disappointed with stock UI; any other options? - Galaxy Tab 10.1 General

I just bought a new Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (10.1) and I'm really disappointed with the ICS UI. It just seems totally cluttered and awkward. I'm right-handed so I have to reach across the screen to press BACK. I keep accidentally hitting the ScreenCap button (which is kinda hilarious because I don't always realize it happened until my attempts to 'click' on the screenshot result in black drawing/tracings). I'm also disappointed that so many Android apps are tablet-unaware but that's not Samsung's fault.
Anyways, what other choices do I have? (Don't say ipad; [email protected]!# Apple) I'm comfortable with rooting but have no idea what's available on the Tab 2. Jelly Bean is supposed to come out next week so I'll probably wait for that, but I'm not hopeful that the UI will change much.
- Can I edit the default UI? First and foremost I want to get rid of that unwanted ScreenCap button, but I couldn't find anything in the Settings to let me remove it.
- Can I install an alternate theme or launcher?
- finally, are there any ROMs for the Tab 2 and do they have a different UI than stock? (Do I even need a ROM specific to the Tab 2 or can I use ROMs for the original Tab 10.1 ? )
Thank you for any suggestions!

bsmith1051 said:
I just bought a new Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (10.1) and I'm really disappointed with the ICS UI. It just seems totally cluttered and awkward. I'm right-handed so I have to reach across the screen to press BACK. I keep accidentally hitting the ScreenCap button (which is kinda hilarious because I don't always realize it happened until my attempts to 'click' on the screenshot result in black drawing/tracings). I'm also disappointed that so many Android apps are tablet-unaware but that's not Samsung's fault.
Anyways, what other choices do I have? (Don't say ipad; [email protected]!# Apple) I'm comfortable with rooting but have no idea what's available on the Tab 2. Jelly Bean is supposed to come out next week so I'll probably wait for that, but I'm not hopeful that the UI will change much.
- Can I edit the default UI? First and foremost I want to get rid of that unwanted ScreenCap button, but I couldn't find anything in the Settings to let me remove it.
- Can I install an alternate theme or launcher?
- finally, are there any ROMs for the Tab 2 and do they have a different UI than stock? (Do I even need a ROM specific to the Tab 2 or can I use ROMs for the original Tab 10.1 ? )
Thank you for any suggestions!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How do you mean "cluttered"? If you're talking about the homescreens just delete the items you don't want...
Basically all the tabs have the same screen layouts and app drawers so they are all as awkward as each other but at least with android you can place your app shortcuts and widgets wherever you like on the screen....
Your next point "I'm right handed".... if you only have one hand then I'm sorry to hear of your disability and sorry to say that there is no way of of changing the layout of the control buttons short of a complete re-write of the system which nobody would be inclined to do... and I appreciate that it could be difficult for you to reach across the screen If you have two hands then it should be easy enough to use your brain to tell your left thumb to press the return button
Screen capture button cannot be removed but if you're happy rooting then install titanium backup and freeze the app, that way when you touch the button nothing will happen...
You can install alternate themes and launchers if rooted by installing roms from the dev section and depending on what they are based that might remove the screen cap...
The tab2 forum is here http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=1596 and there are roms there I believe. I think there was some chat a while back with people mixing and matching roms from original tab and tab2 but I cannot swear to that..
Have fun and hope you get what you want from your tab2
Sent from my GT-P7510 using xda premium

Settings -> Display -> Fast start
(don't know if this is the right translation because i have it in portuguese)
You can reprogram screenshot button (disable it or even assign an app)

jpl69 said:
Settings -> Display -> Fast start
(don't know if this is the right translation because i have it in portuguese)
You can reprogram screenshot button (disable it or even assign an app)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice one! Didn't know that was there fast start = quick launch in English menu
Sent from my GT-P7510 using xda premium

Chameleon Launcher: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/02/chameleon-android-launcher-beta/

bsmith1051 said:
I just bought a new Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (10.1) and I'm really disappointed with the ICS UI. It just seems totally cluttered and awkward. I'm right-handed so I have to reach across the screen to press BACK. I keep accidentally hitting the ScreenCap button (which is kinda hilarious because I don't always realize it happened until my attempts to 'click' on the screenshot result in black drawing/tracings). I'm also disappointed that so many Android apps are tablet-unaware but that's not Samsung's fault.
Anyways, what other choices do I have? (Don't say ipad; [email protected]!# Apple) I'm comfortable with rooting but have no idea what's available on the Tab 2. Jelly Bean is supposed to come out next week so I'll probably wait for that, but I'm not hopeful that the UI will change much.
- Can I edit the default UI? First and foremost I want to get rid of that unwanted ScreenCap button, but I couldn't find anything in the Settings to let me remove it.
- Can I install an alternate theme or launcher?
- finally, are there any ROMs for the Tab 2 and do they have a different UI than stock? (Do I even need a ROM specific to the Tab 2 or can I use ROMs for the original Tab 10.1 ? )
Thank you for any suggestions!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Apex launcher. I think is the best for ics. Or Nova launcher according to others. Make your choice. That said, the stock touchwiz is a major upgrade from HC imo.
Sent from my amazing 10.1 galaxy tab

Thank you for all the replies. (I'm ignoring the insulting one.) I will look into the Fast Start settings. I had thought that was the pop-up shortcuts when you swipe from the bottom>up.

I think you can use apex or nova launcher:good: it's he best homescreen replacer for ics

bsmith1051 said:
Can I edit the default UI? First and foremost I want to get rid of that unwanted ScreenCap button, but I couldn't find anything in the Settings to let me remove it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Settings -> Display -> Quick launch.... ?

bsmith1051 said:
I will look into the Fast Start settings. I had thought that was the pop-up shortcuts when you swipe from the bottom>up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are settings for that too...
TouchWiz is, IMO, the best stock tablet UI today.

-Mod- said:
Settings -> Display -> Quick launch.... ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes thats the settings to reprogram the screen capture button to any other action.

Nova launcher
Try nova launcher, and it's free and a LOT smoother.
Things will change though when Jelly Bean arrives to your tab.

Try cm10....no touchwiz......really smooth

Try sslauncher. I used it on my S2, and now on my S3 and tab. You can add / remove any pages you want and edit absolutely everything. No widget sizes are pre-defined and you can put anything anywhere. They are what you want them to be. Takes a while to get used to but I can't use anything else.
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Sent from my GT-P7500 using xda premium

Related

ADW / Launcher Pro / Zeam - A Synopsis Of Each For The Masses

Below is a summary of each home replacement. I am adding this here to save space in the Tips & Tricks Thread.
TouchWiz brought a lot to the table. Frankly, it exceeded my expectations. That said, I prefer a more stock look. I also like options that developers have added into home replacement apps like Launcher Pro, ADW and Zume.
There are a number of threads debating which is better. I am NOT going to get into that. But, I thought a thread that pointed out the options/differences would help users select the home replacement that is best for them.
Below are my thoughts on the apps. I am NOT an expert on any of them. Please feel free to add stuff that I may have missed. Let’s refrain from debating or why you feel one is the best. To be frank, nobody cares.
LauncherPro:
LauncherPro is maintained by one developer and it’s not open. You can visit his site and pay for Launcher Pro Plus that will give additional features (please see hit site located here for more details on Plus, I am going to focus on the free version that you can get in the market). Full disclosure, I have Launcher Pro Plus. I really don’t need the extra bells and whistles it brings, but I wanted to support him and I would encourage you to do the same.
The developer has pointed out that he built this around a 2.1 base, and that is starting to limit what he can/wants to do (also making it a large app). That said, he will be starting from scratch in an attempt to make it lighter and faster with more options. Ironically, this app is plenty fast and there are options to adjust the speed of items.
I personally think that one of the main advantages is the scrollable dock. You can have up to 5 app icon shortcuts at the bottom. For every screen you have (I only use 3), you get another dock… so I have 15 spots at the bottom to add apps. It’s not limited to just app’s also. I have a shortcut to reboot my phone (Quick Boot app Activity) and a one touch button to call my wife… you get the idea.
Other Notable Features:
- Hide apps from your app drawer
- Choose the number of rows/columns on the home screen (not limited to 4x4) and your app drawer.
- Ability to resize widgets (perhaps only for Plus?)
- Count notifications for gmail/sms/missed calls on the dock icons
- Change the background of the docks and the icons
- Hide the notification bar (no finger swiping to open/close it though from the home screen - but you can set swipe gesture from the dock)
- Ability to switch to the 3d app drawer
- Make backups so you can easily restore your settings (widgets need to manually re-added)
Zeam:
I am new to Zeam so I do not know much about the developer or its progress. What I do know is that it’s a very light (approx 860kb vs LP which is just under 4MB), clean and a fast launcher. Some of the things I have noticed:
- Like LP there is the ability to run in full screen (no notification bar), but you can also set gesture swipes to hide/show the notification bar (unlike LP). There are many more options for the gesture swipes including (Open applications, go to default screen, previews, pull down the notification bar, and opening the dialer).
- You can choose the number of screens and set the default and hide icon labels (like LP and ADW)
- I mentioned swiping up/down could set default actions. You can also double tap the screen to perform an action. I use this to open my dialer for example.
- You can turn off the animation when opening the app drawer. This makes it show instantly, but you cannot adjust the animation speed.
- Like LP you can change the dock background, but you cannot make it a custom background like LP.
- The dock also allows you to scroll and setup as many icons as you want (no limit that I can tell), but adding them and moving them around is not very easy. It’s still very nice to have quick access to many apps and have them not taking up valuable home screen space. LP scrolls in blocks of 5… this dock you can just scroll left to right.
- There does not appear to be a way to save your settings like with LP for easy restoring.
ADW:
ADW unlike LP is open source. For that reason alone many people prefer it. Of all the launchers, this appears to have the most options. If you want to tweak colors, resize widgets, change the # of columns/rows and use gesture swipes - this is very inclusive. One thing ADW does not have is a scrollable dock station like LP/Zeam.
I feel like I am being slack for ADW, but to be fair it has so many options I really do not feel like typing them all up right now. It’s easily the most customizable, and thank God it has a feature where you can backup and restore like LP.
Another feature it has that others are missing is the ability to download themes from the market. With LP you can download docks and icons, or use apps like metamorph… but with ADW you have the ability to easily apply full themes. ADW has a large following so there is no shortage.
In closing, I strongly urge you to try them all. Perhaps you will fall in love with one… perhaps you will find features you cannot live without (that TW did not offer), and maybe you decide to support these developers! Please be respectful of others. I know there will be an idiot below posting why so and so is soooo much better, please just ignore them and don’t let my efforts of trying to help those not familiar get spoiled.
If you would like to try these, I would suggest an app called Home Switcher. This is the easiest way to switch launchers and set the default.
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"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Good job on the writeup s15274n. Hopefully someone else will post in here some of the features you might have accidentally missed. Pretty thorough though.
I have tried them all, with Zeam I would always have problems, so I decided to give up on it and I really haven't tried it any longer. ADW is a great launcher, enough said. And my favorite would be LP I love the 3D drawer, it makes my friends jealous and it always get attention, and one thing you missed about LP is that the full version also comes with Widgets that look like the ones from Sense UI, and also the developer is always improving this launcher, making it my favorite.
^ I didn't miss it, I specifically stated I was going to focus on the free version. I gave a link to his site for people wanting to learn more about LP Plus.
I just realized you can swipe LP docks to do actions... just not swipes on the home screen. I just learned something trying to write for the masses, nice.
used ADW for awhile, but eventually switching to LP full-time because i love the swiping dock and i keep the desktop super cleeeaaaannn with only a few widgets (smooth calendar, switchpro, tajm, weather forecast yr.no, and battstatt)
Nice thread, I use Launcher Pro.. I tried Zeam, but the dock seemed pretty small (Maybe it was just me)
i like ADW the most but it kept FC on me and it would be a struggle to get it back to touchwiz just to reset. Launcher Pro has been very stable for me tho.
I am sticking with the stock launcher for now, my phone seems super snappy compare to launcherpro. Btw, I tried out zeam, but when you delete icons on the launcher, I want it to stay centered ... can you do that?
s15274n said:
^ I didn't miss it, I specifically stated I was going to focus on the free version. I gave a link to his site for people wanting to learn more about LP Plus.
I just realized you can swipe LP docks to do actions... just not swipes on the home screen. I just learned something trying to write for the masses, nice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, this is why I use LP. The gesture support means there aren't 15 items in the dock, but 30. It lets you get rid of a ton of apps on your homescreen and have them handy at all times.
One little app you might want to check out is QuickDesk. It lets you have an entire alternate homescreen when you long press the search button (I think you can also set it up to launch on a doubletap of the homescreen). I put all my music apps and controls there, so I can access it from any screen.
I am using Zeam and really enjoy it..I have 7 icons in the bar, thus everything is nicely centered. I also noticed when I flashed Bionix 1.8 and used Titanium Backup to restore Zeam, it backed up everything! Home screens, icons, EVERYTHING was restored..that was really nice
Finding out that I can swype 5 apps docked, making it like 10 in one place is amazing!
I was using launcherpro plus, but JI6 made it run slow. TW launcher runs much faster after JI6 OTA update.
However, I plan on reinstalling launcherpro plus to see if that makes any difference because TW is actually really fast and smooth now on JI6.
Oh, and the new market app is awesome. The downloads section loads almost immediately now.
I've been using Go Launcher lately and been enjoying it, have you tried it out? I've only tried LP+ myself. Find Go to be a bit more responsive.
Time for a redo of the OP. ADW EX changes the game.
Yea cause i just got adw ex and its way better then plain one adw
Sent from my HTC HD2 using XDA App
I <3 Launcher Pro. It's very smooth and quick on Axura 2.2VE with Voodoo.
So smooth

Two things I miss about sense

I've been on cyanogen for a good 6 months now, but there are a few things I still haven't managed to find replacements for that sense did.
One of them was the mechanism you used to set timers and dates. I liked how you could just "roll" the timer/date down to get to your desired number in an egg timer looking graphic, rather than having to key it in on the keyboard, or manually keep tapping the plus/minus graphic, which feels so clunky in comparison.
Another is I liked the way the sense browser would automatically re-format text so that it would fit on your screen when you used pinch to zoom.
I don't suppose it's possible to regain these features in AOSP/CM?
EDIT: Here's what I'm referring to when I mention the time control:
Stock android way:
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"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Sense way:
I prefer the sense way because I can quickly flick my finger to move up say 15 minutes, instead of having to press the plus key 15 times.
Friendstream was another good one.
Rakeesh_j said:
I've been on cyanogen for a good 6 months now, but there are a few things I still haven't managed to find replacements for that sense did.
One of them was the mechanism you used to set timers and dates. I liked how you could just "roll" the timer/date down to get to your desired number in an egg timer looking graphic, rather than having to key it in on the keyboard, or manually keep tapping the plus/minus graphic, which feels so clunky in comparison.
Another is I liked the way the sense browser would automatically re-format text so that it would fit on your screen when you used pinch to zoom.
I don't suppose it's possible to regain these features in AOSP/CM?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The browser zoom format is in CM settings under interface.
munsterrr said:
Friendstream was another good one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Launcher Pro Plus has a friend stream, not free but LP is better than the Sense launcher anyway and is a must have for any Android user.
Rakeesh_j said:
Another is I liked the way the sense browser would automatically re-format text so that it would fit on your screen when you used pinch to zoom.
I don't suppose it's possible to regain these features in AOSP/CM?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Menu ... settings ... CM settings ... user interface ... reflow after pinch in ...
Award Tour said:
Launcher Pro Plus has a friend stream, not free but LP is better than the Sense launcher anyway and is a must have for any Android user.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LPP is better than Rosie, but you loose the sense desktop and widgets and the LPP People is NOT as good as the Sense/HTC People widget.
Award Tour said:
Launcher Pro Plus has a friend stream, not free but LP is better than the Sense launcher anyway and is a must have for any Android user.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've found that Launcher pro produce alot of lag once you fill screen with widget unlike sense laucher stay silky smooth. Try different tweak suposely to stop the adw and lp laucher lag but it's still there. Sense laucher is what I miss the most when going to CM or any AOSP rom.
HipKat said:
LPP is better than Rosie, but you loose the sense desktop and widgets and the LPP People is NOT as good as the Sense/HTC People widget.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Personally, I don't miss any of the sense widgets. I don't want anything on my homescreen but a clock. I like clockr. I use three screens.To the left is my calculator widget (used at work constantly), the center (home) just has my clock, to the right is my music widget (used in car daily). I like poweamp. I hide my status bar and don't use a launcher bar at all. I use the hidden dock bar (awd ex) to access gtalk, messages, app drawer, gmail, and browser. Swiping down opens notifications, up reveals the dock, tapping the clock opens the dialer. Add in the honeycomb themed lockscreen, and it doesn't get much cleaner. As you can see, widgets on my homescreen? Nein! Es ist verboten!
tejasrichard said:
Personally, I don't miss any of the sense widgets. I don't want anything on my homescreen but a clock. I like clockr. I use three screens.To the left is my calculator widget (used at work constantly), the center (home) just has my clock, to the right is my music widget (used in car daily). I like poweamp. I hide my status bar and don't use a launcher bar at all. I use the hidden dock bar (awd ex) to access gtalk, messages, app drawer, gmail, and browser. Swiping down opens notifications, up reveals the dock, tapping the clock opens the dialer. Add in the honeycomb themed lockscreen, and it doesn't get much cleaner. As you can see, widgets on my homescreen? Nein! Es ist verboten!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Words simplistic or primitive come to mind
Miss the sense camera...
Was on vacation for a week (spring break) but anyways I updated the OP for clarification to what I meant. Basically I'm looking for a way to have the wheel style time picker.
The graphics aren't terribly important, just the functionality is better in my opinion because it's easy to go up or down medium distances with just a flick of the finger rather than pressing plus or minus multiple times.
BTW thanks for the reflow tip
You know you can tap the number field and type the number you want on CM, right?
Maybe I'm just a simpleton (JK), but I'm perfectly happy with iOSness (except the notifications), so, for me, MIUI is the absolute perfect mix of both worlds!
Uchennadi said:
You know you can tap the number field and type the number you want on CM, right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, which is good for going long distances in time (say 60 minutes,) but slow for going small to medium distances (say 15 minutes.) But even for longer distances it still doesn't save much time (if any) compared to the wheel method.
Hrshycro said:
Maybe I'm just a simpleton (JK), but I'm perfectly happy with iOSness (except the notifications), so, for me, MIUI is the absolute perfect mix of both worlds!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried miui - not really my cup of tea.
When did you last try MIUI? Up until the latest update, the only problem I have with it is there is no 4g yet.
I installed King's GB rom today, and I think the biggest thing I miss from Sense was the dialer and pressing a couple buttons to pull up the contact I want.
Besides that, it was just nice having matching widgets. The launcher pro ones are nice, but I need a news widget that matches and the calendar doesn't include facebook birthdays, which was my main way of knowing when people's birthdays were (strangely in sense certain facebook birthdays wouldn't show up, but most would).
Rakeesh_j said:
Was on vacation for a week (spring break) but anyways I updated the OP for clarification to what I meant. Basically I'm looking for a way to have the wheel style time picker.
The graphics aren't terribly important, just the functionality is better in my opinion because it's easy to go up or down medium distances with just a flick of the finger rather than pressing plus or minus multiple times.
BTW thanks for the reflow tip
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Also, when that option is not set, you can just double tap the screen to wrap the text. I like this better because the page isn't constantly wrapping making me lose my place on the page.
I missed sense for a while at first. Now I have found better replacements for virtually everything that concerned me. I don't have to use the time/date set to often so my concerns differ from yours.
That said, I am definitely looking forward to trying out the new sense on the evo 3d. I love adw ex but I find it does lag when using to many widgets... I finally broke it down to 5 screens, not as many widgets, set vm heap to 24 and scrolling cache to low quality and it is smooth as butter.
nhutpham said:
I installed King's GB rom today, and I think the biggest thing I miss from Sense was the dialer and pressing a couple buttons to pull up the contact I want.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used to miss that too, but then someone mentioned Dialer One on another thread I'm not sure why this hasn't been integrated into Android w/o having to run a skin like Sense or an app like Dialer One
I don't miss anything, I actually hate Sense, well the one thing I do miss was the News widget. After all this time I still haven't heard of a scrolling RSS widget. I use LP+ and it's smooth for me.
By the way, is there a guide somewhere that actually explains what CM settings do? For example I would have never known what reflow to pinch was if I hadn't have read this thread. I have seen a wiki that supposedly explains it but it just relists what's in the menu itself which is worthless.
Also is there anywhere that explains what the different governors in SetCPU do? Some are self-explanatory, some aren't.

A pretty cool launcher idea, me thinks. Tower Launcher.

Here's the MyTouch 4G specific discussion.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=14613522#post14613522 <- (This should be deleted)
Alright, so I did this mock-up to explain:
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
This is my idea of a pretty neat launcher. Let me explain.
It's a giant launcher where everything is made up of "panels" which is essentially what a widget would be normally, except instead of small icons and widgets making up a grid, you would rather make up this entire tower of "panels" you can scroll through like so:
Once you reach the bottom (like so), you have the option of adding or entering edit mode in which you can change the placement of panels, configure panels, or add more. Also notice the stationary panels at the top and bottom. I figure the top would could be configurable to look however you like or replaced with another replacement panel made for staying at the top at all times. (i.e. you can't replace it with a Last.FM panel, you would have to go about finding a panel that is absolutely meant to be at the top.)
I figure this could also be a pretty accessible thing for everyone in terms of making new panels. Someone would release the base panel code, and then people can configure it to do some pretty neat things, I figure.
I dunno, this just seemed kind of cool in my opinion. I can think of all sorts of panels and stuff like that too - a Favorites/Folder panel, gallery panel, music panel... etc.
Also, I threw this mock-up together pretty fast. I figure the Facebook and Twitter panels would have more to it, heh.
So whatcha think?
EDIT: On a side note, what I was imagining isn't really widget status where you can interact with it so much - you click on it or the link or whatever corresponds with whatever (i.e. you click on a tweet) and it brings you to where you need in order to comment on it or like it through FB and what not.
EDIT2: I can't develop for Android. I dunno how. I just threw this idea out in the open for everyone.
Your launcher would require lots of scrolling, and apps that only need a single icon would always occupy an entire row.
If you can fit four or five panels in a thin row (such small pannels would resemble app icons) you may be on to something, but else you'll just repeat the flaws of WP7 with its oversized tiles. Bigger is not always better.
rogier666 said:
Your launcher would require lots of scrolling, and apps that only need a single icon would always occupy an entire row.
If you can fit four or five panels in a thin row (such small pannels would resemble app icons) you may be on to something, but else you'll just repeat the flaws of WP7 with its oversized tiles. Bigger is not always better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not necessarily. With what I was thinking you could make folder panels which contain a bunch of apps. You click the folder, then you select the app.
Here's some ideas for panels I pulled out of my brain:
Hmm. Where would the app drawer go? It's a nice idea for a launcher though, I like it
In the first post, there's a panel that says, "Running Apps," and if you slide to the left it would open the app drawer.
wauterboi said:
Not necessarily. With what I was thinking you could make folder panels which contain a bunch of apps. You click the folder, then you select the app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why click twice if one click could do the job?
There's also a "Favorites" panel where you slide left or right and pick the icon. *shrugs* If you don't like it, you don't like it though.
Well, this surely is the most original and most interesting idea for a Android launcher But I must admit it really is clumsy...but...if you figure out a good and easy way to put those panels together and to navigate through them...What if you can move through more screens and on every one of these screens you would be able to built a different tower ? Ex. screen 1 - social tower (twitter, Facebook, ICQ,...) , screen 2 - media tower (camera, music player,..) etc. , also it would be very impractical to make calls if you put dialer in one of the towers so what about a roll UP menu...when you slide down you could see phone stats, maybe some controls, when you slide up (or put a little button like on stock android to bring up apps) a dialer, contacts, sms, etc. will come up ?
Really great idea, i loved it & i really hope someone will make this launcher for Android NihilisticWonder has good points & i am agree..
Yeah, that's what the bottom bar on the first one was for, lol.
But yeah, multiple towers would be pretty damn sexy.
Hmmm this could make the best minimalistic UI
Kinda reminds me of slidescreen (which is a nice launcher replacement, look it up in the market)
but in slide screen there is no app drawer and to go to your apps you push your phones "menu" button
swee08315 said:
Kinda reminds me of slidescreen (which is a nice launcher replacement, look it up in the market)
but in slide screen there is no app drawer and to go to your apps you push your phones "menu" button
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep same thoughts
I've been looking for a launcher like this since the day I used Launcher 7 which is a clone of Windows Phone 7 launcher. What I understood when I used it was, vertical swiping is much much more natural than horizontal swiping and homescreens should slide vertically, not horizontally. WP 7 launcher is too basic. What we need is something like you describe.
If SlideScreen had the option to add widgets and icons, we'd get something very close to what we want, but the developers don't seem interested in that. I'm thinking of learning how to code for Android just to make a launcher like this.
Sounds and looks like a good idea, but I wouldn't use it unless it looked very clean. I hate stuff with clutter. This has some real potential though, like a love child of android and wp7.
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA Premium App
I definitely agree with Adyc and the OP. The stock Android launcher and most UIs are boring. I know the developers put a lot of work into them and I'm grateful for that. Even with the plethora of launchers out there, there aren't many that have a lot of good eye candy. I'm tempted to go home abroad really learn how to code for Android after looking at this. This is a great idea. Sounds like it would blend elements of launcher 7 and the honeycomb launcher. If it were to contain some 3d elements (like the selected panels rotating like a carousel or popping out) that would be SO damn sick.
wauterboi said:
Here's the MyTouch 4G specific discussion.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=14613522#post14613522 <- (This should be deleted)
Alright, so I did this mock-up to explain:
This is my idea of a pretty neat launcher. Let me explain.
It's a giant launcher where everything is made up of "panels" which is essentially what a widget would be normally, except instead of small icons and widgets making up a grid, you would rather make up this entire tower of "panels" you can scroll through like so:
Once you reach the bottom (like so), you have the option of adding or entering edit mode in which you can change the placement of panels, configure panels, or add more. Also notice the stationary panels at the top and bottom. I figure the top would could be configurable to look however you like or replaced with another replacement panel made for staying at the top at all times. (i.e. you can't replace it with a Last.FM panel, you would have to go about finding a panel that is absolutely meant to be at the top.)
I figure this could also be a pretty accessible thing for everyone in terms of making new panels. Someone would release the base panel code, and then people can configure it to do some pretty neat things, I figure.
I dunno, this just seemed kind of cool in my opinion. I can think of all sorts of panels and stuff like that too - a Favorites/Folder panel, gallery panel, music panel... etc.
Also, I threw this mock-up together pretty fast. I figure the Facebook and Twitter panels would have more to it, heh.
So whatcha think?
EDIT: On a side note, what I was imagining isn't really widget status where you can interact with it so much - you click on it or the link or whatever corresponds with whatever (i.e. you click on a tweet) and it brings you to where you need in order to comment on it or like it through FB and what not.
EDIT2: I can't develop for Android. I dunno how. I just threw this idea out in the open for everyone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Call me crazy, but what you just mocked up is an Android version of Titanium, the standard launcher for WM6.1 and above.
Hmm, intresting idea.
I might combine this whit some old sketches I made some time ago to look if it can be made into a clean and minimal layout.
edit:
maybe also look at how some things in kite ui have been done.
Edit 2:
Here's my first take on this launcher.
dragonithe said:
Hmm, intresting idea.
I might combine this whit some old sketches I made some time ago to look if it can be made into a clean and minimal layout.
edit:
maybe also look at how some things in kite ui have been done.
Edit 2:
Here's my first take on this launcher.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That does clean it up some and make it feel more functional
Sent from my ADR6350 using Tapatalk

Honeycomb Launcher BETA

Hello everyone!
We have developed a new launcher once again! This is not the standard launcher that everyone makes. This is a Honeycomb Launcher. This launcher basically clones Android 3.0 Honeycomb as best as possible! Although this launcher is new, it clones Android 3.0 very well. Every update will bring more resemblance to0!
Anyways, the launcher is available on the Android Market now. All you have to do is search for Honeycomb Launcher. We have a BETA version which we run all of our tests on and a Donate version which is more stable and keeps our development going!
Honeycomb Launcher has many features that are in Android 3.0 and which are not in other launchers such as quick menus and much more. But one of the main features of this launcher is the girds for icons and widgets. The Portrait grid is a 10x10 and the landscape grid is 10x8. Which this means is the size and spots available for icons. The large grid-views will allow for you to place your icons and widgets in almost any place you want!
Screen shots are below!
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
really neato!
Just one thing: Whenever I want to move anything (either it be from the homescreens or from the app drawer)it lags a lot for like 3 seconds.
Also, sometimes when dragging from the AppDrawer it FCes.
HTC Wildifire
Stock 2.2.1
EDIT: Also, whenever I try to tick any of the settings in the Customise Honeycomb menu, I get FCed.
Ya we are fixing that! It is because of the grid size : (
but it is easy to fix. All you have to do is drag a widget on the screen and a few icons. Once you put a few icons and what not on the screen it speeds up quite a bit!! It is really weird. Maybe because when there is not a lot on the screen it has a lot to move over to get to a designated spot.
But dont worry, we will fix it : )
Thank you for that info
I will keep track if this topic/launcher since it obviously has potential
Thank you!
If anyone has any requests or want anything to be added let us know and we will add it in future updates!
Well, for one I'd like to see it be fully supported in QVGA.
When in portrait a part of the screen is missing, to be more precise the "back" button part of the screen.
FCs when changing settings.. Inspire cm7
Sent by Skeletor from Castle of Greyskull using XDA Premium App
Yes we know about the FC's in the settings. We are trying to find a good fix to it
Looking forward to using this on my SGSII or Sensation whenever I get one...I'll try it out now on my brothers Glacier..
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Fixed the launcher preferences force close glitch!!!
Okay, trying again, but this time rooted and OCed ;D
IntelSoftApps said:
Fixed the launcher preferences force close glitch!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Um... no you haven't...
If I go into 'Personalise Honeycomb' and 'Honeycomb preferences' then unticking any of the options gives me a FC.
Running the JVP (2.3.4) ROM - Criskelo's version - with Speedmod kernel.
I'm on an ideos u8150 cm7 v6 and I still get fcs when I attempt anything in the personalise menu
Sent from my Huawei Ideos using XDA Premium App
Heyy bro... just installed ur launcher...... it works.... but didn't found something we call X factors ...... pretty decent launcher.... I know you.be worked on it hard but need some more efforts... like in landscape mode,some icons got hide like the back button and add button..... overall... 8 out of 10..... good job... that's not OK... I've something that u may b4 or Sud like it from now.... I've found a way to.install the honeycomb media player to to NY android device with froyo or above versions.... I guess many of the users don't knowb about it... so u cud recommend ur users to use this app also.... with ur launcher for better experience... also it is not available in market so u shud upload it..... as I'm not a developer so as obvious I don't know about the process.... the URL is :
http://forum.xda-developers.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=472328&d=1293185442
Hope it.helps.....
send from my GT-S5670(updated to 2.3.4) using XDA app
Heyyy there are couple of problems with your launcher which I think u must give a refference....
1.when I long press on any other home screen for adding a widget or something it freezes n force close the application... fix needed..
2. When u try to add any widget it doesn't add anything even if u try hundreds of time ....
3.u shud add some real settings to launcher.... there's nothing in customize honeycomb menu.....
There's nothing which make a user to donate for it..... do check above problems.... n add something pretty impressive to its UI...
send from my GT-S5670(updated to 2.3.4) using XDA app
I tried this and to be honest, the soft keys need some work, they just seem kinda unfinished in my opinion, they need to be bolded or something along those lines.
new setting nevr applies and it force closes
and hide notification dosnt even work
Hey for those who did not like to the look of the softkeys or just wanna change them, or if you just wanna make the add button more visible etc i have a way. Okay all you have to do is open the apk archive in 7zip and then follow these steps.
For example, to change the home key from the white and gray preset to the well known blueish-transparent download the hc3d add-ons (just search on xda). Next you need to double click res in the 7zip archive. After that click the drawable_hdpi folder once and drag it to your desktop. After that, locate the image you wanna use (i recommend the hc3d add ons) and copy and paste it into your desktop shortcut. Next, delete the current home_dock_button and rename your copy/pasted file as home_dock_button. You can also open them up and edit them to the proper size. (WRITE DOWN THE SIZES YOU NEED BEFORE DELETING THE IMAGE.). You can also open your new image and edit color, etc. To make your buttons now visible (like when the add button is only half shown) go back into your drawable_hdpi and find the image called line_break. All you half to do is open it and edit it to whatever size you want. i used 455x36. After you have edited whatever you want drag and drop the drawble_hdpi back into the 7zip archive for the apk. After this copy and paste back into your sd card.
If you try to install after this it will not work so you will need to download two apps. The first is signapktic and the second is Linda Manager (or any file manager of your choice). Open signapktic and locate the file you want then just go through its steps. This will resign the apk so it can be installed. Finally just open up your file manager, install, and enjoy. You will have to follow these steps evertime you try to edit a png/xml in the app so it is quite a tedious process.
maxcool12345 said:
Heyyy there are couple of problems with your launcher which I think u must give a refference....
1.when I long press on any other home screen for adding a widget or something it freezes n force close the application... fix needed..
2. When u try to add any widget it doesn't add anything even if u try hundreds of time ....
3.u shud add some real settings to launcher.... there's nothing in customize honeycomb menu.....
There's nothing which make a user to donate for it..... do check above problems.... n add something pretty impressive to its UI...
send from my GT-S5670(updated to 2.3.4) using XDA app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I totally agree with your observation....feels the same with the launcher.
thanks for bringing out the point.
Uninstalled it a long back....... hehehe....
send from my GT-S5670(updated to 2.3.4) using XDA app

Action Memo widget with ADW EX?

I've been an ADW EX user for a long time, and although I was going to give Touch wiz a chance, I just hate how you cannot customize the rows and columns of icons on the home screen. I didn't think air command would work with a 3rd party launcher, but to my delight, it does.
However, I can't use the Action Memo widgets with ADW, which is a bummer, because I really like being able to add quick notes and reminders to my home screen.
Anybody know of an alternative app that works in the same way, or know how to get Action Memo widgets to work on other launchers?
Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk now Free
I'm using nova prime and action memo etc. all work fine for me..
The widget, or the app? The app still works. I just can't seem to add the widget to my home screen.
Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk now Free
Bump. Anybody know how to get Action Memo widgets on other launchers? Or know of any apps that offer the exact same functionality?
I would like to know a work around for this too. I use Nova launcher since note 2 and not having touchwiz widgets didn't really bother me then. Now it does. Only thing I don't like about touchwiz is not being able to have a custom grid. I might have to suck it up though.
Same problem
There used to be an S Notes "Page" widget as well, worked fine on other launchers - allowed you to create a resizable widget out of a single page of any s notes folder - which was great. Action Notes don't give you full drawing tools, S Notes do. So you could create a solid black background note that would blend in with your homescreen.
I may install old S Notes from my last Note 2 backup. Might be worth it over the cleanliness of the new one just to get those widgets back.
With S Note you can long-press the note's folder, change the name if you so desire, then long-press again and "add shortcut to home" and you will have an icon on your home screen for that note. Works well
With Action Memo you press the small icon at the top of the memo that is a box with small square in the upper right corner. That creates a small icon. Hit the home button and the Action Memo will close and you will have the small icon on the screen that can be moved and reopened at any time. Unfortunately there is no way to name the icon, but it does open directly to the memo. If you want to keep the icon you have to press the box again at the top of the memo while it is open or the icon will be gone once you close the memo.
Temp fix
Hi guy's.
Found a way around it sort of. I use Nova launcher prime, and also do not have the 4x3 widget. So what worked for me is to create the 1x1 shortcut widget and just re-size it to 4x3, click on it and start your memo.
I do not have any idea if ADW EX works the same but hope for your part it does.:good:
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Please explain it step by step. I'm not able to resize the app icon and there is no "1x1 shortcut" widget?!
By the way... I'm using Google Keep instead of Action Memo. I'm using the App "Sketch for Keep" to write memos with the s-pen:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=lv.piip.sketchforkeep
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOJoCzHiBcs
The Google Keep Widget is nice, but overall I'm not able to write Memos without unlocking the phone anymore (s-pen double click action is not changeable). But I can access/edit all my memos through the PC/Browser and I'm able to buy an other Android later or the Phone can be damaged without fearing to loose my memos.
mgutt said:
Please explain it step by step. I'm not able to resize the app icon and there is no "1x1 shortcut" widget?!
By the way... I'm using Google Keep instead of Action Memo. I'm using the App "Sketch for Keep" to write memos with the s-pen:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=lv.piip.sketchforkeep
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOJoCzHiBcs
The Google Keep Widget is nice, but overall I'm not able to write Memos without unlocking the phone anymore (s-pen double click action is not changeable). But I can access/edit all my memos through the PC/Browser and I'm able to buy an other Android later or the Phone can be damaged without fearing to loose my memos.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you want to use the widget in the lockscreen? Or just normal use, and what type of launcher are you using at this moment?
Maybe there is a way, and i can help you.
I'm using Nova, too.
I don't mean a widget on the lockscreen. I mean the double-click shortcut with the s-pen. You are able to press the s-pen button and tap two times on the screen in every situation (lockscreen, apps, etc.).
mgutt said:
I'm using Nova, too.
I don't mean a widget on the lockscreen. I mean the double-click shortcut with the s-pen. You are able to press the s-pen button and tap two times on the screen in every situation (lockscreen, apps, etc.).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, so I took a look and mine seems to work in all ods, meaning double tapping the s-pen does open my action memo.
Is your nove launcher prime or free, and are you on stock TW rom or custom?
If on stock TW, I will post a video and show that it works and how to use it.
Sorry, my English is not the best. I didn't want to ask how to use the double-click action. This works as expected. I only wanted to say that it does not work with other Apps like Google Keep as Samsung does not allow to change the shortcut.
The only question I had was how did you solve to resize the app/widget. I've tried several ways (long press the app to copy it to the home screen, look through the widget menu, but there is no action memo widget, etc.). So what did you do to be able to resize the action memo icon?!
mgutt said:
Sorry, my English is not the best. I didn't want to ask how to use the double-click action. This works as expected. I only wanted to say that it does not work with other Apps like Google Keep as Samsung does not allow to change the shortcut.
The only question I had was how did you solve to resize the app/widget. I've tried several ways (long press the app to copy it to the home screen, look through the widget menu, but there is no action memo widget, etc.). So what did you do to be able to resize the action memo icon?!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My mistake, sorry for that misunderstanding. So by using Nova Launcher prime 2.3, you basically just add a normal widget and at the top of the list is action memo. And then it will automatically show you the grid in witch you are able to re-size see attachment.
If this helped please say thanx.:good:
Ok, this explains why I was not able to follow your explanation. Look:
mgutt said:
Ok, this explains why I was not able to follow your explanation. Look:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok so that's a bummer. What version of android do you have? 4.3?
Ok see if this works, go to your basic TW launcher and create then the action memo widget, go back to nova en in setting say import and choose basic TW launcher. that's how i got the widget.
Yes. 4.3.
Import? But this will overwrite my actual homescreen
Problem solving.
mgutt said:
Yes. 4.3.
Import? But this will overwrite my actual homescreen
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Uhm morning, ok then just for info see if your application manager list looks like mine.
At the top i have 4 action memo apps. This would be in the "all" list.
See attachment.
Same issue
FdeKlerk said:
Uhm morning, ok then just for info see if your application manager list looks like mine.
At the top i have 4 action memo apps. This would be in the "all" list.
See attachment.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My application manager does have all four Acton memo apps listed like yours. But like the other guy, action memo widget is not a choice when importing TW screen and restoring widgets. Nor is it a choice when creating new widgets. Any ideas?

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