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Whats all the excitement around handcent?

mattwill

Member
May 6, 2010
74
7
I dont get it, what am i missing that the masses seem to know? I see it allows you to change the colors and puts them in little bubbles....how cute, but they actually reduce the number of viewable messages on the screen.

It is this customization feature that people like most? How else is it better than the stock messaging app?

Inquiring minds want to know...
 
For me it's 3 things:

1. As stated above, the stock app gets a ton of lag to open a message thread when there is a lot of messages in it.

2. Since Froyo, the stock app only lets you to send a mass text to a maximum of 10 people. This does not work as I manage a softball team and I need to send out a mass text to over 15 people on a weekly basis.

3. The customization. I love a lot of the customization features.
 
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Like stated above, stock is a lot slower when dealing with a lot of messages. The pop-up is always very useful. Its good to get a text, and reply right away.

You can also set individual message ringtones for different people, customize each person's conversation settings (background, colors, etc).
For me, that customization is awesome. Having different backgrounds for different people makes it more fun. It's also good to know who the message is from as soon as I get it just by the notification sound.
 
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2. Since Froyo, the stock app only lets you to send a mass text to a maximum of 10 people. This does not work as I manage a softball team and I need to send out a mass text to over 15 people on a weekly basis.

Check out GroupME. It's great for stuff like this. GroupMe

Edit: I actually also just switched back to the stock messaging app. Handcent always has trouble with MMS for me and has trouble receiving vCards
 
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I use chompSMS the donate version. It's worth the $4. You can customize the style of the chat bubbles and conversation thread list. What I really like is the option that wakes the screen (not unlock just wake) when you receive a message. I haven't tried using the widget, but it looks pretty decent. Try the free version, then donate. Hands down the best messaging app.
 
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For me:
- You can set the keyboard's return key to make it send a message (i.e. when you're in landscape mode and the keyboard takes up the entire fricking screen, but HTC decided that, even with 3 sq. miles of real estate to put the keyboard, they'll remove the Send key)
- You can have it split texts to external (non VZ) carriers at words rather than directly at 160 char

BUT... it has a bug when sending MMS to my iPhone friends on AT&T that I can only seem to get around by sending the picture with the stock app...

Doc
 
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Along with the other opinions here, I use handcent for the notification customizations. My phone is on vibrate most of the time and with the stock app, the notification is only 2 little vibrations. Handcent, however, has the ability to change the vibrate pattern for notifications, ie default, normal, long, mult short, mult long and completely custom. This tips the scales in my opinion.
 
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The biggest reason I went with handcent is because when i was talking on the phone and someone would text me, my phone would vibrate twice to notify me. There was no option in the stock sms program to ignore vibrates while on the phone. Handcent does have this option and that's why I took it. Every time it would notify me while on the phone, the person I was talking to is like WTF IS THAT NOISE!?!

You don't have to use bubble conversations. I still keep my Handcent using the typical layout.
 
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Do you use our softball The Evil Ball or Bat??

I actually don't, but I've seen you in the Softball Fans forums, lol! I play in a men's league on Monday nights and use a Miken Freak Plus. On Wednesday nights I play in a work coed league and I can't use my Miken as it's an ASA league. So I just use whatever people on my team have, usually a Synergy.

What do you recommend?
 
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Like stated above, stock is a lot slower when dealing with a lot of messages. The pop-up is always very useful. Its good to get a text, and reply right away.

You can also set individual message ringtones for different people, customize each person's conversation settings (background, colors, etc).
For me, that customization is awesome. Having different backgrounds for different people makes it more fun. It's also good to know who the message is from as soon as I get it just by the notification sound.
Yup this is why i like it.....

wow plenty of responses in here, did this help the op?
 
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Yup this is why i like it.....

wow plenty of responses in here, did this help the op?


Heck yeah...
I like the fact i can tun off vibrate when i am on the phone (i had another post about that) and i really like the mention it does not create a slideshow with pics. I hate that part of the stock app.

Mention of faster speed is good too, but i guess the froyo update is in the works. I might give it another chance. I also would like to try chomp now as well. Thanks for the replies.
 
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