Pre 2.0 - Quick Launch Flyout Groups

[housetube]

What if the Quick Launch Bar icons could be replaced with 5 “group launch” Icons Like Media, Web Apps, PIM, etc. each group would have 4 or 5 app icons associated with it. I've attached a crude Photoshop of the concept. Of course it would have to look as great as the current wave. What do you guys think? Not that I’m a developer or anything Just an idea I thought I’d throw out for discussion. If someone is ambitious or works for PALM the idea is free for the developing.

[cnote1287]

NICE!

[housetube]

Maybe even a splash of color to help navigation.

[errade]

What can I say... I love it

[AlexJay]

The only problem with your idea that I can see is that your Bi-Wave idea would require multitouch; that is, that you would use one finger to bring the wave up, then touch the icon in the wave stack with another finger. See, if you release the wave with the first finger, it would go away.

It's not that it would be too terribly kludgy, but it WOULD be conterintuitive--and the Pre is all about "intuitive".

Still, it's the start of what might be a very good idea!

[Gilligan3816]

I want to be careful how I word this, so as not to hijack your thread, but I think it's close enough to contribute here. Maybe a "new wave bar" as you speak of could be used to show your primary launcher page "through" an app. So let's say that you have your primary launcher screen divided into 4x5 columns, with each column or row being for a particular group or type of application. Then when you have an actual application up on the screen, and you swipe up (which normally shows the wave launcher), it actually just bleeds through your primary launcher screen wherever your finger is on the screen. Does this make sense or is it too confusing?

[housetube]

Originally Posted by AlexJay

The only problem with your idea that I can see is that your Bi-Wave idea would require multitouch; that is, that you would use one finger to bring the wave up, then touch the icon in the wave stack with another finger. See, if you release the wave with the first finger, it would go away.

It's not that it would be too terribly kludgy, but it WOULD be conterintuitive--and the Pre is all about "intuitive".

Still, it's the start of what might be a very good idea!

I was thinking you could swipe up to bring the 1st wave like normal, and if you hovered on a group icon for a moment it would expand the 2nd wave, which you could just slide your finger up or down to select the app.

Now if you just moved your finger left or right on the 1st wave after the 2nd wave has appeared then the group would appear as you moved across. I think my wording of that even confused me

I think it could be done with a single smooth jester, if you could include hovering times as a command in the program. might take some testing to get it to feel right.

[alex.dobeck]

Originally Posted by AlexJay

The only problem with your idea that I can see is that your Bi-Wave idea would require multitouch; that is, that you would use one finger to bring the wave up, then touch the icon in the wave stack with another finger. See, if you release the wave with the first finger, it would go away.

It's not that it would be too terribly kludgy, but it WOULD be conterintuitive--and the Pre is all about "intuitive".

Still, it's the start of what might be a very good idea!

I don't think you'd need two fingers, you just drag up to bring the bar, left right to choose the category and up down to select the second bar's icon. So essentially once you drag left/right on the wavebar it's locked into place vertically. To make it go away you would simply move to the gesture area again.

But I do see how it complicates something that is simple. But I think I would prefer something like this over having to open and scroll through the launcher, personally.

[Tiddlekins]

Cool idea. Sort of like the XMB on the PS3.

[Gilligan3816]

Yea, the more I realize what you mean, the more I like your idea...

[housetube]

Originally Posted by Gilligan3816

I want to be careful how I word this, so as not to hijack your thread, but I think it's close enough to contribute here. Maybe a "new wave bar" as you speak of could be used to show your primary launcher page "through" an app. So let's say that you have your primary launcher screen divided into 4x5 columns, with each column or row being for a particular group or type of application. Then when you have an actual application up on the screen, and you swipe up (which normally shows the wave launcher), it actually just bleeds through your primary launcher screen wherever your finger is on the screen. Does this make sense or is it too confusing?

That sounds pretty cool too. It's really just a matrix of icons under the eye candy of a wave or multiple waves.

[housetube]

Now we just need a Developer who wants a project.

[equus]

Originally Posted by housetube

Now we just need a Developer who wants a project.

I would work on it but here's a little sticky deal............that's "amost" encroaching the Android's UI since the Eris has something to it and so do the HTC's with Android 1.5, or 1.6 . I would have to look into how it can be done without getting a "registered letter" from big boys. IF there are any patent issues I am NOT touching that with a ten-foot pole.


Honestly I love your idea and now I wonder why didn't Palm think of it?

[errade]

Originally Posted by equus

I would work on it but here's a little sticky deal............that's "amost" encroaching the Android's UI since the Eris has something to it and so do the HTC's with Android 1.5, or 1.6 . I would have to look into how it can be done without getting a "registered letter" from big boys. IF there are any patent issues I am NOT touching that with a ten-foot pole.


Honestly I love your idea and now I wonder why didn't Palm think of it?

I'm no lawyer (okay, let's face it I know nothing concrete about this subject ) but I was under the impression that not-for-profit, non-commercial, personal-use software/ideas/work/stuff doesn't fall under patent and copyright restriction...

[equus]

Originally Posted by SqyArc

I'm no lawyer (okay, let's face it I know nothing concrete about this subject ) but I was under the impression that not-for-profit, non-commercial, personal-use software/ideas/work/stuff doesn't fall under patent and copyright restriction...

I have run into a few not-so welcome situations before, hence my concern. Yet I will proceed to see how it can be done. Sure all these are open source designs still there is a slight silent inner circle issue !! (if you know what I mean).

[Vij]

Originally Posted by housetube

I was thinking you could swipe up to bring the 1st wave like normal, and if you hovered on a group icon for a moment it would expand the 2nd wave, which you could just slide your finger up or down to select the app.

Now if you just moved your finger left or right on the 1st wave after the 2nd wave has appeared then the group would appear as you moved across. I think my wording of that even confused me

I think it could be done with a single smooth jester, if you could include hovering times as a command in the program. might take some testing to get it to feel right.

Great idea! In fact after I read your 1st post, the way you just descibed it was how I thought it should would (hover on a group for a sec or so).

For visual candy, the y-axis wave could materialize and disolve away in some pretty cool ways...

[housetube]

after looking at the concept photo again, I wonder if the vertical wave should only extend off the top so your thumb doesn't cover the apps on the bottom.

I think the eye candy is the key, also I use the hide quick launch patch so the wave is more usesfull to me. It would be pretty slick to have just a clean screen and with a simple gester have multiple apps spring up like a wave or tornado. I see the vertical wave moving like a twister. Not spinning just like you would see a tornado from a distance, kind of dancing from side to side with your finger movements.

[housetube]

Mock up of this newer looking version (Icons not under thumb).

[ksom]

Originally Posted by housetube

What if the Quick Launch Bar icons could be replaced with 5 “group launch” Icons Like Media, Web Apps, PIM, etc. each group would have 4 or 5 app icons associated with it. I've attached a crude Photoshop of the concept. Of course it would have to look as great as the current wave. What do you guys think? Not that I’m a developer or anything Just an idea I thought I’d throw out for discussion. If someone is ambitious or works for PALM the idea is free for the developing.

Good idea. The only thing I would change is limit it to one group and keep the other 4 still as apps. The reason is keep the quickly launch idea of the old Palm button.

So the obvious candidate is the launch button right now can be changed to a more apps button, letting us add 4 or 5 more. I think that would be enough for most of the uses.

[Presmurf]

This is a great idea. I'm all for it!