1.5.001b BETA ScreenShot

[Chris Scott [SnoopSoft]]

http://www.snoopsoft.net/db15001b.jpg

Here's a screenshot of the upcoming release of SnoopSoft Dashboard with a really nice skin from www.WinCustomize.com

The Owner information is now available for display on the screen.

The image also shows you how the new font display works to help maximize the information on the screen.

I modified the Mini-Launcher code to display however many programs are defined in the Minilauncher folder (up to 64 or something like that). One thing I hadn't thought to check out yet was how the minilauncher image is rendered. Not many skins define a separate image for the minilaunch area, but this one does and you can see that it displays the multiple rows just fine on top of the defined minilaunch image.

I decided against hardcoding an absolute number of rows of programs to display in the mini-launcher (or adding another option and having users select how many rows to display) and instead just show all programs that people have placed into the folder. If you have a preference one way or the other, let me know.

That's all for now - just wanted to give you all a preview to let you know that I'm adding in the things that you are asking about.

Thanks!

[Ray Payne]

Thanks Chris, we appreciate the update. Great work as usual.

[ianmiller109]

Looking good!!!!

[Unregistered]

Hi Chris,

it looks really fine!
And BTW I hope you have spend quite some time on solving the shortcut arrow problem which appeared to some people here :-))

Bye, Sascha

[Gerard]

Another problem I wouldn't mind seeing gone, but perhaps I'm the only one; my Casio EG-800 won't shut off using the Power button while Dashboard 1.5.001a is on top. On any other screen it works, but the 'reading off-device memory' indicator LED flashes intermittently while the Launcher display is onscreen (I have installed it to \Flash Disk2\Programs) and the Power button become useless. I have installed another develpoer's power-off app and mapped it to the Record button, and this works great, instantly. So either I stay away from Dashboard, or I use this other program to kill the device there. Any ideas?

[Chris Scott [SnoopSoft]]

Hi,

I'm looking into the Launcher issue for you - that's a Pocket PC not a Pocket PC 2002 right Gerard?

NEW DEVELOPMENT!!

Just got ClearType working in Dashboard for the next release... On devices that have the screen for it (like the hp) it looks VERY nice.

[Gerard]

Yes sir indeedly weedly. Or, um, yes, it's a MIPS PPC 2000 device. Maybe I should've emailed you...

[posprg]

Chris,

Thought I would pass along that after I upgraded to a new iPAQ 3955 the launcher shortcut arrow issue went away. It would seem to be a MIPS issue as my old E-125 had the problem

[Unregistered]

@posprg

Hey, good idea 'cause I've a Casssiopeia EM500 with a MIPS processor and I have that shortcut problem...

@Chris

please keep us updated to that issue.

bye, ST

[Chris Scott [SnoopSoft]]

Hi,

Actually, the shortcut issue is really a Microsoft issue - well at least in the way that they return icons to programs that ask for them. :)

In the older Pocket PC OS, Microsoft always returns icons with shortcut arrows on them and Dashboard has to hunt down the links to the actual programs to get the "real" icon. This can be a bit painful and consumes resources while Dashboard keeps hunting for the actual icon.

In the newer Pocket PC 2002 OS, Microsoft always returns icons WITHOUT shortcut arrows on them and the only reason Dashboard has to hunt down the actual program is to make sure that it exists (i.e. not on a storage card that has been removed). So the process is a lot less intrusive and works much smoother.

I continue to try to resolve the arrow issue on the older devices - I see it on my older iPaq where some programs have arrows and some do not. One issue I run into sometimes is that I use one set of code for both Launchers (Pocket PC and Pocket PC 2002) so sometimes fixing something for one OS causes issues for the other.

Sorry for the lengthy description - just wanted to let you all know some of the details about this particular issue...

[Unregistered]

Thanks for adding the launcher suggestion I posted :) I would still prefer the launcher to be user selectable for number of rows though.

Ed

[ednap]

Chris will the next release accomodate multiple today plug ins on the mydash screen?

Ed

[Chris Scott [SnoopSoft]]

Hi,

Ed, so you want to load up 1000 mini launcher programs and then have Dashboard only show the first n number of rows of them? I can do this, but it's yet another option that you have to set somewhere.

I'm a little curious as to why you wouldn't just place whatever you want in the minilauncher folder and have it displayed? Why would you want it restricted?

Multiple Today plugins on the MyDash screen is a function of the Today module itself and not Dashboard, so not until I get to that code again will that change. It's on the list, as I've indicated before, just need to get to it.

Thanks!

[jloew]

Chris,

will the new version allow for instant update of email? In the 1.2 trial version I had a while back, it would only check every 5 minutes or so.

-Joe

[Unregistered]

HI Chris,

thanx for the description of that shortcut issue.

But I've a last comment about this: I remember there was an older version of Dashboard (1.2 or 1.3) where that works perfectly. You are right when you say it takes a little time, but in the end it works... :-)

Bye, Sascha

[Gerard]

This beta works fine on my EG-800. Shortcut arrows hide properly (except on non-EXE files), startup is smooth and faster, and the power button at last works again to power off the device with one push, instead of 5 or 6 or never. Great fixes!