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January 27, 2011 - 6:48am
#1
sl23
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Suggestions...

I almost gave up on this menu but am looking forward to the new features. Hopefully it won't be too much longer but i do know that when it's done it'll be done right!

I've tried almost every type of portable menu i could find some have better features but only one came close to stability. That was CodySafe. But i prefer PA.com to that Smile

Now for some suggestions, which i understand won't be implemented til some future version!

1. I'd like to see the menu have an option to change to a dockable bar. Like Advanced Launcher, with all it's features.

2. I would also like to be able to monitor CPU, RAM and d/l u/l speeds. Perhaps via plugins similar to WinBar.

3. As i just mentioned, plugins, more specifically via third party. This would help further the development of the platform whilst lightening the load on the in house dev team.

4. Another feature is one i need for adding apps in an alternate (sub)directory. I have alot of non-PA.com apps contained in sub-directories of the apps folder. I do this to categorise them for other menus and simply organisation. Please add an auto search for other user specified dir's

I'd also like categories and portable file association but i believe they're coming in the next release so nuff said. It's a shame it's taking so long but i'm sure it'll be worth it. Thanks to everyone at PA.com because of you I no longer install anything on my pc except AVG.

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January 27, 2011 - 8:23am
Darkbee
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Quick Comments

I don't think I've ever seen a menu that incorporates computer monitoring, unless you include Winbar 1's launcher as a "menu". Speaking of Winbar, do you know that 1 and 2 are portable? That's a good compromise between having the menu you want and still being able to monitor PC stuff.

It will be interesting to see where the PAM development goes once 2 is released.

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January 28, 2011 - 6:05am
(Reply to #2)
sl23
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Monitoring on a menu could be

Monitoring on a menu could be a first but why not? The menu already monitors drive space is it not possible to add extra monitors? I'm no programmer so have no idea.

The idea of using other apps to monitor is an obvious one which i already do. It does however mean more apps running using more system resources. I make music on my laptop and need all i can get, the fewer programs running the better. It helps me to know how much is being used and i'm sure the PA team would do a spot on job of it.

The option to change the menu to a toolbar is also helpful so the monitoring could be seen without being a hindrance. Whilst also containing icons on the toolbar similar to alentums alaunch.

I currently use four menus, obviously this one but also have rocket dock for most used but don't like the monitoring docklets as the dock offer to be quite large to see them properly also few seem to work properly, don't monitor properly or freeze. Systats doesn't work either for me possibly due to vista? I also use Liberkey for apps not included here as the menu has auto updater. Trouble with it is it's bit buggy. Lastly i have alaunch for all my apps, the thing i like about it is that it can show the contents of a folder as a menu.

Thanks for all your replies

Live for an ideal and leave no place in the mind for anything else.

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January 28, 2011 - 8:01am
(Reply to #3)
J Neutron
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Interesting, but...

I think that your idea for extensibility of the menu is a good thing in general. It is also good that you keep an eye on the resources utilization of any programs you are running.

However, changing the menu to have the capability would most likely impose a performance hit of some kind, don't you think? And how would the monitoring within the menu or plug-in be any different than running the menu and then a monitoring software?

The only difference might be a reduction of the number of programs that show in the Task Manager, which would appear to be "better" when you have that specific focus (goal), but probably wouldn't matter much in the long run.

neutron1132 (at) usa (dot) com

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January 28, 2011 - 10:25am
(Reply to #4)
solanus
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Some good points.

In fact, I am a fan of leaving the menu as simple as possible, and I think most new features should be added by adding new apps, rather than forcing them into the menu.
Sure, maybe some people want to have a system monitor built into the menu, but what if I don't want it or the increased CPU/memory load? Same goes with file association, fonts, full-screen desktop, etc. Of course, there are certain improvements to the menu that nearly everyone asks for, and are specific to its function as a menu (categories is a great example), and they should be incorporated into the menu.

In a tangential example - I love the ability of Firefox to use plugins, and I've tried a lot of them. At one point I was a plugin hoarder, until I realized two things: 1. All those plugins were slowing my browser to a crawl and 2. I only used a couple of them frequently, and most of them I never used at all. So I uninstalled all but the most essential, and my performance went back up.

Back to the main point. IMHO, besides performance, the best thing about using plugins or separate apps to extend functionality is that I get to CHOOSE what I use, and ditch what I don't need.

I made this half-pony, half-monkey monster to please you.

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January 28, 2011 - 3:07pm
(Reply to #5)
J Neutron
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Yeah, choices

That's pretty funny... I think I went the same route, trying just about every extension in Firefox that sounded even remotely reasonable. Now I run with a minimum of them, and it works well.

neutron1132 (at) usa (dot) com

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January 27, 2011 - 9:02am
sweepsnregs
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hey, i Googled ''Advanced

hey, i Googled ''Advanced Launcher'' and I got as suggestions XBMC, Android, and Lite. Here it ain't about smartphone so...r u talking about this? http://alentum.com/alaunch (wanna look/see...got URL for Winbar too?)

plugins/addons...good suggestion! like getting extra workers without paying them or buy them health insurance Wink

do u also have a FIREWALL running or just AVG only? BTW, some1 told me if using Linux/Mythbuntu, u don't need security SWs...TRUE?! If not, what r the avast and ZoneAlarm equivalents for Mythbuntu...or for that matter, trusted Linux SW repositories? recommendations?

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January 27, 2011 - 10:04am
solanus
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Plugins...

Y'know, the only thing that the menu needs to make plugins a reality is the option to automatically close an app on menu exit. Currently, the menu 2.0b5 has the option to set an app to "Start Automatically", but these apps need to be individually closed when you are ready to unplug and go.
So then you could use apps to accomplish your suggestions - perhaps RocketDock or Cylog Toolbox, etc, for your dockable bar, and Rainmeter, Glint or Winbar for your monitoring. (Winbar is not natively portable, but it should be easy enough to portablize it.)

I made this half-pony, half-monkey monster to please you.

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January 27, 2011 - 11:10am
(Reply to #8)
Darkbee
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Winbar not natively portable

Winbar 1.x or 2.x? 2.x writes settings to the application folder, I thought 1.x did the same but I could be mistaken. Is there a dependency problem with Winbar 1/2? I thought 1.x needs some VB runtimes but you're almost guaranteed they already exist on any given modern Win OS. I don't know for Winbar 2, but I do have it as part of my personal toolkit of apps. Perhaps I've missed something.

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January 28, 2011 - 4:30am
(Reply to #9)
sl23
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Please see my reply to

Please see my reply to Darkbee above regarding other apps. Probably the best alternative is Rainmeter but i really can't be bothered to figure out how to program the ini files as don't have the time. Even so, it's another resource drain.

Live for an ideal and leave no place in the mind for anything else.

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January 27, 2011 - 11:28am
tgrantt
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Suggestion 1

This isn't for everybody, but I run Appetizer http://app.etizer.org/ and put my most used dozen apps on it, and float it. I include Portablespps Menu on that dock. I load Appetizer always first thing, and then load PAM when I need the less used programs, or to update apps, or when I want to see Seven-of-Nine (thanks to the great Voyager theme.)

Just my $0.02

I am not my signature.

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January 27, 2011 - 12:10pm
(Reply to #11)
Darkbee
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Logical Approach

I'm actually starting to do a similar thing except I'm using Cylog's Toolbox and ASuite. I find that I'm only using 20% of the apps 80% of the time (Is that how the 80/20 rule goes? :?), and so minimizing the number of applications I can actually see, at least initially works quite well.

Are we up to $0.04 now?

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