iDesk 1.42 released

[Arjen]

iDesk 1.42 has been released. iDesk is a very versatile desktop replacement for Nokia 9300/9500 devices.

iDesk is now a FreEPOC release. The latest version contains lots of new usability enhancements and a fixes all known bugs from previous versions. You can download iDesk 1.42 from the FreEPOC wesite of from my own homepage.

Best regards
Arjen

Edit: the downloads link on my own homepage wasn't updated, so the new version cannot be found on the downloads page. I will update the page later. For now, you can download iDesk 1.42 from FreEPOC.org or from the following direct link.

[slitchfield]

Thanks, I've front-paged this! 8-)

And your downloads page looks OK now too...

Steve

[cedesguin]

I installed it too, as powerdesk crashes too often.. Seems to be much more reliable, but at one condition: the default "startup" sub-folder must not be renamed but purely and simply deleted or left empty (unless you want to have some applications launched when iDesk starts). If not, all entries in the folder (even if renamed) will start every time you launch iDesk.

I suggest the author to create a default layout with an empty "startup" sub-folder, plus an "office" sub-folder containing "document", "spreadsheet", "presentation", "acrobat reader" and "calculator", plus a "tools" sub-folder containing "control panel", "backup" and "connection manager" (for example). This would make clear how to use iDesk efficiently.

Also, if you choose to not display the "header" in the general preferences, anything you specify in the "title" format string will not be shown.

Nice tool anyway.

[ms139us]

Wirelessly posted (9500: Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 5.0; Series80/2.0 Nokia9500/05.22 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1))

Originally Posted by Arjen

iDesk 1.42 has been released. iDesk is a very versatile desktop replacement for Nokia 9300/9500 devices.

iDesk is now a FreEPOC release. The latest version contains lots of new usability enhancements and a fixes all known bugs from previous versions. You can download iDesk 1.42 from the FreEPOC wesite of from my own homepage.

Best regards
Arjen

Edit: the downloads link on my own homepage wasn't updated, so the new version cannot be found on the downloads page. I will update the page later. For now, you can download iDesk 1.42 from FreEPOC.org or from the following direct link.

Argh! I am posting on my 9500 using the terrble AAS WAP pages and this posting editor makes the Unix 'ed' look like a dream editor. Anyway, I have been using iDesk for a day now and it simply rocks! Kudos! This is the closest to macro5 simplicity and power I havev seen on the 9500. Letting Ctrl-space cycle through the task list is worth this product alone. Many, many thanks!

[Raven]

iDesk is undoubtedly a great freeware app, but I still prefer PowerDesk. How Cedesguin can claim that PowerDesk is unstable is beyond my comprehension. To me it is the other way around. Even though this latest version of iDesk is much more stable than previous versions, it is far from as well polished as PowerDesk, IMO. Some of which may be because PD is a native Symbian app, while iDesk is written in OPL. In general I've found that OPL and Java apps are just not as stable as those native c++ apps - which is understandable of course.

PowerDesk has a few features I've come to rely on that are missing from iDesk, such as 'actions hotkeys' for things like; New call, new SMS, new e-mail, new meeting etc. So, when I need to write an SMS to someone I can, as an example, just press Chr and the first letter in that persons name and I will be brought directly to the message editor with that persons number in the 'To' field. I find that incredibly handy. Another feature I use all the time is Chr + L to keep the backlight in always ON mode. Useful when reading e-books and browsing the web. The Today view is also quite useful, but not really a necessity.

And of course iDesk has a few features that are missing from PowerDesk, but nothing I would find essential. It's a matter of preferences to a large extent too I would say. I just like the way PD looks and works much better, but iDesk is not doubt a great freeware alternative.


EDIT: I just noticed the features planned for the next releases of iDesk - awesome! Maybe that will finally sway me away from PD, seeing as the good people at SymbianWare seems to have vanished from the face of the earth...

Plans for next releases:

• Find a fix for the fact that the "Desk" and "My Own" keys cannot be used in hotkey combinations after firmware version 5.22
• Macro's - create and run Macro 5 compatible Macros
• Import for Notes and Passwords
• Scheduled start of applications, files etc
• Screensaver
• Automatic screenlock with password
• Directly send notes and documents via email, infrared or bluetooth
• Auto-detect new installed applications and offer to add them to folder

[mooneqs]

Originally Posted by Raven

Another feature I use all the time is Chr + L to keep the backlight in always ON mode. Useful when reading e-books and browsing the web.

Plans for next releases:

• Macro's - create and run Macro 5 compatible Macros
  

iDesk can run Roman Keller's Light Plus utility to turn the backlight on permanently. I use MobiPocket and I don't have any problem with the backlight.

I have been using iDesk since 1.20 (I think!) and I now find it indispensable. But, I'm really looking forward to the Macro running version which will turn it into a killer app!

Regards,
Martin

[Arjen]

It's nice to see so many different opinions in one thread :-)

iDesk was never intended as a replacement for Powerdesk. It just slowly grew in this direction, based on requests from users and things I found handy myself. I also think Powerdesk is a great application (as you can see from the AAS review I've written about it).

I do not completely agree with Raven that OPL applications are not quite as stable as their C++ counterparts. There are a couple of glitches in OPL (mostly related to redrawing screen elements like titlebar, statusfield and CBA-area) but sofar I've found nothing that makes OPL applications crash more often than C++ applications. Most of the time when an application crashes, it's due to a programming error (and since I also make mistakes, iDesk is no exception -although the latest version is quite stable :-)
The only drawback for OPL is the fact that it's interpreted which makes it somewhat slower than C++ applications.

@Cedesguin: I like the "default setup" scenario you've described. I'll add that in the next iDesk version. Another addition to the "plans for next version" is the backlight. Since Roman stopped his OPL development completely (and it's getting more and more difficult to download his software), I think this would be a useful addition to iDesk as well. Messaging is something I'm looking into, but that takes a little more work, since the native support of OPL in this area is quite limited.

Cheers, Arjen

[andygrunt]

Good stuff. This version has the two functions I was hoping for:

1 - Ability to add buttons that allows you to open file manager at a specific folder
2 - Being able to add sub folders in iDesk.

My one wish for future versions... have it keep the buttons and settings from this version so I don't have to set them up again.

I got the impression this would happen for this version when I was installing it and got the option to check/uncheck various options and settings but although I elected to keep all available settings, it was all gone when I started iDesk and had to set it up again.

Did I do something wrong or is this how it should act?

[cedesguin]

Originally Posted by Raven

How Cedesguin can claim that PowerDesk is unstable is beyond my comprehension.

Well it crashes for sure on my Communicator, but I admit it's perhaps a specific problem. PD is great otherwise, I agree. I will check it again when I have time to upgrade my firmware (currently 4.51). Last time I upgraded, Nokia service centre crashed the device and I had to wait three weeks to have it back from them...

BTW, I also have persistent crashes with ALL Psiloc stuff with my present configuration, so I uninstalled all Psiloc products until further notice.

Obviously, I am not lucky.

[Raven]

Well, I have the same firmware and PD never crashes on me.

Btw., Psiloc sucks. It is one of very few Symbian developers that make unstable software. I stopped using their apps years ago. Nothing but problems.

[andygrunt]

After installing the latest version of iDesk as per the instructions, I've found that 'Rebooter' no longer runs. It says 'OPLUTILS.OPX' is missing.

Did I do something wrong and what can I do to fix it?

[Tomahawk]

I just installed iDesk 1.42 on my 9500 (5.22). This is the 1st time I have tried the app and I am mightily impressed! I'm only beginning to understand what iDesk can do - I wish I had started with an early version and grown with the program. Well done Arjen and please keep up the good work.

I seem to be frequently turning Bluetooth active / inactive - it is a pain to have to scroll down the Control Panel list to Connections and then across to Bluetooth every time. Is it possible to create a link straight to the Bluetooth page? If so, how? If not, is it something that could be built into iDesk somehow?

Thanks,

Tomahawk

[Arjen]

Originally Posted by andygrunt

After installing the latest version of iDesk as per the instructions, I've found that 'Rebooter' no longer runs. It says 'OPLUTILS.OPX' is missing.

Did I do something wrong and what can I do to fix it?

You didn't do anything wrong. Rebooter relies on OplUtils.opx. Why it was deinstalled when you uninstalled iDesk is a mistery, but then again, it seems that there are many bugs in the Symbian installer for the 9300/9500.

You don't need to install Rebooter if you have iDesk installed. iDesk includes a rebooter as well. You can assign it to a button or assign a hotkey for it through the "Tools"-"iDesk hotkeys".

If you want Rebooter to work again, you should reinstall the application.

Hope this helps.

Cheers, Arjen

[Arjen]

Originally Posted by Tomahawk

I seem to be frequently turning Bluetooth active / inactive - it is a pain to have to scroll down the Control Panel list to Connections and then across to Bluetooth every time. Is it possible to create a link straight to the Bluetooth page? If so, how? If not, is it something that could be built into iDesk somehow?

I hope I'm not misunderstanding your questions, but activating/deactivating Bluetooth can be done very easily already. Just press Chr-Left arrow. On my Communicator this toggles Bluetooth.

Cheers, Arjen

[Tomahawk]

You are not missing anything at all - I was! Amazing what you find on a keyboard if you look hard enough! Thanks!