[jsgraphicart]

The Devs have al they ned to develope for 2.0 with regard to patches and themes and release them. Apps that use things that are not publicly available yet cannot be released until the SDK is released. Currently the only device running 2.0.x is the Pre 2 and the Dr. Is publicly available. So patches and themes can be made. Devs can test them on the SDK but some won't work there anyway so they have to be tested on the device.

But a lot of people dont have a 2.0 device to test them on either. And if they dont have a 2.0 device, they have to go through the hassle of releasing it and letting other people test it which I would think is a lot harder. So I guess I'm just HOPING that a lot of developers are just waiting to actually get their hands on 2.0 first.

[mikeisnowonfire]

Not all, but a good amount of us did...

Have HP/Palm reached out to you guys at all?

[HardBeatZ]

Well, I can say with certainty that I will not be purchasing another webOS device if forced into 3x4 icons on the launcher. I will probably throw my phone through a wall after a few days of trying to put up with that. I'm very concerned about this issue, as despite sticking around through all the growing pains of webOS, it is the first time I've actually thought to myself, "Well, that's it. I'm going to Android."

Well, off to do some research on the possibility of blocking the update to 2.0.

Personally three things

1. I don't see a whole lot of extra space that is saved / added by going to 4x4 instead of 3x4

2. Ios uses 4x4 webOS uses 3x4 I like the difference

3. How and where my icons are don't matter to me thanks to just type!

[Jake_M]

Well, I can say with certainty that I will not be purchasing another webOS device if forced into 3x4 icons on the launcher. I will probably throw my phone through a wall after a few days of trying to put up with that. I'm very concerned about this issue, as despite sticking around through all the growing pains of webOS, it is the first time I've actually thought to myself, "Well, that's it. I'm going to Android."

Well, off to do some research on the possibility of blocking the update to 2.0.

I wasn't aware that severe buying decisions were made on how many icons fit in a launcher page. That's like me buying a Vizio TV over a Samsung because the Samsung was at 49 brightness by default, and the Vizio was on 50 and I just couldn't handle the pressure.

If it really bothers you that much just go to Android then. I'd never throw my $600 dollar phone at a wall because of the number of icons.

[sketch42]

Personally three things

1. I don't see a whole lot of extra space that is saved / added by going to 4x4 instead of 3x4

2. Ios uses 4x4 webOS uses 3x4 I like the difference

3. How and where my icons are don't matter to me thanks to just type!

i am Completely fine with 3x4

ive tried 4 and 5x4 meh...

i use just type

[PreGP]

You can always try using the 1.4.5 patches from:
Index of /feeds/webos-patches/1.4.5/

No guarantee they'll work, but some might.

I was able to install the fullscreen browser and auto-hide icons in browser patches via Preware.

EDIT: Actually, I just added the above url as a custom feed in Preware and was able to install a couple more 1.4.5 patches successfully. Not sure why I didn't think of that sooner

EDIT 2: Ok, I was able to install the following 1.4.5 patches on 2.x

Browser

-Auto Hide All Icons After Page Load
-Fullscreen Mode Browser
-Hold Tap Context Menu
-URL Shorten in Browser

Camera
-Capture with Volume Keys
-Simple Shutter Sound Off

Google Maps
-Auto Enable and Disable GPS
-Start in Fullscreen

Misc
-PDF Redux
-Unthrottle Download Manager
-Reset Options on Power Button Hold

Phone
-Enable Dialpad Vibration

I tried the following 1.4.5 patches on a Pre 2 running 2.0.1

Add one minute interval to calender - unable to install
No charging banner on touchstone - unable to install
No auto off while charging - installed successfully but patch doesn't work
Disable charging alert sounds - unable to install

...not a really a great success...

[protomaxxx]

I ike to see most, if not all, the features offered by patches rolled into the OS.

[ght]

Personally three things

1. I don't see a whole lot of extra space that is saved / added by going to 4x4 instead of 3x4

2. Ios uses 4x4 webOS uses 3x4 I like the difference

3. How and where my icons are don't matter to me thanks to just type!

Well, I'm currently using 5x5, so going to 3x4 is a pretty drastic difference. While I currently get 25 icons per page, 3x4 only gives me 12. For me, webOS is all about speed and efficiency. (Despite current hardware limitations, the software allows you to fly through tasks.) Having to scroll around twice as much (since I'll be losing 50% of my icon density) takes away from that speed.

Perhaps if I had a keyboard that I could use reliably with one hand, I wouldn't rely on the launcher so much. However, the buttons on my Pre (and now my replacement Pre) are so tight, typing is very slow and inaccurate.

My personal preference is one swipe to open launcher with one more tap to access my 25 most-used applications. Swipe, tap, done. Now, it will take a slide to access the keyboard, at least a couple letters typed on the keyboard, and another tap to open my target app. It's no longer effortless and elegant, in my opinion. The word cumbersome comes to mind.

Perhaps what I find most frustrating about it is the Apple-esqueness of it. "We'll decide how many icons you get, and you'll like it." Why on Earth couldn't HP/Palm just let users decide how they want their phone to look/operate? Seriously, sconix did it with a patch! Why couldn't webOS just include this customization if they were removing the ability to patch the launcher?

I guess what it comes down to is that I would have already been gone if it weren't for homebrew patches and applications. The ability for me to customize my Pre to operate the way that makes the most sense for me was the most amazing part of webOS. If that ability erodes, so will my enthusiasm for this OS.

Another question: If we do see a 4"/4.3"/5" screen on a webOS phone, won't 3x4 icons look ridiculous on a screen that size? (They look ridiculous to me on our current 3" screen.)

[HardBeatZ]

Why couldn't webOS just include this customization if they were removing the ability to patch the launcher?

It's false assumption to state that the ability to patch the launcher has been removed.

This information is not accurate.

[ght]

I wasn't aware that severe buying decisions were made on how many icons fit in a launcher page. That's like me buying a Vizio TV over a Samsung because the Samsung was at 49 brightness by default, and the Vizio was on 50 and I just couldn't handle the pressure.

If it really bothers you that much just go to Android then. I'd never throw my $600 dollar phone at a wall because of the number of icons.

Well, default brightness settings can be changed to your liking, can't they? Since my preferred icon density is going to be cut in half, it would be more appropriate to say you owned a TV with adjustable brightness and a mandatory update was going to cut your preferred brightness in half and fix it at that level. Now perhaps you have your TV in a bright room. It doesn't matter how good the resolution is, or how many HDMI inputs are available, if you can't see the damn picture clearly, you won't be happy.

[ght]

It's false assumption to state that the ability to patch the launcher has been removed.

This information is not accurate.

I sure hope your information is more accurate (it should be) than some others I've seen floating around. If I have gone off on a rant without complete and accurate information, then I apologize.

[Cantaffordit]

<<threads merged>>

[Garrett92C]

I sure hope your information is more accurate (it should be) than some others I've seen floating around. If I have gone off on a rant without complete and accurate information, then I apologize.

I'd believe sconix (creator of Advanced Config for App Launcher) over HardBeatz.

[Cantaffordit]

I don't think that's exactly what what sconix said...

[johncc]

Personally three things

1. I don't see a whole lot of extra space that is saved / added by going to 4x4 instead of 3x4

2. Ios uses 4x4 webOS uses 3x4 I like the difference

3. How and where my icons are don't matter to me thanks to just type!

2. And I use 5x6 and I like the difference. That's the point. It can and should be a user preference.

3. That argument's fine if you are using a Pixi, but doesn't hold if you are comparing a swipe and tap with sliding open the Pre and 'Just Typing'.

[Garrett92C]

I don't think that's exactly what what sconix said...

He said its no longer easily patchable. He hasn't yet figured out a way to do so. From what he said, it sounds like he's pretty much given up on it for now.

[ght]

HardBeatZ, can you comment on why our community is perhaps under the impression that the launcher is no longer patchable in 2.0? It looks like this information started with sconix, one of our most talented patch authors in this thread, starting on page 67 with post 1322:

http://forums.precentral.net/showthr...errerid=352515

I'd have to say, if sconix believes it's not patchable, then there must be some magic tool coming from HP/Palm that he doesn't have yet.

[johncc]

It's false assumption to state that the ability to patch the launcher has been removed.

This information is not accurate.

So you are saying that the Launcher is still Javascript/HTML ?

[Cantaffordit]

He said its no longer easily patchable. He hasn't yet figured out a way to do so. From what he said, it sounds like he's pretty much given up on it for now.

@GHT, above is what he said. Once the SDK is finalized and everything is available from carriers, it will be easier to explore.

I want to put in my vote for 4 icons across... And it really does matter to me.

the quick launch bar autohides, and if they let us turn off page names, we would have 5x3 potential, but that's a lot of wasted space.

I prefer to have no more icons than fit on a page so I don't ever have to scroll down. Only to the sides. I can't make logical groupings with no scrolling without 12-15 icons per page.

just type is nice, but I don't want to open the slider to launch apps that don't require typing - which is most of them...

[ght]

@GHT, above is what he said. Once the SDK is finalized and everything is available from carriers, it will be easier to explore.

I want to put in my vote for 4 icons across... And it really does matter to me.

the quick launch bar autohides, and if they let us turn off page names, we would have 5x3 potential, but that's a lot of wasted space.

I prefer to have no more icons than fit on a page so I don't ever have to scroll down. Only to the sides. I can't make logical groupings with no scrolling without 12-15 icons per page.

just type is nice, but I don't want to open the slider to launch apps that don't require typing - which is most of them...

I could live with 4 across, but I prefer 5. The thought of being forced into 3 across puts a knot in my stomach.

(And for the record, the reason I'm so upset about the possibility of losing ACAL customization is because I'm so passionate about the potential of webOS. I don't want it to take a step backward in what it offers that Android and iOS can't.)