[cheewee]

Author: Alex Choo aka Rivaldo
Edited by: cheewee
Date: 5 May 2005

Introduction
It's a known fact that many Pocket PC owners choose to install third-party launchers on their devices. Such utilities translate to better user experiences as they offer easy-to-use and customizable icons on your Today screen. Hence, all it takes is merely a single tap to activate various programs. Prior to this, a user has to go through a series of cumbersome steps before getting to the desired application.

The following are some popular freeware launchers you choose from. A word of caution, though. It's best to install them in the handheld's main memory to ensure hassle-free operation.


cLaunch
Think of cLaunch as the original tdLaunch on steriods. This "Made in Singapore" variant lets you can create tabs to group various applications. For instance, you can have an "Internet" tab for apps such as Wireless Modem, Internet Explorer, MSN Messenger, etc and another called "Media" for Windows Media, Pictures and other multimedia software.



To install, choose between desktop or CAB installation. For the desktop method, download the Zip package, extract the executable file and run it by double-clicking on it. CAB file installation requires you to copy it to a folder on your device first. Then launch File Explorer, manually navigate to the directory and tap on the CAB to install cLaunch automatically.

Download your copy at http://pachome1.paci...ic/claunch.html


tdLaunch
If you prefer something simpler, you can opt for the original tdLaunch. This version loses the tab capability but still offers a customizable row of icons to launch varieties programs.



Head over to http://www.nakka.com/soft/ptools to download.


Launcher
Similar to tdLaunch, Launcher presents a row of clickable icons to your most used apps. To load the utility, just download the ZIP file and extract the executable file inside. Copy the file to a folder on your Pocket PC and run it.



Here comes the tedious part. You need to manually copy shortcuts of the desired programs to the \Launcher directory and they will appear in your Today screen.

Launcher can be found at http://www.scottandm...tt/cestuff.html


PHM Launcher
If you group your programs neatly into folders, PHM Launcher may be worth checking out. It lets you select various folders to be presented and launched. You can map it to a button for quick access too.



There are a few of downloads to choose, ranging from ARM, MIPS, and SH3. Download the relevant one to your device and install. Unless you are using an ancient CE device, the ARM version should work fine.

Check out PHM Launcher at http://www.phm.lu/Pr...cketPC/Launcher


Others
Seeing the void and demand, some developers integrate similar capabilities into their software. A good example is Battery Pack Pro, a memory monitoring tool. Plus there is Spb Pocket Plus, a popular task manager that comes equipped with a launcher as well.

[vicott]

hhx83, on Sep 29 2005, 04:30 PM, said:

:confused: yO~ guys. Just wana ask a quick qns: which websites out there can i finds lotsa free game downloads for my ppc?
:wink:

You can try this thread for a start. I have already listed some of the popular free games & freeware sites there. :smile:

[monsterous]

Downloaded Launcher.. very useful. But the device is not stable nowadays. Hang @ ti,es. Wonder is it cos of this download..

[bigrockshow]

most probably not cos i've tried it and it maintains very well. try stopping other programs running in the background and start it up again =)