Spb Software House's Spb Pocket Plus 2.5

Spb Software House’s Spb Pocket Plus 2.5

While it is clear that the Windows Mobile platform is here to stay, there are some shortcomings of the base system that challenging and sometimes downright irritating. On my personal short list of these annoying “features” include:

No real “close” button. Applications still run in the background eating up resources
No easy way to find out how much battery life remains
No way to format a Storage Card
No multiple Pocket Internet Explorer windows

While the list is short, these shortcomings impact the usefulness of the platform, especially when away from the desktop PC. However, all of these “features” are addressed – and in my opinion corrected – with one simple application from Spb Software House. Spb Pocket Plus is a Today plug-in that has multiple functions both on the Today screen as well as in the Windows Mobile 2002 or 2003 shell. Simply put, Spb Pocket Plus is a must-have application as it brings the functionality and usefulness of the platform to a more complete level.

Spb Pocket Plus installs via ActiveSync and utilizes just under one megabyte of storage memory. It is recommended by Spb Software House and by the author that users install the application into the unit’s main memory instead of a Storage Card. Upon installation, users are brought to the Today configuration screen where several new themes are available (Figure 1) as well as configuration of Spb Pocket Plus itself (Figure 2).


Figure 1: Pocket Plus Themes	Figure 2: Pocket Plus Configuration

The themes installed are Extended themes meaning they have new icons for the indicators that Spb Pocket Plus has available such as battery life, Storage Card free space remaining and so on. Additionally, Spb Software House offers a free Extended Theme add-on to the Microsoft Pocket PC Theme creator application. To find out more information on this free download, go to the Spb Extended Theme Generator website. Below are two themes, Spb Sphere and Spb Yellow, which are available with the install of Spb Pocket Plus (Figure 3 and 4).


Figure 3: Sphere Theme	Figure 4: Yellow Theme

Note that the battery indicators as well as the system memory and storage card icons change with each theme. This feature can be overridden should users want to keep indicators that they like.

The primary configuration of Spb Pocket Plus is done via the Options button in the Today Plug-ins configuration. By tapping this button, users are presented with the default tabs of the application as well as the default applications or indicators that are on each tab. To change the name of the tab, simply highlight it and type in a new name (Figure 5). Next, to change what is on that tab, tap the Items button. This presents a pull down menu of the applications installed on the unit that can be added to the tabs, indicators for batteries and memory as well as other system level features such as shutdown, warm restart and one-tap muting (Figure 6). In the example below, I have renamed the tabs to better reflect the use of my Pocket PC (Figure 7).


Figure 5: Renaming the Tabs	Figure 6: Choosing the Applications for the Tabs

Figure 7: The modified tabs on the Today Screen

With the applications chosen, starting those applications are now only one tap instead of multiples using the Start button. This makes it much faster to use my device and gives quick access to applications that I use most often.

On the Today screen itself, users can customize the appearance and layout of the icons on each tab. By tapping-and-holding an icon, users can drag the icon of a particular application to another location on that tab. Once the icons are in the order desired, users can lock the icons in place thus preventing accidental movements (Figure 8). Finally, users can add and remove items as well. By selecting this option, users are taken to the Tab Configuration screen. This is the same screen that is used to configure Spb Pocket Plus off of the Settings à Today menu.

Figure 8: Locking the icons

Lastly, the Today plug-in can also seamlessly integrate other Spb applications allowing users to have them as tabs within Pocket Plus instead of using more space on the Today screen (Figure 9). Spb Software House has several applications that can be added as a Tab in Pocket Plus with more coming in the near future. To add another Spb application to Pocket Plus, tap the Add button and a pull down menu will be displayed (Figure 10). The additional applications will be listed and by tapping one of them, it will be added to Pocket Plus’ Today plug-in instead of using one of its own.


Figure 9: Pocket Plus with the Spb Finance application added as a Tab	Figure 10: Adding another Spb application is done on the Pocket Plus Today Settings

In addition to the excellent Today plug-in, Spb Pocket Plus also adds key features to the Windows Mobile shell that are essential for easy-of-use on the platform. To access some of these features, tap the Spb Pocket Plus icon in the upper left-hand corner of the Today plug-in. This will present the Features that can be added. Some of these features include the ability to make the close button really close (instead of minimize) an application, enable a taskbar battery indicator; turn on extended features for Pocket Internet Explorer as well as File Explorer. By tapping each of the features, a text description of that feature is provided, allowing users to determine if they want or need that feature enabled.

The File Explorer features that Spb Pocket Plus adds are excellent and should be enabled by anyone who is a power user of their Pocket PC (Figure 11). The feature enhancements include support for .zip files as well as the ability to view and change file attributes or extensions. While using File Explorer, tap-and-hold a file name to bring up the options menu for that particular file. On this menu, users can add the file to a .zip file by simply tapping that option. By selecting the Properties menu option, users can see the attributes of a file and can change them to make the hidden or read-only, for example (Figure 12).


Figure 11: Additions to File Explorer	Figure 12: File Properties can be modified

Finally, Spb Pocket Plus also adds excellent features to Pocket Internet Explorer (PIE) as well. By enabling these features, users can have multiple PIE windows open as well as having the browser display in full screen mode (Figure 13 & 14). Both of these are exceptionally helpful for users who have their Pocket PCs network enabled.


Figure 12: Add-ons to PIE	Figure 13: Full Screen mode of PIE

There are many other features that are included in Spb Pocket Plus and the author encourages readers to download the Users Guide from the Spb Software House website for a complete listing of all of the features.

Spb Software House is one of the leading developers in the Windows Mobile arena and Spb Pocket Plus proves it. The application is well designed and behaved and functions exceptionally well. Additionally, their support is responsive and accurate with many additional FAQ’s online for each of their products. Spb Software House makes great products but is also great to work with personally.

Spb Pocket Plus sells for $19.95 (US) and is available for download in a demonstration version as well. For more information on Spb Pocket Plus and other Spb Software House products, visit their website.

Clinton Fitch
Senior Editor
Clinton Fitch (Dot) Com! (http://www.clintonfitch.com)
HPC:Factor (http://www.hpcfactor.com)