom and flash it. The Atrix is going to be a winner either way!

Am I the only one who enjoys motoblur?

I see all the hate on this forum about motoblur and how crappy it is. I seem to be the only one who likes it.
I've used TouchWiz, Sense, Stock and MotoBlur, and Moto is probably my favorite! Sense comes in second, Touchwiz can go die.
Why all the hate on Blur?

Ya not a fan of motoblur at all when I get this phone I'm going to be running launcher pro plus on this for sure might give blur five minutes of my time but that's it....

yes u are the only one

I like Blur better than sense and definitely touchwiz, but I think most people prefer the speed that the "vanilla" experience android delivers.

I have not owned a Motorola phone since the Verizon Moto Q, so I cannot say Blur is terrible or good, but from the looks of it the only thing I dislike is the blue and green call/contacts button. If I end up hating it I will just load up Launcher Pro or hopefully I will see some custom roms with stock at some point in the future.

I don't like blur but I can live with it. I find it better than HTC sense and the like but at least give us an option to turn it off like seriously Motorola.

PixoNova said:
I see all the hate on this forum about motoblur and how crappy it is. I seem to be the only one who likes it.
I've used TouchWiz, Sense, Stock and MotoBlur, and Moto is probably my favorite! Sense comes in second, Touchwiz can go die.
Why all the hate on Blur?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's how I feel as well, although I do prefer "vanilla" over all...

I can see why some people might prefer the vanilla/stock android experience. But I always hear how Blur can be laggy on phones and such. I haven't experienced any lag (Moto FlipSide)
I do kind-of like Sense. Only if it's on a nice sized screen, unlike the Aria. But I most likely will be keeping Blur, as I like all the widgets available.

YES!!!!
Sent from my DROIDX using XDA App

I have tried droid x. Blur sucks. Even with the latest update the system was laggy. However it will work great sometimes but had sudden lags in launching browser. Sometimes it would hang and take a few seconds to go back to home screen. I returned it and will be getting thunderbolt when it comes out. I went back to att for 2-3 weeks until thunderbolt comes out. i will be porting my number back if I decide to get thunderbolt. I like htc sense specially the newest version that is in the inspire 4g and will be on the thunderbolt as well. It is snappy as hell. It might have to do with the second gen snapdragon processor.

I haven't used it yet, but the only thing I can see hating about it is the contact button (along with only having a three icon dock, but I could deal with that). Why the hell does there need to be a contact button? If you open the phone app you can go to your contacts right from there. I'd much rather see messaging or the browser. Some kind of central messaging app that pulled in all of one's SMS, emails, facebook, twitter, etc would be cool, I suppose. Better than contacts, at least.

That's a damn good idea a centralized notification button... But I guess it would have a big similarity to the notification bar tho. Still think that's a good idea tho
Sent from my SGH-I897 using XDA App

At first I was OK with blur but once you try out other options like Launcher Pro or ADW you might change your mind. Granted, Blur does have decent widgets to supplement it but it left me wanting more.
Now I'm using Launcher Pro + Beautiful Widgets and am loving it.

johnnydeathmatch said:
I haven't used it yet, but the only thing I can see hating about it is the contact button (along with only having a three icon dock, but I could deal with that). Why the hell does there need to be a contact button? If you open the phone app you can go to your contacts right from there. I'd much rather see messaging or the browser. Some kind of central messaging app that pulled in all of one's SMS, emails, facebook, twitter, etc would be cool, I suppose. Better than contacts, at least.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Blur contacts works differently than standard android contacts, as it integrates with the social networking. I'd give more detail, but I haven't touched my backflip in a month and haven't had it on a stock ROM since ~november so I don't remember all the specifics. (Used a "deblurred" ROM someone at M3 cooked up till I got a free Aria)
The messaging app does provide a universal inbox. the one one my backflip would pull everything but my gmail into it, and I'm sure I could have set it up so that it pulled that too.

PixoNova said:
...Moto is probably my favorite! Sense comes in second, Touchwiz can go die.
Why all the hate on Blur?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thunderpack said:
I like Blur better than sense and definitely touchwiz...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay please state why you like Blur better. I've never used it but am trying to keep an open mind. I just love Sense and as of now am not sure I can function without it so lets hear it. Obviously it's a personal thing but is there anything in particular...?

lol
yes you are

looks so simple and ****ty

opensourcefan said:
Okay please state why you like Blur better. I've never used it but am trying to keep an open mind. I just love Sense and as of now am not sure I can function without it so lets hear it. Obviously it's a personal thing but is there anything in particular...?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pretty much the style. I don't hate Sense, like I said, it comes second IMO. Overall, through general usage, that's how I determine if I like it or not.

As far as moto blur is concerned, IMO it works just fine as a launcher.
So here are the Pros and Cons as I see them
Pro
Simple Layout
Decent Widgets
Unified inbox
Motoblur.com (find my phone, contacts back and edit, remote wipe etc...)
Cons
Does not have a polished look or feel like stock or Sense
I feel like it was an interface designed for teens
Cannot customize the shortcuts on the launch bar
Only 3 shortcuts on the launch bar
Occasional lag when launching apps (this could be that I have only used blur on low-end to mid-level android phones)
No option to bypass motoblur account setup
Overall, it comes down to personal preference and how you feel about it. You won't know until you try it. So far, I have used launcher pro on every android phone I have ever owned, but I always started with the out of box experience before I made the switch each time. I like that LP is customizable, and fast, and you can make just about any device look similar to stock/vanilla android id you want. The only problem with LP is that when I tried it on the Inspire 4G it disabled all of the kick butt HTC widgets, but there are alternatives such as Beautiful Widgets.
My nervousness falls around the screen resolution. I tried Laucnher Pro on my galaxy tab. and it didn't look right with that screen resolution. The resolution on the tab is high enough to have 5 shortcuts on the home screen side by side, and LP only has 4 so things looked oddly proportioned and stretched...

Blur itself has some good features - namely remote wipe and the news widgets that you can set to sync over wifi only - if you want.
If you are really into account integration you get to mix them all into one interface...
twitter, myspace, facebook, photobucket, linkedin, picasa, etc.
I prefer to just use the apps for these products and not do the MotoBlur integration - and you can do this - just don't set them up in MotoBlur. If you don't use Motoblur widgets, then you never really see MotoBlur. Change the launcher to ADW and you are done.
Compared to the captivate and Touchwiz, Motoblur is a lot less intrusive. Calendar, Contacts and Email work the way they are supposed - and are easy to use. I bought my captivate for specs, but the software mods on calendar and email suck.
The only MotoBlur thing you can't turn off is the sync of contacts and settings that are done on the phone. So if you create a new contact on the phone it is also created on the Blur server as backup - you can't turn this off.
On the good side, if you wipe your phone and you have to set it up from scratch, using the same blur account, it recreates most of your settings and widgets and email accounts.
As for Lag - people complain about it, but I have had Droid X and Bravo and they run fine. But, again, i only use the news widget and no social network accounts.

4 daya with the gs2 after wp7

Well, of all the android devices, I had to use Samsung. They seem to be the only ones who even attempt to make the android software user-friendly. For my little experiment, I went a full 4 days without using WP7. A full four days using only android. Overall, I enjoyed the games. Dungeon Defenders is a great game that I've poured time into, but the battery life of that thing makes it impossible to play for any fair period of time. I even picked up the Mugen battery with double the capacity, it still had horrid battery life. The hotmail simply doesn't work, regardless of settings the built-in mail just doesn't work. You have to install third party apps to check your email, it's sad. The UI leaves a lot to be desired, it takes a lot of rearranging and way too much management for my taste. I tried other launchers, themes, and folders, it just seemed really haphazardly tossed together. Even as a, "Facebook machine" as most use it, it just doesn't seem to work well. The hardware is great and it would be great if well implemented, but everything short of the gaming I could do on wp7 quicker, smoother, and hassle-free. If customization is your bit, android all the way. It won't be pulling me away from WP7 as I want something that really works and does t cause more headaches than it resolves. Anything you guys would recommend to make an android experience more... User-friendly?

Cool story bro

z33dev33l said:
Well, of all the android devices, I had to use Samsung. They seem to be the only ones who even attempt to make the android software user-friendly. For my little experiment, I went a full 4 days without using WP7. A full four days using only android. Overall, I enjoyed the games. Dungeon Defenders is a great game that I've poured time into, but the battery life of that thing makes it impossible to play for any fair period of time. I even picked up the Mugen battery with double the capacity, it still had horrid battery life. The hotmail simply doesn't work, regardless of settings the built-in mail just doesn't work. You have to install third party apps to check your email, it's sad. The UI leaves a lot to be desired, it takes a lot of rearranging and way too much management for my taste. I tried other launchers, themes, and folders, it just seemed really haphazardly tossed together. Even as a, "Facebook machine" as most use it, it just doesn't seem to work well. The hardware is great and it would be great if well implemented, but everything short of the gaming I could do on wp7 quicker, smoother, and hassle-free. If customization is your bit, android all the way. It won't be pulling me away from WP7 as I want something that really works and does t cause more headaches than it resolves. Anything you guys would recommend to make an android experience more... User-friendly?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
rooting and flashing an AOSP ROM?
I personally hate TW like hell especially on ICS.....its makes everything look crap.
As for facebook, the official app is always slow IMO. I recommend using Friendcaster.
And for hotmail, there is an official hotmail app from MS i believe.
edit: I personally just auto forward my hotmail to my gmail so therefore no need for third party email apps

I wouldn't use gmail if it was the only email service there was, can't stand it. See, I, disagree though. I got the phone used and it had aosp on it and I went back to stock because I hated it. touchwiz is the only considerable hone replacement I've stumbled upon. I'll check out friend caster though. I want to like this phone, but it feels like someone wrapped a ton of capability in something...

Android is good, unless 2 problems: short battery - high degree

OP: I totally agree with you. Its something iOS and WP7 beat Android in.
Sent from my R800x using XDA

Never got on with TW/ASOP which was one of the reasons I stuck with HTC and got the Sensation, the built in Apps seem more polished, take the email client and Polaris office on the phone, if someone sends me a .xlsm file, I can open it, something IOS and other Android devices I've tried cannot do. The Blackberry playbook can, but that's poo.
Do people still use Hotmail as a daily address rather than just a spamtrap? I haven't logged into mine for about 4 years now, I only have a live acount these days for accessing MS services like their licences page.

Hate gmail but use Android? Makes absolutely no sense.
Thats like me using a Windows Phone and hating Bing.
keep on trying to promote WP7, you may actually stop the losing market share.
Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk 2

Im confused...you had an SGSII, got rid of it months ago and then bought another one to "try out"? That doesn't make much sense at all...

U sir don't know what android is about.When u start messing with rooms and customization u will know.Give it some time.And flash aokp or cm9 loads of features
Sent from my SGS2 powered by cm9 love

I REALLY don't get you. Android is common sence. Download a easy launcher if you don't know what your doing. Android was never intended for people without common sence if you read they're story.
Also, you saw samsung has the most user friendly interface however all android phones have the same basic stock ui. The layout is the same just different styles.
Remember you have widgets

Sent from my SPH-D710 using XDA

Had a gs2, didn't like, heard ICS fixed all that I've hated, gave it a shot as I'm an equal opportune type when it comes to an OS,.still the same issues. The OS just isn't very intuitive.
Anyone got a ROM that will give me more than my hour and a half battery life? Something with Swype as the stock keyboard won't keep up.
Matty, don't mock someone common sense until you can distinguish the difference between, "your" and "you're" or, "there," "their" and, "they're."

z33dev33l said:
Had a gs2, didn't like, heard ICS fixed all that I've hated, gave it a shot as I'm an equal opportune type when it comes to an OS,.still the same issues. The OS just isn't very intuitive.
Anyone got a ROM that will give me more than my hour and a half battery life? Something with Swype as the stock keyboard won't keep up.
Matty, don't mock someone common sense until you can distinguish the difference between, "your" and "you're" or, "there," "their" and, "they're."
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
use AOSP not that bloat filled ugly thing called TW ontop of ICS
Just sign up for Swype beta and you can get swype on any device

Last I signed up for Swype beta, there was a waiting list. AOSP isn't really appealing to me. It's pretty unpleasing aesthetically.

No more waiting on swype beta. Just sign up.
Or you can use WP7 keyboard.
Hour and a half battery life is a over exaggerated, dont you think?
Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk 2

z33dev33l said:
Last I signed up for Swype beta, there was a waiting list. AOSP isn't really appealing to me. It's pretty unpleasing aesthetically.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
each to their own.
If you dislike android so much; go back to WP7

Won't is my main OS, I use it as my daily driver.
I tried the imitation wp7 keyboard, it's still a bit slow. I'll sign up for Swype beta and look for more battery friendly roms. I wish I was exaggerating, my phone dies faster than it charges while plaiting dungeon defenders.

How can you use something as gimmicky and non-user friendly as WP7 and say Android is not intuitive? Basically WP7 is similar to the beta Windows 8and can be considered a step backwards for MS going by the new UI so I wouldn't exactly call WP7 intuitive and user-friendly/

AndIKnow said:
How can you use something as gimmicky and non-user friendly as WP7 and say Android is not intuitive? Basically WP7 is similar to the beta Windows 8and can be considered a step backwards for MS going by the new UI so I wouldn't exactly call WP7 intuitive and user-friendly/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Clearly an assumption without foundation.