Which sense apps do you use?

[Yenzehn]

I realized that I had largely started replacing some of the built in sense apps/widgets (not counting FM tuner).

The calendar has been replaced by Agenda Widget.
The weather/clock widget has been replaced by Beautifulwidgets.
The SMS application has been replaced by Handcent.
The playback widget has been replaced by Tunewiki.

This leaves three trademark things from sense that I find impressive and largely irreplaceable:

The people app is a pretty good contacts aggregator, I use it when I want to call or send a message to someone on my contacts list since it gives me better overview compared to Handcents conversation layout or the "phone" key.

The news widget is pretty great when you link the front view to a decent news source and load up some more RSS feeds in the internal list. Can't find any news widget that can really compete with it.

The Friend stream app(not widget) - it seems to be better at organizing the updates compared to the built in facebook app, besides, I like the layout.

I've never used stock, email, footprint or any of the other non-mentioned applications.

I have kept the built-in browser, but mostly because I felt no need to replace it, since it did it's job well - I do not see it as notably superior or inferior to the alternatives out there.

Now this isn't meant to be an attack on HTC as much as an admission that there are some notable developers out there who have made some great applications, and I was wondering which of the supplied applications you have replaced and which ones you have not - and why.

 

[tbl]

Dolphin HD is a superior browser in my opinion, and I didnt see what BeautifulWidgets gave me (at a cost!) over Sense.

also there's a built in Agenda widget (may be Android rather than HTC) which is very good

Handcent is awesome, Spotify for music, and a raft of other stuff

 

[biscuitlad]

I uninstalled Handcent - horrible design parody of apple which basically misses the point.

I kept the default music app even though I installed cubed - it's the only one you can control when the screen is locked.

The HTC stuff is pretty good, IMHO. There are not much better out there. HTC plus all the Google goodies (and I mean all) already gives you a great phone.

 

[tbl]

I uninstalled Handcent - horrible design parody of apple which basically misses the point.

I don't understand that. Unless you enable the iPhone parodying options how is this so?
It has a host of other features over the stock messaging app.

 

[1981]

Handcent is a super app. lot of customisations. just blows away the stock msg app in desire, it seems couple of centuries behind

 

[SUroot]

Installed Handcent on my fiance's Hero as there was keyboard lag. It has caused issues with downloading images in MMS though. Hopefully when 2.1 comes out on that she can go back to stock.

Personally I don't like handcent. Stock on my desire gives em everything I need.

I have replaced teh media player with tunewiki as it seems louder through my headphones playing from the SD card. Aslo, the Last FM business is great.

I changed the Alrm clock, but I think that is android rather than htc.

I use the people widget and friend strem, standard clock / weather too.

 

[biscuitlad]

Handcent is a super app. lot of customisations. just blows away the stock msg app in desire, it seems couple of centuries behind

Yeah right. The options to choose silly colours makes it SO advanced.

 

[Nodders]

Yeah right. The options to choose silly colours makes it SO advanced.

Funny, I can also adjust many other things - notifications, pop-ups, quick responses, time stamps, text-to-speech and so on. Sure you've got the same version?

 

[Dazo]

Have to admit I uninstalled Handcent also. Stock one does me when it comes to sending a text message.

 

[frostydub]

I uninstalled Handsent as well. I don't really see why one would need to replace the standard app?

Funny, I can also adjust many other things - notifications, pop-ups, quick responses, time stamps, text-to-speech and so on. Sure you've got the same version?

Notifications - Get them on the standard app?
Pop-ups - Why? The message pops up in the notifications bar or if its locked, along the bottom of the phone anyway.
Quick responses - How much slower is it to just press reply type a message and send?
Time stamps - yay.
Text-to-speech - Got that on the standard app (check the tips and tricks sticky on how)
What else is so great about it apart from taking up more space? I don't mean this as a criticism or anything, I'm genuinly curious as to why its better?

 

[Yenzehn]

I like:

- Being able to modify the appearance/font to a white-on black layout with a better overview.
- The conversation layout with me on one side and the other person on the other side.
- The quick response.

 

[Nodders]

I uninstalled Handsent as well. I don't really see why one would need to replace the standard app?



Notifications - Get them on the standard app?
Pop-ups - Why? The message pops up in the notifications bar or if its locked, along the bottom of the phone anyway.
Quick responses - How much slower is it to just press reply type a message and send?
Time stamps - yay.
Text-to-speech - Got that on the standard app (check the tips and tricks sticky on how)
What else is so great about it apart from taking up more space? I don't mean this as a criticism or anything, I'm genuinly curious as to why its better?

I'm still not quite sure why people are getting so worked up about other people's choice of SMS/MMS client. This affects you (well not you, but 1 or 2 others in this thread) how?

 

[Dazo]

I'm still not quite sure why people are getting so worked up about other people's choice of SMS/MMS client. This affects you (well not you, but 1 or 2 others in this thread) how?

Don't think anyone is getting worked up about it. The thing for me is I done a lot of reading while I waited for my Desire to arrive and heard a lot about how bad the stock app was. When the phone did arrive and discovered I could very easily send and receive texts using the stock app I was a little bemused but the whole thing. Just to be clear I am not having a go at those who don't like it or getting worked up. I just don't see what the fuss is about.

 

[Hatticus]

Not a fan of Handcent personally, didn't see what it offered me (in terms of features I'd use) over the stock HTC messaging app. Plus I wasn't keen on it defaulting to looking like an iPhone clone (which seems to be common in a lot of apps )

In terms of other Sense apps, I've replaced the Calendar with PureCal widget (for integration with Got To Do) and Jorte (which just looks better IMO - I like being able to see what my events are as opposed to random lines).

Using Touiteur over Peep, and the Facebook app over Friendstream, as I don't like the contacts issue with HTC Sense, and there's lots of people on my Facebook that I dont' need/want to show up in my phone contacts.

Have got Beautiful Widgets too, but currently using the default Sense clock/weather thing.

 

[frostydub]

I'm still not quite sure why people are getting so worked up about other people's choice of SMS/MMS client. This affects you (well not you, but 1 or 2 others in this thread) how?

I'm not worked up at all, I'm genuinely curious as to what features I may have missed that make it better than the stock app or if its just personal preference. If its personal preference then I'll continue to use the standard one. If there is something I'm missing, I'd quite like to know about it so I could take advantage of those features too

To get back on track, I'm using quite a few of the HTC Sence widgets and apps just cuz I think they look purdy and work well. HTC Notes are pretty horrible and I use Astrid for reminders. Also installed the Nexus One gallery which is a bit funner to use but doesn't really have any better features.

 

[KlaymenDK]

Hey,
I don't mean to end your discussion about Handcent -- but you really should take it elsewhere, as it's not a Sense app. (PM each other, or start a new thread in the Applications subforum and PM the thread url to the other party, or whatever.)

That is all.

 

[SUroot]

Not that I'm involved with the discussion myself, but the thread is about what sense apps you use and which you've replaced and with what and for why.

Surely its valid?!

 

[Ceefax]

Google genie I've found is a decent news replacement. Google for the apk file asi dont think it shows on the market

Also still trying to find a good friend stream replacement though.

 

[Unfriendly]

I kept the default music app even though I installed cubed - it's the only one you can control when the screen is locked.

You can control from the lockscreen, you just have to enable this feature in the cube settings.

just wanted to let you know

on topic: I use the calendar.. that is all

 

[Willie Heckerslyke]

I kept the default music app even though I installed cubed - it's the only one you can control when the screen is locked.

I use Mixzing - you can also control the volume and next/back whilst the screen is still locked with that if you enable the lock-screen widget (though I think for unlimited use of that - you have to buy the full app if I remember correctly!)

 

[1981]

Yeah right. The options to choose silly colours makes it SO advanced.

yea dude. check ur handcent version or something. thrs lots more customisations in thr than just changing colours.