Managers of information for communicators and smartphones running Windows Mobile

At first acquaintance with the organization of the main screen on the PDA and smartphone running Windows Mobile operating system it appears that the standard tools display information rather scarce. Therefore, several companies have released their products significantly enhance the standard features and create the user a number of additional amenities. One such program is SPB Pocket Plus from the company SPB Software.

SPB Pocket Plus. Developer - SPB Software, Website - www.spbsoftwarehouse.com, propagation conditions - shareware, the price of the program - 395.7 rubles. $ 24.95. Current version - 3.0. The program is available in several European languages. To download the program from the website, you must specify an email address and select your preferred language interface.

Available in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Russian menu.

Installing the program is traditional - it is possible to install via ActiveSync, or use a cab-file. If there are keys you can immediately establish a full-featured version that would otherwise have limited demo version, with registration already with the device. Since the package refers to the system tools, then install it better than the default system memory. When installed on a memory card, the program may not work correctly. After installing the need to restart the device.

Managers of information for communicators and smartphones running Windows Mobile Managers of information for communicators and smartphones running Windows Mobile
Managers of information for communicators and smartphones running Windows Mobile Managers of information for communicators and smartphones running Windows Mobile
After restarting, the screen immediately displays additional icons that are grouped into three sections - the main (Main), communications (Connections) and system (System).The program has a very flexible system configuration information displayed.

Setting plugins «Today».

Managers of information for communicators and smartphones running Windows Mobile Managers of information for communicators and smartphones running Windows Mobile
Managers of information for communicators and smartphones running Windows Mobile Managers of information for communicators and smartphones running Windows Mobile
Managers of information for communicators and smartphones running Windows Mobile Managers of information for communicators and smartphones running Windows Mobile
Managers of information for communicators and smartphones running Windows Mobile Managers of information for communicators and smartphones running Windows Mobile
SPB Pocket Plus allows you to group on-screen elements on the graph (bookmarks). Access to the settings screen elements "Today" is from the menu «Start» - «Settings» - «Personal» - «Today» - «Items». Select an element «Pocket Plus» and called it an option. In the window «Tabs» You can also change the names displayed graph, add or remove unneeded ones, edit the list of items displayed in each box. To adjust the displayed icons for each column select it and open the tab «Items». All the elements are grouped into categories that are indicators, programs, documents, system elements, settings, and miscellaneous.

Indicators - category icons battery, memory capacity and screen brightness. Programs - all the elements of the «Start-Programs» menu. Documents - all items in the folder «My Documents». System - special items, including soft reset button, increase / decrease the speaker volume, a button to switch topics. In the category «Custom» You can add a link to any file or folder in its sole discretion.

Put down a mark in front of the necessary elements, you'll see them on the main screen of the communicator. As an example, has created a new tab (column) «Reader», which was appointed to the icon from the general list at number 59 (just a list submitted 82 icons).Then in this box were placed icons for the programs involved «Haali reader» and «Pocket Word».

Customizing the icons.

Managers of information for communicators and smartphones running Windows Mobile Managers of information for communicators and smartphones running Windows Mobile
Managers of information for communicators and smartphones running Windows Mobile Managers of information for communicators and smartphones running Windows Mobile
Pocket Plus is characterized by support to numerous topics for the screen. And each theme has its own set of graphical icons. With the help of «Appearance» this set can be controlled. As possible options for supporting the original, relevant theme set of icons, or the preservation of indicators relevant standard «Blue Ext» theme.

Using bookmarks «Margins» You can force the cell sizes to accommodate the icon. Varying the length and width of the cell to optimize placement of the maximum number of icons on the screen. Note in the top of the window enables / disables the output of a specific indicator of the program settings.

The last window allows you to set the same size for a bookmark (Count) of the main screen and enable the alignment of icons to the left of the main window.

Form of icons, and sort order can be changed directly on the main screen. Pressing and holding the stylus allows you to enable Automatic Sort, increasing the size of icons, its replacement, adding directly to the screen of new elements, deleting indicators. The program also supports drag and drop items from one side of the screen to another (Drug & Drop).

Additional options.

If all the innovations of the program is only to change the graphical representation of the elements, they would be insufficient for the general popularity of the package.One of the main features of the utility is to confer additional functions the main program and controls the communicator.

Managers of information for communicators and smartphones running Windows Mobile Managers of information for communicators and smartphones running Windows Mobile
Managers of information for communicators and smartphones running Windows Mobile Managers of information for communicators and smartphones running Windows Mobile
Managers of information for communicators and smartphones running Windows Mobile Managers of information for communicators and smartphones running Windows Mobile
Button «Close»

By default, the Windows Mobile operating system button «Close» does not close the application, but only turns it into the tray. Such a function is justified for most frequently used applications and significantly increases the speed of response. System do not need every time again to start the program, simply restore it from a minimized state. However, this solution has its downside. When you run a large number of programs, they begin to occupy too much space in system memory, which is especially critical for the devices of previous years of release, in which the volume of this memory does not exceed 32 MB. In this case the effect is the exact opposite - instead of a quick opening has to wait a few minutes running the utility. Settings button «Close» provide the most flexible approach to solving this problem. From point «Menu» selected items that are included when you click «Close». Then in the window «Button» customize the behavior of the button when pressed once, hold or stroke.In the last window you can specify a program, an exception which will be minimized to tray instead of closing.

Pocket Internet Explorer

Managers of information for communicators and smartphones running Windows Mobile Managers of information for communicators and smartphones running Windows Mobile
Managers of information for communicators and smartphones running Windows Mobile Managers of information for communicators and smartphones running Windows Mobile
Managers of information for communicators and smartphones running Windows Mobile Managers of information for communicators and smartphones running Windows Mobile
Pocket Plus adds new features in Pocket Internet Explorer. When you use the package it is possible to open links in new window, save pages and images, copy links to clipboard. Also supported full-screen mode. Also implemented the possibility of closing all windows with one click.

File Explorer

Managers of information for communicators and smartphones running Windows Mobile Managers of information for communicators and smartphones running Windows Mobile
Managers of information for communicators and smartphones running Windows Mobile Managers of information for communicators and smartphones running Windows Mobile
Capabilities built into the system file manager is very limited, but the program adds new features for this utility.

There is support for zip-archives - the choice is proposed to extract the file archive. Also supported zapakovke files in the archive. There was optional memory card, set passwords for files and folders, change file attributes. One of the most significant change was the addition of a standard guide to the main menu button, move up one level.Of course, for experienced users of the standard Explorer, even with additional capabilities significantly inferior in functionality to specialized programs (eg, such as Resco File Explorer), but for most of these additions are enough.

Safe Mode

Managers of information for communicators and smartphones running Windows Mobile
The program allows automatic activation of the boot in Safe Mode, if after restart the device to hang and not respond to button presses and stylus. This regime is urgently needed for those who are constantly setting new applications, which can lead to hard reset with data loss. In this mode only loaded system components without any additional services and startup programs. Sam Pocket Plus also does not load. Mode is identical to booting in safe mode the PC. Thus, if your system crashes the user can remove the program in safe mode, leading to system failure, and do without the Hard reset, resulting in complete data loss.

Tools

Managers of information for communicators and smartphones running Windows Mobile Managers of information for communicators and smartphones running Windows Mobile
Managers of information for communicators and smartphones running Windows Mobile Managers of information for communicators and smartphones running Windows Mobile
Managers of information for communicators and smartphones running Windows Mobile Managers of information for communicators and smartphones running Windows Mobile
The program includes standard tools for backup and restore program settings. Additional options include the ability to enable support for repetitive signals reminders and memory card. However, when they activate a warning about the incomplete compatibility of certain devices based on Windows Mobile, which can lead to complete loss of data. To be used to test the program communicator Qtek S110 a repeat reminder alarms built into the system, so these indicators are not used.

Support order

Managers of information for communicators and smartphones running Windows Mobile Managers of information for communicators and smartphones running Windows Mobile
Managers of information for communicators and smartphones running Windows Mobile Managers of information for communicators and smartphones running Windows Mobile
In the standard provides several themes that change the background color and graphic design of the screen. In addition to standard topics on the developer's site there are a large number of additional themes desktop.

Additions to the program

The standard package can be integrated with complementary programs of the same developer. The most used and popular include SPB Whether, SPB Diary, SPB Finance. However, only their list is not limited, so additions to the basic package will be discussed in a separate review.

Impressions and Conclusions

Describe all the features of the package in one, even more reviews, is quite difficult. He is a designer, from which we can build a representation of information on your device, based on their needs and taste. Configured almost everything, and the interface is intuitive and visually very simple. But behind this simplicity conceals enormous opportunities. At some point in time you catch yourself thinking that messing with the settings of the program simply fun. And when the program is fully configured, it appears that its use eliminates many extra utilities. In this case, attention is drawn to the price of the program, especially for users from Russia and CIS countries. In terms of price / performance in its class it is almost without equal.

A fully-functional version for testing is provided by SPB Software. Testing was conducted on the device package Qtek S110, provided by Vobis.