Can You Please Explain What's So Great About Open Home?

[disney_mommy]

After seeing everyone rave about Open Home, I went ahead and bought it, but now I'm unsure what to do with it. It just replaces the current "home?" That's it?

I have to add back my shortcuts to the new home screens?

Please, if I'm missing something, enlighten me.

 

[Marc Wonderland]

Open home is to change the theme design for your phone. If you go into the market and down load some of the themes they have for that specific opp and load them you will see the difference. It is fun for a minute but then it got annoying to me (I was using PandaHome) because it would always force close or slow the phone down to a crawl. Annoyed me.

 

[disney_mommy]

When you say theme, do you mean like the wallpaper and icons? It just gives you options for those 2 things?

 

[Chillout]

The open home itself does change your launcher so you have to redo your apps on your screens initially but really the main thing is that it gives a resource to use all the other themes, wallpapers, icon packs that work with open home. It's the same concept as any other home/launcher alternative.

personally I didn't care for it all that much after I tried it. I like Helix Launcher

 

[Marc Wonderland]

The open home itself does change your launcher so you have to redo your apps on your screens initially but really the main thing is that it gives a resource to use all the other themes, wallpapers, icon packs that work with open home. It's the same concept as any other home/launcher alternative.

personally I didn't care for it all that much after I tried it. I like Helix Launcher

^^What he Said!

 

[Szadzik]

^^What he Said!

Hahaha, same here.

 

[shawn1224]

There's also other added functionality that doesn't come stock with android like a dock bar and screen capture

 

[Beerkan]

+1 HelixLauncher

 

[grainysand]

+2 HelixLauncher2

Personally I think Openhome/ahome/pandahome are all aesthetically offensive; many of them have dock bars/enhancements that just look ugly. Their method of theming is inelegant and doesn't compare to real themes achievable by root access.

I would go for simpler, more minimalistic home replacements like Helix or home++ that are all about giving you more functionality (more homescreens, unintrusive and intuitive dock bar), or the sweet little modded thing I'm currently using:

 

[HYCAET]

Grainysand, that looks great. Where do you get those toggles from?

 

[grainysand]

It's the stock Android power control widget, only themed. Needs root to do so, and looks like this when toggled on:

 

[Poldie]

After seeing everyone rave about Open Home, I went ahead and bought it, but now I'm unsure what to do with it. It just replaces the current "home?" That's it?

I have to add back my shortcuts to the new home screens?

Please, if I'm missing something, enlighten me.

Don't forget that one of the extras you get with Open Home is a backdoor for any malicious app to own your phone, key log your secure banking/shopping, make calls, use your data etc. Android Widgets: Security Threat With Open Home | G1 News

 

[Szadzik]

It's the stock Android power control widget, only themed. Needs root to do so, and looks like this when toggled on:

Can you direct me to some information on how to do this?

 

[grainysand]

Which bit in particular? The clock is Beautiful Widget with the "Home plus" skin; the power control widget was pulled from this theme (use metamorph); the launcher is HelixLauncher2, and the black bar as well as the app icons are part of NexTheme. The themes are made to be N1-compatible, but I'm sure you can find Droid ports.

 

[Szadzik]

Which bit in particular? The clock is Beautiful Widget with the "Home plus" skin; the power control widget was pulled from this theme (use metamorph); the launcher is HelixLauncher2, and the black bar as well as the app icons are part of NexTheme. The themes are made to be N1-compatible, but I'm sure you can find Droid ports.

Thanks, was looking for the power control widget skin.

 

[disney_mommy]

Thanks for suggesting HelixLauncher. I've never heard of it, so I will check it out.

 

[kokiangel]

The only thing I ever liked about open home was the favorites drawer. I am partial to sweeter home for a home replacement personally although it is still a bit unstable. The latest update is almost perfect finally. Gotta say, Grainysand, I really like your background though. Is is a personal picture or something you would be willing to share? I am referring to the first one with the orange color in it.

 

[grainysand]

Just a photo I found off image search. Uploaded it for you here.

 

[28064212]

Don't forget that one of the extras you get with Open Home is a backdoor for any malicious app to own your phone, key log your secure banking/shopping, make calls, use your data etc. Android Widgets: Security Threat With Open Home | G1 News

Actually, if you read the update, you would realise that OpenHome doesn't allow 3rd-party widgets and isn't at all susceptible to that type of attack

 

[disney_mommy]

I can't seem to find Helix Launcher in the Market. Could it be because my Cliq doesn't have the latest Android running?

 

[kokiangel]

Thank you for going to the trouble of uploading the picture. I have saved it. That was very kind and thoughtful of you.

 

[dreahdreah]

I can't seem to find Helix Launcher in the Market. Could it be because my Cliq doesn't have the latest Android running?

i have never heard of it b4 either..googled it and it says for 2.1 and up

 

[Szadzik]

I just started testing Zeam. Very fast and snappy on my Milestone! Faster than Helix!

 

[grainysand]

Zeam looks quite nice, but doesn't yet have the polish, options and customization of Helix. I do like the way it handles homescreen preview, though. Snazzy.