What new features and improvements would you like to see in Classic?

[RJKinsman]

Originally Posted by Classic by MotionApps

... we are working with Palm on new major webOS version and we have been strongly focused on this update which will bring many new features and improvements.

Motionapps says they're working on a new release of Classic with new "features and improvements," and I might add, somewhat bitterly, basic bug fixes which IMHO should be fixed in the current release.

Anyway, what new features and improvements would you like to see in the next release of Classic?

I'll start the list:
1) Full sound emulation. One of my biggest personal disappointments with Classic is that it doesn't make the same sounds as PalmOS, and many of the PalmOS apps that made sounds don't make any under Classic.

2) Copy/paste integration with webOS. If I have some data in Classic, I'd like to copy it, and paste it into a webOS app.

3) E-mail support. I'd also like to be able to e-mail myself stuff out of Classic.

4) Independence from webOS. Motionapps needs to be able to fix and update Classic without depending on a new release of webOS.

I know this question has been answered in various ways, but I thought it would be nice to collect them all in one thread.

[Dr.Grace]

I agree with the things you've already mentioned.

I'd add: performance and stability!

A big thing for me would be better multitasking behavior. When in the background, Classic causes other apps in the foreground to slow down considerably. I can see this very clearly with, for example, the email app, which becomes even more sluggish than usual, with no other cards open but Classic. I also see this slowdown with games like Tri-Match. The animations seem to play at half-speed when Classic is open. Maybe this would be less of an issue for the Pre Plus (or the Pre successor, whatever that's called.)

Device resets are much less common than before, but they still happen sometimes, so I rarely keep Classic open unless I know I'm going to be using it frequently.

[laingman]

kinoma working and with bluetooth support

[neit_jnf]

bluetooth keyboard, docs to go

[neve]

above all, full screen display! I'm coming from a TX, and the lack of real estate really is missed,particulalry with VNC and Palm apps that afforded full screen views.

[toburg]

I would just be happy if it did not crash every time I hotsync!

[Classic by MotionApps]

Great thread RJKinsman, thanks for starting it! We'll make sure to keep an eye on this discussion and learn from you guys. Keep posting.

[zParticle]

Besides the hotsync issue mentioned above, I really do like Classic. I would use it a lot more if a basic interface limitation were fixed: I use a few apps in Classic that really require the precision of a stylus. Even with pinch-zoom support, the screen input really limits what you can do in these apps.

My wish for Classic would be for a "stylus emulator" that lets you use gesture+drag to move a high-precision pointer around the screen, kind of like you can do in webOS to move the insertion point in text fields. Still holding the gesture key, releasing and tapping the screen would register as touching the stylus and allow you to toggle stylus up / stylus down modes. Think of it as a mouse interface for Classic.

[RJKinsman]

Originally Posted by zParticle

My wish for Classic would be for a "stylus emulator" that lets you use gesture+drag to move a high-precision pointer around the screen, kind of like you can do in webOS to move the insertion point in text fields. Still holding the gesture key, releasing and tapping the screen would register as touching the stylus and allow you to toggle stylus up / stylus down modes. Think of it as a mouse interface for Classic.

THAT is a TERRIFIC idea. I love it. The only "nit" I have with it is, don't you mean to say option+drag, instead of "gesture+drag"? In webOS editable fields, to move the cursor, you hold down the option (orange on Pre minus, white on Pre Plus and Pixi).

I would simply state the request as such: Make text selection work the same way it does in webOS. This would include option+drag to move the cursor, shift+tap to select words (and a second shift+tap to expand the selection), shift+drag to select text, etc.

I think this should go under a general category of "make Classic look and feel more like any other webOS application."

[RJKinsman]

Originally Posted by neit_jnf

docs to go

Not sure what you're referring to there. Docs To Go works just fine for me (within the limits of the emulator), one of my primary reasons for using Classic.

[RJKinsman]

Originally Posted by toburg

I would just be happy if it did not crash every time I hotsync!

Yes, although I don't experience that problem in my use of Classic, I woud put that in the category of "bugs that should be fixed in the current release."

But it is what it is. Sadly, Palm and Motionapps don't seem to have the wherewithal to do both maintenance and development at the same time.

[Grabber5.0]

Some of these repeats, but I felt the need to put my spin on them.

1) No more crashing the phone or Classic! I considered buying it to use Docs 2 Go, but the demo caused phone lockups every time I tried to use it. This was back when I only had 1 or 2 apps, and the filesystem was not encrypted so it booted 3 times faster than it does now. Imagine having to restart your phone frequently due to lockups now.

2) A longer trial period (at least 30 days, preferably 60 to 90). We are busy people. I don't have time to seriously trial Classic in 7 days -- not to mention I've used up my trial and can't do another one last time I tried.

3) Separation from webOS. Updates have been pretty well non-existent because of this. This may have to wait until Palm releases the new hybrid app SDK for app catalog apps. Unless Palm's going to take ownership, it does not belong as part of the OS install.

4) I had hard time getting a handle on input modes for keyboard, etc, and didn't have time to get comfortable with it.

Regarding the stylus emulator mentioned -- I'd prefer gesture over option, because I don't like opening the keyboard unless I am going to type something.

[RJKinsman]

Originally Posted by Grabber5.0

No more crashing the phone or Classic! I considered buying it to use Docs 2 Go, but the demo caused phone lockups every time I tried to use it. This was back when I only had 1 or 2 apps, and the filesystem was not encrypted so it booted 3 times faster than it does now.

...

I've used up my trial and can't do another one last time I tried.

Thanks, Grabber. One question: have you tried Classic since webOS 1.4? It is MUCH more stable than before that release. I'd be surprised if Motionapps wouldn't give you another trial if you opened a support ticket, explained the situation and asked nicely.

[zParticle]

Originally Posted by RJKinsman

THAT is a TERRIFIC idea. I love it. The only "nit" I have with it is, don't you mean to say option+drag, instead of "gesture+drag"? In webOS editable fields, to move the cursor, you hold down the option (orange on Pre minus, white on Pre Plus and Pixi).

While option+drag is the existing webOS feature I'm comparing this interface to, I'm proposing gesture+drag for the "stylus emulator" since that doesn't have a dedicated function in Classic yet and I think it would be less awkward.

Originally Posted by RJKinsman

I would simply state the request as such: Make text selection work the same way it does in webOS. This would include option+drag to move the cursor, shift+tap to select words (and a second shift+tap to expand the selection), shift+drag to select text, etc.

I think this should go under a general category of "make Classic look and feel more like any other webOS application."

This doesn't solve the problem of activating tiny UI elements like buttons or checkboxes that are too small to accurately target with your finger. PalmOS is different enough from webOS that simply fully emulating the PalmOS functionality is to me a better approach than trying to make it work like webOS.

[RJKinsman]

Originally Posted by zParticle

While option+drag is the existing webOS feature I'm comparing this interface to, I'm proposing gesture+drag for the "stylus emulator" since that doesn't have a dedicated function in Classic yet and I think it would be less awkward.

This doesn't solve the problem of activating tiny UI elements like buttons or checkboxes that are too small to accurately target with your finger. PalmOS is different enough from webOS that simply fully emulating the PalmOS functionality is to me a better approach than trying to make it work like webOS.

You're absolutely right, and I think I was a bit hasty with the whole "make Classic look and feel more like any other webOS application" thing. Maybe it would be better to have a function of stylus emulator, as you describe, but for text-editable fields, still use the same set of conventions as webOS, which I think work really well.

One stylus problem I have is with tap & drag. I've given up trying to select multiple cells in a spreadsheet on Sheet To Go. If some kind of stylus emulation could do that, it would greatly improve my experience with Classic.

Actually, the gesture area does have a very useful function in Classic, although it has been broken since webOS 1.4.1. It temporarily toggles the keyboard between 5-way and alpha. I personally really want to see this fixed, and wouldn't give it up for stylus emulation. The way I used it before it went away was, I always left the emulation in alpha, unless I needed to use the 5-way. Then I held down the gesture area with my left thumb and moved the cursor with my right thumb. The problem with the toggle the way it is now, if you forget that you're in 5-way mode and you start to type text, you accidentally launch an application. Very frustrating.

Isn't it fun designing software in a forum? Yeah, right.

[ka1]

Docs to Go works fine for me with Classic

[ka1]

I love Classic! But I still have a request or two:

Ability to easily sync PIM data directly to WebOS. Perhaps 2 apps, in worse case scenario, one WebOS, one Classic - an import/export/sync facility in Classic, and a WebOS Classic import/export/sync app?

Ability to view/organize photos in your DCIM directory.

Ability to use/detect WebOS sensors - accelerometer, bluetooth, etc. I'd love to be able to play the old PalmOS games with tilt support instead of the arrow keys.

More trial PalmOS games, or links to PalmOS web stores (PalmGear still around?) - People will be very impressed with Classic if they see Warfare Inc., Docs to Go, etc. even if in trial mode. Maybe even JOT, or whatever app it was that used to allow your full screen as a grafitti input device?

Allow classic to run in background, and send alarms/alerts to WebOS (can you tell I hate webos calendar?).

[RJKinsman]

Originally Posted by ka1

Ability to use/detect WebOS sensors - accelerometer, bluetooth, etc. I'd love to be able to play the old PalmOS games with tilt support instead of the arrow keys.

Not 100% sure about this, but I think that would require changes to the applications themselves.

Originally Posted by ka1

Allow classic to run in background, and send alarms/alerts to WebOS (can you tell I hate webos calendar?).

That would be freaking awesome if Classic could pick up alerts from PalmOS apps and then use the webOS notification system. Even if it's as simple as something like:
Classic: Notification from <app>

And then when you tap on the notification, it takes you to Classic.

[Dmitri]

Hi all,

Great thread. I agree with several of the previous posters. My own "short list":

1. Stability. I have a lot fewer crashes than in the early days of the Pre, but it still happens occasionally. (I always run Classic in Safe Mode, which probably shouldn't really make a difference, but seems to.)

2. Alarms working consistently (sound and otherwise) in DateBk6 would be wonderful. Currently, the alarms often don't even launch. And when they do, as we know, the choice of sounds is nonexistent.

3. I think it's silly that Classic crashes after every HotSync but I can put up with that; it's only once a day for me anyway.

Thank you!

[bdhu2001]

Bluetooth for audio and keyboard. With Snapper, I already have e-mail support.