TRgEOff

**Edit, May 22: New version Apt 1.1 released, see Post #24 in this thread **

Pent, a developer at 1src, has recently released v1.0 of Apt, a program whose original purpose was to provide application-by-application control over many of the general prefs (e.g. screen brightness, alarm level, auto-off time, etc). But it quickly evolved to do a wide (rather bewildering) range of other useful things typically covered by "utility" apps. It's impossible to pin down Apt's broad and penetrating functionality in a simple way - rather it's best to look over the wikidot User Guide et al at:

http://apt-palm.wikidot.com/start

If you get the hang of Apt, you might find yourself deleting some of your own utility apps whose functionality is fully or partly provided by Apt - all with a very small footprint. Even if these other apps do their own job excellently, I find it nice to have so many functions centralized (and generally with much more detailed control). As yet, time-related controls, as you would find in a profile manager, are not implemented, but they should come along soon.

There is a free version - AptLite. Personally I think its a drag that this is a feature-limited rather than a time-limited test version.

I'm not affiliated with the app in any way. I've just played a minor part in the discussions at 1src and would be happy to see the app take off so its development continues. But Ive only tapped into it in a superficial manner - so if you want answers to tech questions you should post at the 1src or wikidot forums

cheers

geoff

Scott_L

Apt is definitely one of the most powerful Palm apps to come along in a while. It allows more functional customization than any other app I've seen. It saves button pushing, strokes, taps, etc. You can create scripted macros that are triggered by events or input. It's tough to explain all it can do - I agree that you have to try it. In addition to all of the cool things it can do, it has also allowed me to remove a handful of apps off my device.

Please note that this is not meant for "newbies" though some may just get it

There are nearly 1,300 posts in this closed thread. Here's the link to the new/replacement thread geoff mentioned at 1src. Please do not post to the old one - I only listed it because it's where we all learned to use this app since day 1.

prubin

What are some of the apps this replaces that you could eliminate?

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Laissez Faire

TRgEOff

We now have a thread on the Apt wikidot page devoted to this very question

Deleted by me personally:

AppLock
TreoMax
TreoOffOn
TreoWink
AutoOff
ClockPop5

Deleted by others:

DisplayManager
Event Launcher
Dimmer
Bird
HandyAid
Switch5
ButtonsEx
McPhling
(possibly 2PlayMe when Apt 1.1 comes out)

Other "part" replacements:

One poster also stopped using the Quick Launch feature of ZLauncher, (which tends to slow down the system).
Some MyKbd macros
The Command-Bar+ letter launching feature of MacroPlayer

Ill keep you updated if the list grows

cheers

geoff

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geoff

Treo 650 1.20 LAP.

Babywayne

So far I have none of the apps on this list. I guess I am comfortable with the apps I have on my device.

TRgEOff

hehe, yes it does tend to attract those who have got into obsessive fine-tuning of their Palms.

but my most used features are actually very simple ones - controlling AutoOff times and screen brightnesss on a per-application basis. There are a number of apps that I dont want to switch off after three minutes, so its very handy not to have to use, say, TreoWink to tell those apps to ignore my general atutoOff time every time I use them.

cheers

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geoff

Treo 650 1.20 LAP.

Treo Musketeers

The last time I used APT (then PAP) it seemed very promising, but still was exclusively for the T/X. My understanding is that it has been updated for the Treos. My only issue with it, is that it seemed designed for the more geekie users, and not for us non-techie folks. I found much of the discussion in the threads (which I read for a long time) to be way over my head and I'm no slouch. Pent appears to have created a Master Macro app, that does a variety of things, that even he, as the developer, hadn't thought of originially. This brings me to my question. Has the app APT, been made more user friendly so that us nontechnical people can get maximum use of it as well? To me that was the only thing that would make this a widely used and accepted product or a product for just the Treo intellectual elite. Please understand that I in no way am putting down Apt, its developer or its current users. I wish I knew all the stuff these people know. Thanks.

Stu

TRgEOff

TreoMusketeers

Short answer - no. It is not easier to use, perhaps more difficult than back in PAP days. This is not to deny that Pent has not introduced many improvments to the GUI, but their positive contributions to ease 0f use have been perhaps outweighed by the addition of many "power-user" features.

That was part of the reason I said in first my own use of Apt is "superficial" - some newly-added aspects of Apt I still dont understand.

But what providesa lot of balance to the difficulty of use is the excellent User Guide being put together by 1src member pgr at the wikidot page. It has a multiplicity of approaches (eg common uses, application-specific examples) that really help me out.

Its hard for me to be totally objective as to how even more geeky it might now appear to say a total newcomer, since Ive kept pace with most new features. Having said these things I definitely dont see myself as a member of the Treo intellectual elite (eg I have no idea of programming).

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geoff

Treo 650 1.20 LAP.

TRgEOff

As to Treo/Centro usability, youre correct, its evolved to be of even more general use of Palm users. But actually it was never designed to be just limited to TX etc users. I have a 650 and have been using Apt since the early days. A lot of the most interested users at 1src (eg pgr) are indeed Tx, Lifedrive etc users, so there is that element of focus (eg in the userguide) which might put some potential users off. I personally just move on every time I come across a mention of graffiti or ronamatic stroke

cheers

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geoff

Treo 650 1.20 LAP.

Pgr

Hi everybody,

I just registered here to join this discussion... I'm a bit of an outsider since I don't actually own a Treo!! But I wish I did, that surely counts...

I'd just like to ask Stu (Treo Musketeers) to take a look at the site I helped develop for Apt, and at the latest version (1.1, currently Beta4, soon to be released) which has a few (ok, minor) improvements in usability.

I think your diagnostic of Apt's difficulty makes you a particularly interesting person for me to be talking to, because there are many more people out there who probably have similar concerns.

So, please tell me if the "Help" on the site is helping, what's too difficult, what's missing, etc. I'm hoping a LOT more people can benefit from Apt, not just the techies...

I can't speak for the developer, but I would say the objective is not to make Apt a totally easy-to-use app, because it is too powerful for that; but to make it simple to use when doing simple things with it, so that each person gets his/her right measure out of the app...

Thanks for your comments!

Ohappydaye

Apt for me is what ZLauncher was for me when I initially used it. I was sooo overwhelmed and didn't know where to begin right off. But as time has passed I found it to be more and more amazing, customizable and needed. I think it's just one of those apps that with a very detailed guide (Thanks Pgr) and time to fiddle with it will grow on you immensely. But you can't think you're going to learn it in a day, or week even (maybe). Pick a feature, learn it and move to the next one. Don't know if that will work for you, but it has proved helpful for me. It was also helpful that I kinda jumped in on the discussion over on 1src. It truly is something you have to install and get a feel for. Simply reading through the threads without it in front of you will blow your mind! lol

Scott_L

Apt is certainly an application that will take time to learn. Thanks to NVBackup and other great backup applications, it's easy to dig in an make a mess - with confidence. To get the most out of Apt, one will need to do a lot of experimentation, but do hit that wiki to see examples and such.

Much power can be gained with very simple settings. There are 2 pages of settings that you can configure on a "per app' basis. Here are some of the settings you can configure differently for each app when launched: System, Game, and Alarm Volumes, AutoOff time, Brightness, Screen orientation, DIA state, Statusbar state, Graffiti state, IR state, and Color theme (using Khroma). Beyond these settings you need to read a little, but it is worth the effort.

khaytsus

Drat, this program sounds very similar to HandyAid, which I loved on the 650 but never worked quite right on the 680.

I'll have to check this out sometime.

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Scott_L

HandyAid is one of the apps that Apt replaced for me. It's like HandyAid on steroids.

TRgEOff

Great to have you onboard Pgr! Apart from Pent himself, no-one understands Apt as well as you.

I bet youre already working on it, but I will be mighty glad when you add an explanation and/or a usage example for the new column "trigger conditions" to the User Guide. Also I'm not sure how one uses the "minutes after hours" trigger.

Yes Apt is definitely an exercise in consciousness expansion. What's your nick on 1src, if you dont mind me asking?

cheers

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geoff

Treo 650 1.20 LAP.

Pgr

Actually, the idea is not touching the docs until version 1.1 officially comes out.
But when it does, I hope everybody gets their answers...

The minutes after hour is simply a trigger that goes off every hour. If you specify 20 minutes after hour, it goes off at 10:20, 11:20, 12:20, etc.

There's an Ohappydaye on 1src!

oldwolf

To all the folks concerned about the adv techie stuff, as mentioned above, it is similar to the move to Zlauncher I experienced as well. Now I can't do without it, & the basic stuff is adds great functionality.

On the basic level, besides the environmental per-app pref assignments (auto-off, brightness, etc), there are the 4 h/w button press & hold controls, a nice app locking feature (per-app) favorite lists, recent(ly used) apps, & back to last used. You can assign taps or strokes as triggers to do things.

Then there is full app launching via the Go buttons (works as is, but great for testing your changes), the ability to create popup lists, a star launching menu, assign a launch-by-letter list to an app, so you can launch anything fm within your calendar app- very efficient to have that capability- see your sched., get to apps you need.

Apt recognizes Treo buttons as well, to add even more flexibility in assigning responses to button presses.

Granted the last few features mentioned, like popup creation requires a slightly more-than-basic level to enter stuff into the trigger/target lists in the main screen, but there are examples in the wiki www.apt-pam.wikidot.com that will guide you through; not only learning the basics, but the more involved stuff as well. Being able to write macros was a very much a Zlauncher complexity thing for me, but once I got the hang of it - it is great.

Also, the 1src.com thread in the application forum is a great resource & the developer is there & he is very responsive...

Give it a look, check out the wiki, & enjoy!

Ohappydaye

That's me, I'm the same on every board. Note the Wonder Woman avatar on each as well.

write1here

Quick question, I tried the "lite" version and though it was terrific. However, I have paid the developer via PayPal as he instructed on his website (did this a week ago) and still have received nothing nor has he responded to an email. PayPal indicates he has not claimed the payment so just unsure what gives? Any ideas...?

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"This space intentionally left blank."

Pgr

The problem is you have a white patch in front of your eyes.

No, seriously, Paypal has been working fine and email to the developer is also very quickly responded. Something must have gone wrong. Maybe you can try reaching him again, and also leaving a message at

this thread in 1src.com or
these Apt forums

He's a regular visitor to both.

Good luck!