Re: Hide the awful command bar?

On Sat, 01 Apr 2006 18:06:29 -0600, "Ed Hansberry, MS-MVP/Mobile
Devices" <spamfree-silvernino@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Soul <tkd__in__the__city@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

I just moved from a Treo 650 to a Treo 700w and I cannot tell you how
backwards I find some of WM applications, especially that stupid
command bar at the bottom that tells you that there is a menu for the
left and right buttons and a keyboard icon. BIG DEAL. It's not that
informative and will kill 15% of your precious screen space on a Treo
and probably close to 10% on your 320x240 device. Is there a way to
simply hide the command bar like on regular windows? I can't find it
anywhere.

No. That command bar is dynamic between apps and even within apps
depending on what you are doing. It works just like all softkeys
on phones, which is what it is, a phone. Open up the Messaging
app and open an email. Notice how the buttons change? Hit Reply
and the buttons change again.
The only built in apps that can hide the soft keys is Internet
Explorer in full screen mode and Windows Media Player in FS mode.

I noticed that but there should be an autohide so you can see the
screen if you aren't using the buttons. It serves almost no purpose
many times, especially on the "Today" screen.

Of note, I've noticed other apps don't scale well either, e.g. full
screen mode in media player means a 320x320 video doesn't scale to the
window like it says but plays full size and you miss the parts that
the Treo can't play. Unreal.

Who does 320X320 video? Most video is either a 4:3 ratio or a
16:9, or even smaller, called 2.35. Never seen a 1:1. Have you
got a link to one?

The issue is why the choice to do 240x240 versus 320x320. I don't care
if there are black bars on each side. The point is that at least you
see the full 320 vertical instead of having to deal with a 240 where
you have to get apps specifically tailored to that resolution.

As I'm new to this, are there softwares/sites that you recommend that
will help a new WM phone convert to fixing what Microsoft had years to
do properly? No offense guys but who was the test group? Many thanks
to you all....

Windows Mobile is not Palm OS. Get used to how the device works
and you'll see why it does what it does. Yes, there are some
annoying things about it, just like the PalmOS.

There are annoyances but unfortunately it's pretty clear Palm OS is
tailored for PDAs and Windows Mobile is still an attempt to funnel a
desktop OS to a handheld device. Not only do numerous WM5 screens
require you to use a stylus needlessly there are also inefficiencies
riddling the way it works with no options. Case in point -- the Today
screen. Why do I need a scroll bar on there and why can't I get rid of
it if my today screen is longer than what I see? I'm not sharp enough
to use the down key on my 4 way to scroll so I need something
obliterating yet more of the screen?

I don't see options for small icons anywhere, which would have been
exceptionally helpful in the "start" menu because I'm stuck with it.

Pocket Outlook is a joke. It has 1 or 2 advanced functions provided so
basic to render the whole application useless. You can sync your inbox
but you can't make it one way - it's all or nothing. You can have
multiple pop accounts but checking them requires several keypresses
just to change accounts and then check each one manually. What was the
point? The features for accounts doesn't allow you to leave messages
on the server or delete them after you've retreived them. Here's a
real lame brained one -- has anyone ever tried deleting an account you
created in Pocket Outlook? There is no way to do this whatsoever. Oh
wait -- you didn't see it in a menu? You should have known to read
every manual or do a Google search to find out you need to go to the
accounts screen, whip out your stylus, hold it on the account you want
to delete and if it isn't the main one you'll be prompted to delete
it. Was it that difficult to put it as a menu choice next to the "add
account" area?

Please... no offense but it is one big mess. In classic style the OS
can do remarkable things. But I'd rather have the simple, common tasks
work easily, quickly and well than have super advanced capabilities
built in but having the 90% area where I spend my day ignored. This is
what Windows Mobile 5 is. Sorry for the rant but coming from a Treo
650 Palm OS, the amount of time it takes to navigate and the lack of
attention paid to basics is shocking.

PS - sorry about the ad. I didn't even know they are placing it in
there now with every post...

Definitely time to switch. I recommend the APN services by
www.forteinc.com - and by the way, you are one version behind on
Agent. The 3.3 release patches some problems in 3.2. No major new
features over 3.2.

Much appreciated and great suggestion. I think I do have to upgrade my
Agent, a truly phenomenal program.
--
NewsGuy.Com 30Gb $9.95 Carry Forward and On Demand Bandwidth
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