• After 15+ years, we've made a big change: Android Forums is now Early Bird Club. Learn more here.

LauncherPro Plus

LauncherPro Plus has finally been released!!!! I figured that I would announce it here since no one else has and it cannot be found on the market (due to Google Restrictions).

Go to Introducing the new LauncherPro Plus! and read the blog post. The .apk is only $2.99 for a limited time and included free updates for the life of LauncherPro Plus. Fede has stated that he plans to raise the price to $4.99, but has not said when he will do this.
The first version has the HTC exclusive widget called People, but Fede has already stated that there will be multiple on the way. He also said that the Pro version will include exclusive content and features in upcoming updates.

I'm just glad that I am finally able to support such a phenomenal developer and app!!

Be sure to get it while it's hot and cheap. The people widget is not all that special, but I look forward to seeing the other widgets in the near future. Besides, I saved $2 by getting it now and not waiting. Not to mention that it's nice to be able to support Fede and hopefully see some wonderful updates that last a long time.

Kratos
 
good to know thanks. one other thing whats the diff between launcher pro and ADW

Basically it's just personal preference. I think both are very comparable and have basically the same customization options (though some like the dock are different). I tried ADW.Launcher for a while and just couldn't get into it much. It seemed to be more difficult to customize and I hated the app dock! I could never get the stupid thing to close. Also, I really like the 3D app drawer and Fede pulled that off perfectly with LauncherPro (Plus).

So, again it's basically just personal preference. I would suggest installing both and also installing Home Switcher: Home Switcher - Android app on AppBrain to easily switch between the two. Then just play with both and customize them and see which you like the best.
obviously, you will probably want to go with LauncherPro from the market for testing as it is free and the exact same as the Plus version (for now) with the exception of the extra widget(s).

Kratos
 
  • Like
Reactions: deekum1627
Upvote 0
Honestly, the People widget was the one thing I missed moving from Sense to Launcher Pro. I liked being able to manage the contects of that widget from my gmail account on any computer since it is based on your Gmail contact groups. Getting that widget back alone is worth $2.99. And I agree that I am happy to support someone who has put out such an invaluable product, one that seems to be updated a few times a week generally.
 
Upvote 0
I got it, and besides the People widget and future widgets, what are the differences? And how will we get updates?

As of right now, the widget(s) is/are the only difference. However, Fede has stated that there will be additional perks and options to Plus users only in the near future. Fede has stated that he is working to get an unlock code system working so that we will receive updates via the market. As for right now, I speculate that he will simply send out a notification email to the emails on file to download the updated .apk.

Kratos
 
Upvote 0
  • Like
Reactions: YankeeDudeL
Upvote 0
Why is this not in the Android market?

Fede lives in Uruguay and Google does not allow paid apps to be distributed from there. It seems that there are quite a few countries that Google restricts paid apps to be sold from. Seems kinda ridiculous to me, but I have no say about what Google allows and denies.

Fede has said that he is working on an unlock system where you pay through paypal and then enter the code in the free version on the market. The code unlocks the additional features and allows everyone to update through the market. But until he gets that all sorted out, this is the only way to get it.

Kratos
 
Upvote 0
Fede lives in Uruguay and Google does not allow paid apps to be distributed from there. It seems that there are quite a few countries that Google restricts paid apps to be sold from. Seems kinda ridiculous to me, but I have no say about what Google allows and denies.

Fede has said that he is working on an unlock system where you pay through paypal and then enter the code in the free version on the market. The code unlocks the additional features and allows everyone to update through the market. But until he gets that all sorted out, this is the only way to get it.

Kratos

Thanks for clearing that up.

Is it actually Google that is placing these restrictions? It seems like they are a pretty open company and it might be more likely that there is some legal issue either in Uruguay or the US which might be interfering.
 
Upvote 0
Thanks for clearing that up.

Is it actually Google that is placing these restrictions? It seems like they are a pretty open company and it might be more likely that there is some legal issue either in Uruguay or the US which might be interfering.

From what Fede has stated, it is a restriction placed in the dev section of the Android Market by Google. Whether it is actually Google placing the restrictions or a specific country placing the restrictions I have no idea. I do know that there have been other devs that have stated the same thing in that they are unable to attach a price for their app in the Android Market.

Kratos
 
Upvote 0
If you go to his page from the market, you'll see where he elaborates on it in his new update.

I thought it was weird Google allows devs to put free apps in the market regardless of their location, but restricts their location for paid apps :(.

I'm pretty sure this has to be something to do with legal issues rather than Google. There are all kinds of weird laws regarding international business. Tariffs and import taxes and all that.
 
Upvote 0
I'm pretty sure this has to be something to do with legal issues rather than Google. There are all kinds of weird laws regarding international business. Tariffs and import taxes and all that.

That would make more sense. I just figured that Fede knew that is was Google for sure, but it very well could be governments enforcing these restrictions. Either way, I'm more comfortable making a payment using paypal than I am giving my credit card directly to a Dev. I have been using paypal for years and have never had a problem (knock on wood).

Kratos
 
Upvote 0
I hope that Fede can implement something like what the dev of Titanium backup did. Titanium is another app that has a donate version but must be bought through paypal because its a non market country. The dev sends a text file out after you pay through paypal and you just keep it on your sd card. You can then get all your updates through the market and it recognizes you as having the donate version.

I have heard he is toying with this but nothing concrete. I hope he does it cause I would rather not have to check his site to get updates on the plus version. Loving the people widget so far though
 
Upvote 0
I bought it. Haven't downloaded it yet but I like supporting applications. The "beta" app on the market has been great, and improved more than I can describe over the past month.

Before I install the Plus version do I need to "backup" my screens or will they carry over?

If I remember when I downloaded and installed the Plus version there was an option to just update. I think all it did was add the People widget.
 
Upvote 0
If I remember when I downloaded and installed the Plus version there was an option to just update. I think all it did was add the People widget.

There is an option, however, everytime I tried to "update" the install failed. I eventually just uninstalled and installed the update and it worked. Not sure if I did anything wrong, but it was an issue I ran into.
 
Upvote 0

BEST TECH IN 2023

We've been tracking upcoming products and ranking the best tech since 2007. Thanks for trusting our opinion: we get rewarded through affiliate links that earn us a commission and we invite you to learn more about us.

Smartphones