[terminatorx]

UPDATE: I posted this thread not knowing that the blank wallpaper home screen is actually a feature that can be disabled in your display settings.

I've been using BB10 for about 6 months now, but I keep coming back to this one issue with the home screen on the BB10 OS. I realize it's a workspace for active frames, but when there are no minimized apps it just feels like something is missing. The home screen itself looks too empty, like there could have been some better use made for at least a portion of the screen. I have been a long time BlackBerry user, so I'm not here to whine and complain, but I can understand when people complain about the move from BBOS to BB10 and having encountered certain usability issues.

The implementation of the home screen and page to page icons is one of them, in my opinion.

Take for example iOS or Android, there is no "empty" home screen or first screen. You have the ability to place icons or shortcuts on it. Even BBOS and the PlayBook allowed for a row of icons of your choosing, on the home screen. In fact, the PlayBook's implementation had it nailed down really nice. You had 1 row of icons, which you could expand to fill the screen. If you had any minimized apps, they were all displayed as active frames on a single line, which you could scroll from left to right. You could swipe up to close any one of them. If you decided to expand the row of icons, the rest of the icons on that first page would fill the screen, moving the active frame bar off the page temporarily while you could scroll up and down a lengthy page of icons, or navigate horizontally to other pages. This was the same way in BBOS, and you could add as many icons to this first page as you wanted. But you could also create pages that could be accessed horizontally. This was really nice, and a great example of how the former OS had some nice thinking done behind the scenes. Further, the PlayBook even had the newer style workspace where you could long press an icon to get the delete option, and drag and drop to create a new folder by dropping icons on existing ones (like BB10).

Now with my Z30, it's not so bad scrolling page after page horizontally, because more icons can fit on each page. But on a Classic or Q5/10, you have to scroll a lot of pages to find something. Yes, the instant search works good to find an app. But I just think that they didn't put enough thought into this implementation, considering what BBOS and PlayBook (and Android and iOS) already have.

Anyone else have any thoughts on this? It's something that kind of bothers me every time I find myself thumbing through close to 10 pages of screens just to find an icon. Also on BBOS, you could click the tool belt menu button on any icon/shortcut and get some options, like move, delete and create new folder. Now that this ability is no longer there, I think it was awesome and made it more flexible in my view, and one of the reasons I loved the 9900. But this thread isn't about 9900 vs the Classic, and I don't use the 9900 anymore as I have bought two BB10 devices and moved on.

The more things I see like this, it makes me think that there were two camps at RIM -- the former who designed BBOS and developed it into maturity, then this new QNX group who tried to bring BB10 up to the same level. And to me it's clear that there were different mind sets in these two groups or they didn't work closely enough, and I sometimes wonder if any of the former developers (the real Java and application experts who designed the BBOS system and certain BlackBerry apps at the time) had much role in the new team.

[DigitalMadness]

A wise CEO once told me that if he gets anything more than 2 pages, he just reads the first and last paragraph.

In reading this post, it works.

Posted via CB10

[terminatorx]

Yes, I should have just kept it simple like those BB bashing threads. A flame bait title, with a paragraph blasting something. Then the simpletons like yourself who don't like reading an intelligent explanation would have been way more responsive and we'd already have 2 pages to this thread.

[mrsean2k]

Having read the whole post, then re read the first and last paragraphs, the "simpleton" is correct: it's prolix and meandering.

He was pretty polite about it too.

[terminatorx]

So you read my whole post, and this is all you could come back with? If you're not going to provide anything relevant to the post, why even bother to respond.

[mrsean2k]

It's a service to other people wondering if they should invest the time in reading it, or just the top and tail. Now there are two people claiming the shorter version is all that's needed.

[mrsean2k]

And the "problem" lies with your own organisation; if typing a few letters of an app is unappealing, nesting icons will give you access to 225 apps in 2 clicks on the first screen (or 5 apps in 1 click plus 150 in 2 etc)

[ssbtech]

Frankly I like the simplicity of the BB10 design.

I can't tell you how many times I've picked up an Android phone only to flip the screen and have that silly transparent window slide across with no icons on it. It's too easy to get lost. Also an annoyance is the multiple "home screens" with the "Apps" section buried behind an Apps icon. I don't get it. It's fiddly and obnoxious.

[QNX4all]

Mr. T,
There was a time when users requested BlackBerry the feature to show off the home screen. BlackBerry kindly did. I agree with you that customizing options are all fantastic, so thank you for bringing it up into the suggestion pool. Whether the OS will allow it or not, I have no idea of it. So, you may want to post your suggestion in a BlackBerry forum for increase chances of being "heard". So, while the option to have that feature you are making reference of would be okay, I'm satisfied with the way it is. In my case there is practically no time when I don't have at least 3 open active frames at once.

In the meantime, let me suggest the app "Home Screen Plus". It has a few features you may find useful to make better use of your home screen real estate.

[howards]

Maybe I'm missing something in your post, but you do know you can opt to have that "empty" home screen not show. It's an option under Settings : Display.

Z30 / STA 100-3 / 10.3.2.680

[QNX4all]

Bingo, Mr. Howard "Sharp"!

[John Vieira]

Yeah you can turn that off. I think it was dumb to add it in the first place, but sooooooo many people wanted it!

This is what Blackberry gets for actually listening to their customers.

Work Wide and Prosper

[Aju]

Maybe I'm missing something in your post, but you do know you can opt to have that "empty" home screen not show. It's an option under Settings : Display.

Z30 / STA 100-3 / 10.3.2.680

I was about to post the same comment. BlackBerry have given u clear option to make ur homescreen empty or not. And still whining here saying "I am not whining" doesn't make u a less whiner mister.

Q10SQN100-3/10.3.2.2204

[QNX4all]

"Now with my Z30, it's not so bad scrolling page after page horizontally, because more icons can fit on each page. But on a Classic or Q5/10, you have to scroll a lot of pages to find something. "

Why scrolling when he may eight tap the page number where certain app may be. Or even better, if you have a PKB, why not assign those most used apps to your keys? Why not keep your "search" app open and simple write 2-3 letters to get to it? Did you know that you may place "unlimited" amount of apps within folders?

[Thud Hardsmack]

Frankly I like the simplicity of the BB10 design.

I can't tell you how many times I've picked up an Android phone only to flip the screen and have that silly transparent window slide across with no icons on it. It's too easy to get lost. Also an annoyance is the multiple "home screens" with the "Apps" section buried behind an Apps icon. I don't get it. It's fiddly and obnoxious.

So change it. Fill it with app icons from the drawer, or widgets, or delete the page(s) entirely. This is the customization the OP is asking for. Sure, the home screen can be toggled off but then it becomes "the 1st app screen" a la iOS.

[will308]

ios looks too busy and cluttered to me I like the simple looks of bb10

[cbvinh]

This thread has several ways people have organized their "Home Screen":

http://forums.crackberry.com/blackbe...screen-993994/

Some people like to display an empty home screen. Some people turn it off when there's no active apps and look at the first apps page as the home screen.

[jdesignz]

I've been using BB10 for about 6 months now, but I keep coming back to this one issue with the home screen on the BB10 OS. I realize it's a workspace for active frames, but when there are no minimized apps it just feels like something is missing. The home screen itself looks too empty, like there could have been some better use made for at least a portion of the screen. I have been a long time BlackBerry user, so I'm not here to whine and complain, but I can understand when people complain about the move from BBOS to BB10 and having encountered certain usability issues.

Not to brag, but it only took me days to figure out when I first started using BB10 last year. With the help of Help app built in on this OS and also with the aid of CrackBerrians.




Pasaporte Pilipinas | SQW100-1/10.3.2.2204

[vladi]

A wise CEO once told me that if he gets anything more than 2 pages, he just reads the first and last paragraph.

In reading this post, it works.

Posted via CB10

Your wise CEO is full of himself obviously

Posted via CB10

[Fool Guy]

Yes we miss Widgets and Single Page containing all Applications.

[blackmoe]

This thread has several ways people have organized their "Home Screen":

http://forums.crackberry.com/blackbe...screen-993994/

Some people like to display an empty home screen. Some people turn it off when there's no active apps and look at the first apps page as the home screen.

A quick glance at that thread shows very few home screen examples and has a misleading thread subject considering the OP got it wrong. The home screen is the one represented by the little home/house symbol in the navigation row,

[blackmoe]

Your wise CEO is full of himself obviously

Posted via CB10

You have to look beyond the obvious.

[terminatorx]

Thanks a lot to the folks who suggested it - I was completely unaware of that wallpaper setting! I would never have expected this to be a feature, but it's much better now that I've disabled it.

[Uzi]

Z30STA100-2/10.3.2.2204 | CB Mod

[Nick Spagnolo]

I like the empty home screen, but I wanted more of the lock screen such as weather and what I'm listening to. Also the quick access to my calendar, music (if enabled while playing).

Z10