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Improvement List

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March 28, 2007 - 5:48pm
#1
RedCider
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Improvement List

I use PAM now for a few months and it's simply great. As a lot of people I have some suggestions, of which a few have already been mentioned a lot of times.

  • Disable Transparency
  • Stick Apps to the top of the list (like in windows xp start menu)
  • Group Apps
  • Favorites (Apps that should be launched when portable apps starts - could be an icon in the right list)
  • Rename Apps
  • autoupdate of PAM
  • Right Klick on tray symbol shows menu with "start of favorites", "hide/show","close"
  • Link from Portable Apps logo to the site
  • Small built-in calender and time at the lower right corner (not important but handy on systems with restricted rights, because the calender/time access in tray is blocked)

So what do u around here think about these suggestions especially the "favorites" and "stick to top" thing?

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March 28, 2007 - 5:55pm
Simeon
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Well

The "favourites"-idea is nice although I don't have any use for it. The "sticky to the top" feature is a good idea that was never mentioned before (AFAIK) but is kinda included in the "group Apps" feature.
Autoupdate is not so important for me. Im around enough to get all the news. But its true, it could be handy for people you give the suite to and they are not so into portable app-ing that they would check for updates every month. But I think it would be too hard to include.

"Physics is like sex. Sure, it may give some practical results, but that's not why we do it." - Richard P. Feynman

"What about Love?" - "Overrated. Biochemically no different than eating large quantities of chocolate." - Al Pacino in The Devils Advocate

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March 28, 2007 - 6:57pm
dragonmage
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Why

would you want to disable transparency?

Stick apps to the top and group apps could both be done by a "Manage Menu" dialog

I won't swear to it but I think auto launching was being planned

Rename of apps I guess would also fit nicely in "Manage Menu"

Auto-Update good idea, but I think there should be an option for "Install Betas" for the adventurous types.

I'm pretty sure a rightclick systray menu is planned

"Link from Portable Apps logo to the site" good idea except that I'm pulling for the ability for skinners to modify or remove the logo

Calendar! hadn't thought of that, more likely though it would be just a text time/date deal maybe with customizable format...

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March 28, 2007 - 8:19pm
(Reply to #3)
RedCider
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Transparency slows down some

Transparency slows down some old machines Wink

Actually I think that rename, stick apps and groups could implemented by rightklick on the list and organizing the groups by drag and drop. I find it somehow more... intuitive, but when I think about it a bit more it depends on the user.

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March 29, 2007 - 11:23pm
(Reply to #4)
dragonmage
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Transparency

I don't think this type of transparency slows machines down. I think the alpha-transparency or "see through" type of stuff (which PAM doesn't do) is what you have to worry about.

I was going to say before if you just wanted a perfectly square menu then you could just make your own theme.

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March 28, 2007 - 7:53pm
Timothy Forster
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My list of recommendations

Thief! you stole my ideas!...

Really, I think that many feel the same way. I know that I've been looking for similar improvements myself. I'd also like to see the following:

  • tracking by PAM of which of it's apps are currently running, similar to U3
  • Autorun particular apps (not as a "Favorites" list, though a good idea)
  • an initial password prompt (with encryption if possible, though very unlikely)
  • a wallpaper swapper for when PAM is running, again similar to U3
  • automatic safe-eject when PAM is closed via the "X" button, U3 idea again

I don't know how feasable these ideas would be to add, but I know that some of them do make U3 look more attractive to the average user.

Timothy Forster

Timothy Forster

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March 28, 2007 - 8:21pm
(Reply to #6)
RedCider
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why not call the favorites

why not call the favorites list "autorun list" this term fits my idea a bit more

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March 29, 2007 - 2:56pm
Aciago
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About too heavy improvements.-

Don't you think all those improvements increase the size of the application?

I just want to auto-start favorites, edit apps names, and personalize menu... for example, I don't care the pictures, video and explore folders, and don't use the backup utility (I sync folders)...

If a packet hits a pocket on a socket on a port,
and the bus is interrupted as a very last resort,
and the address of the memory makes your floppy disk abort,
then the socket packet pocket has an error to report Biggrin

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March 29, 2007 - 4:17pm
(Reply to #8)
RedCider
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so what more did i mention

so what more did i mention in my post? the improvements i suggested were from my point of view just some sort of better usability and you mentioned half of them. As you say for example you sync your folders and that's pretty smart.

from my point of view a sync function should be included in the menu because it's somehow a portable office and there should be some basic functions, which a lot of users would use. backup is included but why not extend it to a sync function which more people would use. it's just a step forward.

I don't want to suggest that PAM should be an all in one solution, but somethings would make life easier and the app more usable and usefull to mainstream users.

The reason for this post of mine is, that i wanted to tell the guys around here my suggestions and somehow make a poll with arguments why something should be included or why something shouldn't.

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March 29, 2007 - 5:03pm
(Reply to #9)
Simeon
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Basically, there are 2 ways

One is to make it a huge "all-in-one app".
One is to keep it simple and for example use PUSS for syncing.
I hope John is taking "keep it simple" way with some customisation features.

"Physics is like sex. Sure, it may give some practical results, but that's not why we do it." - Richard P. Feynman

"What about Love?" - "Overrated. Biochemically no different than eating large quantities of chocolate." - Al Pacino in The Devils Advocate

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March 29, 2007 - 6:35pm
(Reply to #10)
RedCider
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In the end it is John's

In the end it is John's decision and I think he will do what he thinks is best.

But i think a sync function would be more usefull than a backup function because a backup could also be done by a sync.

I think when u launch apps from usb and offer folders for documents, pics and movies, there should be a way to sync and encrypt them. PUSS is great and should imao be integrated in PAM. In the end it doesn't matter if you use it, look at the filesize of puss... its nothing and the layout of PAM wouldn't even change. But for users who want to install PAM and run it "out of the box" without a lot of research it would be a reason to use PAM instead of U3.

Concerning your answer I don't really understand why it isn't simple if a sync function is integrated. I think it makes the WORK with PAM much easier and more simple. You don't need to use it if you don't need it. I really understand what you mean but I think it's an essential feature.

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March 29, 2007 - 7:17pm
(Reply to #11)
SmithTech
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I have to agree, a sync

I have to agree, a sync function makes more sense.
I use SmartSync Pro to sync my flash drive with my pc every time I plug it in.
So the flash drive is a backup of my documents on my pc
and my pc is a backup of the files on my flash drive.
Also a profile option based on machine (or processor serial #) name would be a good addition(something smartsync doesn't have) so it could be run on startup automatically and know to only sync files it it was plugged into a certain pc.

For those who have fought for it, freedom has a flavor the protected will never know.

"Because they stand on a wall and say, 'Nothing is going to hurt you tonight. Not on my watch.'" (A Few Good Men)
Coincidence is God's way of remaining anonymous.(Albert Einstein)

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April 5, 2007 - 6:32am
(Reply to #12)
RogerL
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synching

Why do you sync every time you plug in rather than just before you eject it?

Doesn't your way mean you don't backup until your next session so that if you lost your flash drive you've lost the last piece of work?

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April 5, 2007 - 12:24pm
alanbcohen
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One additional improvement idea

I like the portable apps idea very much and use the menu everyday. But there is one additional request for those of us with old eyes. If you have more items in the menu list than can be displayed at one time, the list is scrollable with VERY difficult to see arrows at the top and bottom of the list. Would it be possible to make one of the following available:
- color the arrows in contrast to the background, perhaps in tune with the theme, or,

- instead of top/bottom arrows, a scroll bar along the side of the menu?

Along with the suggestion to be able to exclude some items from the menu, this could add more usability to the menu program.

Alan

edit: removed oneof the suggestions.

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April 5, 2007 - 12:50pm
alexweber
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To be honest only 2 things

To be honest only 2 things bother me:

- the documents, videos and music shortcuts and folders should be optional and removeable or at least customizable because I don't really carry music or videos around Smile

- i'd like to see a button to eject the portable device (kind of like in the U3 menu), it's a nice little time-saver!

Alex

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April 8, 2007 - 10:06pm
(Reply to #15)
Timothy Forster
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Ditto

Ditto

Timothy Forster

Timothy Forster

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April 9, 2007 - 12:35am
(Reply to #16)
Patrick Patience
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That button.

Is coming. Smile

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