[jdotcarter]

This could be placed in here or the 3rd party app section since it is essentially an app running...

anyone familiar with Windows Mobile will understand this request but for a skilled app writer for BB... one could basically write an app running over the OS basically running as a theme... something similar to Pointui ( pointui.com ) or spb mobile shell is what i had in mind. The app runs over the bare default zen theme and basically runs as the Home screen all the time with shortcut access to all apps and on-screen customization of the home screen.

this app could make the home screen experience much more GUI enjoyable for the storm.. i used to run Pointui on my windows mobile phone and love it... it was just as fluid as any other native OS i have seen.

Good idea? Possible?

[kdjayo]

This could be placed in here or the 3rd party app section since it is essentially an app running...

anyone familiar with Windows Mobile will understand this request but for a skilled app writer for BB... one could basically write an app running over the OS basically running as a theme... something similar to Pointui ( pointui.com ) or spb mobile shell is what i had in mind. The app runs over the bare default zen theme and basically runs as the Home screen all the time with shortcut access to all apps and on-screen customization of the home screen.

this app could make the home screen experience much more GUI enjoyable for the storm.. i used to run Pointui on my windows mobile phone and love it... it was just as fluid as any other native OS i have seen.

Good idea? Possible?

I thought about doing this but then thought about how memory intensive it might be (because we all know the storm sucks on memory) and also the restrictions it would have for running as an APP...can u imagine having to rework EVERY single thing the storm offers as an app?

Have to write your own browser, your own SMS, your own email app, your own contacts list everything u would have to do over again

or else whats the point of running a theme as an app? because you would have to close it every time u wanted to go to your inbox, or the internet etc etc, and then have to re-open it

i just dont think it would work.

[hastings]

I thought about doing this but then thought about how memory intensive it might be (because we all know the storm sucks on memory) and also the restrictions it would have for running as an APP...can u imagine having to rework EVERY single thing the storm offers as an app?

Have to write your own browser, your own SMS, your own email app, your own contacts list everything u would have to do over again

or else whats the point of running a theme as an app? because you would have to close it every time u wanted to go to your inbox, or the internet etc etc, and then have to re-open it

i just dont think it would work.

I think you're misunderstanding the point of such an application. You wouldn't have to rewrite anything at all, it's simply a GUI that overlays the homescreen and links to the existing BlackBerry applications such as the browser, the contact list, SMS, email, etc.

The biggest hurdle to overcome would be all the limitations put in place by RIM for security reasons and also the lack of a really great SDK like the iPhone or Pre has/will have. They're just not going to be as fluid as any of those devices, it's not the nature of the BlackBerry.

[kdjayo]

I think you're misunderstanding the point of such an application. You wouldn't have to rewrite anything at all, it's simply a GUI that overlays the homescreen and links to the existing BlackBerry applications such as the browser, the contact list, SMS, email, etc.

The biggest hurdle to overcome would be all the limitations put in place by RIM for security reasons and also the lack of a really great SDK like the iPhone or Pre has/will have. They're just not going to be as fluid as any of those devices, it's not the nature of the BlackBerry.

Oh ok i get what you are saying...

But wouldnt it still have the same limitations in that you would still close the app every time u left the homescreen? and when you tried to go back to the homescreen normally (like hitting the END key, or the BACK key) you would go to the default homescreen, instead you would have to hold down BB key, and switch back to the app...right?

Kinda annoying...

but if there was a work around or something, then i guess the most people could add would be, what, i dunno, real sliding bars with flick scrolling right? Since we can do flick scrolling and finger drags in apps, right?

[jdotcarter]

Yeah I am no app designer but more and more apps are findng work arounds through the securities it seems like. I figure this would be do able. Some type of macro like. Whenever the homescreen shows this app boots. Or whatever. I would think the UI would be basically limitless. I mean with these new OSs memory management just gets better

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[kdjayo]

Yeah I am no app designer but more and more apps are findng work arounds through the securities it seems like. I figure this would be do able. Some type of macro like. Whenever the homescreen shows this app boots. Or whatever. I would think the UI would be basically limitless. I mean with these new OSs memory management just gets better

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Well, the UI is limitless with themes too, the only thing i can think of that an apped homescreen would have over a theme would be the real sliding bars, where u can literally drag your fingers over the screen and the bar scrolls...

but what advantage would an apped homescreen REALLY have that we cant do already using Composer?

[jdotcarter]

Other than obvious graphical improvement. The ability to display information without other apps. inversing to amount of apps displayed. point UI is actually skinable also so that would also be possible I guess. It basically would be an improved replacement to the homescreen ideally.

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[kdjayo]

Other than obvious graphical improvement. The ability to display information without other apps. inversing to amount of apps displayed. point UI is actually skinable also so that would also be possible I guess. It basically would be an improved replacement to the homescreen ideally.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

What graphical improvement are you talking about exactly? What can not be done graphically with composer that can be with an app? They are the same thing.

And what kind of information do you want displayed without other apps? Are you saying you want somebody to write a whole new "mini-OS" as an app?

Thats alot of work....especially with something for the crappy Storm.

[prophecyny7]

This sounds a bit like the direction that Dream Theme was trying to head in. DreamTheme.mobi From what I read it was a real memory hog though. Also not sure if they had a storm compatible version out.

[kdjayo]

This sounds a bit like the direction that Dream Theme was trying to head in. DreamTheme.mobi From what I read it was a real memory hog though. Also not sure if they had a storm compatible version out.

I KNEW i recognized this concept

i saw this site when i first got my BB and all i heard from its users where the horrid lag it caused.

[jdotcarter]

yeah pointui is a mem hog too... but it worked perfectly still on a crippled device (xv6800). benefits for this could be graphical weather updates such as on touchflo... gesture recognitions to swap pages (iphone/pictures in bbos) composer is limited and is hardly touch friendly. swiping/gestures are impossible im pretty sure. i'm not saying this would be EASY.. but it would be cool!!! afterall thats all themes are is to basically just make this POStorm a little cooler!

[jdotcarter]

check out Pointui2 on some videos on youtube... not too mention the customizability of it... never heard of the dreamtheme but it doesnt look half as cool as i think this could end up

[kdjayo]

check out Pointui2 on some videos on youtube... not too mention the customizability of it... never heard of the dreamtheme but it doesnt look half as cool as i think this could end up

I guess...well thats a bit out of my league making an app like that, maybe one day.

Someone give it a try if you got the skills, but for right now, I wouldnt know the first step

goodluck with it whoever is out there lol.

[jdotcarter]

I'm with you KD. I have no idea. But someone does........someone.....

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