Launchers

[Rolo42]

I hate using our TouchWiz launcher (and apparently that Samsung guy who wrote that e-mail brought up in the Apple lawsuit didn't care for it either...heh).

I'm trying Nova launcher now (Apex crashed within 5 minutes, so that's out) and I like it. Before I buy it, I want to know one thing:

What, if anything, do I lose if I don't run TouchWiz launcher?

- I know I lose most of the TouchWiz widgets; I can live with that (I only liked the tasks one that worked with Exchange but have found a suitable substitute)

 

[matttye]

I wouldn't write Apex off so quickly.

I've been running it for a month and it never crashes on me. I'm running the latest beta, which is built using jelly bean code, so it has the project butter features which make it incredibly smooth

Nova may have that too, I'm not sure.

 

[pseudoware]

You lose the alphabetical list view type in the app drawer with "hot keys" to jump to any letter. A more intuitive way to search for an installed app, IMO.

@ matttye, Nova (free version) has built in options for the JB icon theme and JB app animation. No separate theme needed. Add JB wallpapers, keyboard, clock, Holo Locker (JB lockscreen) and Google Now (if rooted), and your set until the official release

 

[Krunk83]

Apex here too.

 

[SUroot]

I still use go. My favourite launcher.

 

[matttye]

You lose the alphabetical list view type in the app drawer with "hot keys" to jump to any letter. A more intuitive way to search for an installed app, IMO.

@ matttye, Nova (free version) has built in options for the JB icon theme and JB app animation. No separate theme needed. Add JB wallpapers, keyboard, clock, Holo Locker (JB lockscreen) and Google Now (if rooted), and your set until the official release

What I meant is that it has the benefits of project butter (i.e. everything is buttery smooth), not just that it has jelly bean animations.

 

[Rolo42]

The TouchWiz put-every-app-in-one-drawer is the chief reason I quit using it, so I can definitely live without that. (What genius thought that was a good idea?)

re: Apex. I've seen more posts complaining about Apex not working than Nova, so, yes, I will discount an app that crashes on my phone when there's a direct competitor that doesn't. I don't want to have issues 'in the field'. I was partial to Nova's look and feel as well, as slight as the difference may be, anyway.

re: Go. I tried it because its so popular. I didn't care for the look/feel or the bloat.

Voice commands worked fine (answer, stop, shoot), so I'm good there. Anything else?

 

[pseudoware]

What I meant is that it has the benefits of project butter (i.e. everything is buttery smooth), not just that it has jelly bean animations.

OK. The latest Nova also uses the JB base. Added about a week ago.

 

[UserName872]

The TouchWiz put-every-app-in-one-drawer is the chief reason I quit using it, so I can definitely live without that. (What genius thought that was a good idea?)

re: Apex. I've seen more posts complaining about Apex not working than Nova, so, yes, I will discount an app that crashes on my phone when there's a direct competitor that doesn't. I don't want to have issues 'in the field'. I was partial to Nova's look and feel as well, as slight as the difference may be, anyway.

re: Go. I tried it because its so popular. I didn't care for the look/feel or the bloat.

Voice commands worked fine (answer, stop, shoot), so I'm good there. Anything else?

Sorry to hear you had a bad experience with Apex. Been running it on mine and my wife's GS3's so day one without issues. Nova is certainly a great launcher though!

 

[jeffdanger]

Use Apex here also. Used to use Go and tried Nova but Apex is rock solid.

 

[sideout]

I would like to know what everything that a launcher does. I assume that the touch wiz is what came on the phone....but I am always willing to learn more about what this phone does and can do.

Do I take it that a ROM can and cannot include a launcher?

I always heard a lot about the ADW one...but that was on my old Droid Eris.

 

[sideout]

You lose the alphabetical list view type in the app drawer with "hot keys" to jump to any letter. A more intuitive way to search for an installed app, IMO.

@ matttye, Nova (free version) has built in options for the JB icon theme and JB app animation. No separate theme needed. Add JB wallpapers, keyboard, clock, Holo Locker (JB lockscreen) and Google Now (if rooted), and your set until the official release

Is that the free version available on the Google Store or some place else?

 

[Metfanant]

I hate using our TouchWiz launcher (and apparently that Samsung guy who wrote that e-mail brought up in the Apple lawsuit didn't care for it either...heh).

I'm trying Nova launcher now (Apex crashed within 5 minutes, so that's out) and I like it. Before I buy it, I want to know one thing:

What, if anything, do I lose if I don't run TouchWiz launcher?

- I know I lose most of the TouchWiz widgets; I can live with that (I only liked the tasks one that worked with Exchange but have found a suitable substitute)

i use the paid Nova and love it...Apex didn't run as smooth on my phone, but i have not tried it since it was updated to JB base (Nova is as well)...

i can't really think of anything you lose from TouchWiz Launcher...certainly nothing that isn't made up for by the customization of Nova..

What I meant is that it has the benefits of project butter (i.e. everything is buttery smooth), not just that it has jelly bean animations.

the latest Nova beta also is based on JB code

 

[SUroot]

I would like to know what everything that a launcher does. I assume that the touch wiz is what came on the phone....but I am always willing to learn more about what this phone does and can do.<br />
<br />
Do I take it that a ROM can and cannot include a launcher?<br />
<br />
I always heard a lot about the ADW one...but that was on my old Droid Eris.

All roms must contain a launcher. Its your home screens and app drawer.

 

[SUroot]

Well I just tried Apex based on "buttery smooth".

I'm afraid for MY set up, its anything but. I have my phone set to 600mhz CPU on screen touch. This is as low as I can get it with go, but Apex seems to want more. It stutters simply with its out of the box setup.

Other things that immediately put me off:

Pay for dock gestures. Really?

Ok I could get round that.

Home screen scrolling - infinite... bounce and jump? What is this, launcher pro? Go just loops. It doesn't use animations like bounce and jump to make the loop transition jerky and too obvious...

Finally, I couldn't find a way to make the dock smaller. Its massive and the icons are massive... maybe there's and icon size setting somewhere but with the above niggles it wasn't worth finding.

I was actually disappointed, as I am when I try any launcher other than go. I guess there is not a convert in me

 

[sugarspunz]

loaded Nova Launcher today and love it. so far so good.

 

[pseudoware]

Is that the free version available on the Google Store or some place else?

Yes, the free version in the Play Store.

 

[Sanderling]

What is this, launcher pro?

Why the Launcher Pro hate? I love Launcher Pro and was coming here to recommend it and ask a question. I've used it on three different phones now and there are no surprises.

The only issue with it on the S3 (brand new to me, just the other day) is that auto-rotation messes up the homescreen display. Anyone else experience this?

 

[SUroot]

Why the Launcher Pro hate? I love Launcher Pro and was coming here to recommend it and ask a question. I've used it on three different phones now and there are no surprises.

Not hate. I'm a paid up (Ex) launcher pro plus user.

However it has not been updated in a long time. Its code is ancient. When Go introduced looping of home screens, it was so much better than how LPP did it with its bounce back animation. I haven't seen a launcher do that since Launcher pro... until now.

But even though I loved it and used it and even recommended it in the past, I must state, it was the past and its still stuck there.

 

[sideout]

If I change launchers, how hard is it to go back to stock?

 

[chawski]

^ very simple. just download home switcher from the play store
another +1 for nova

 

[miyooper]

Why the Launcher Pro hate? I love Launcher Pro and was coming here to recommend it and ask a question. I've used it on three different phones now and there are no surprises.

I had paid for Launcher pro on my previous Samsung and liked it, but when I moved to the S3 the widgets kept crashing on me. I moved to Apex and use Android pro widgets for the bookmarks and calender widgets I liked on LP.

 

[Metfanant]

Why the Launcher Pro hate? I love Launcher Pro and was coming here to recommend it and ask a question. I've used it on three different phones now and there are no surprises.

The only issue with it on the S3 (brand new to me, just the other day) is that auto-rotation messes up the homescreen display. Anyone else experience this?

because LPP has been basically abandoned by its developer...the code is ancient (i think its based on the Android 2.0 launcher at this point)

i loved LPP and used it up to the day i got my S3...

 

[RaLeX]

I've tried most. I keep coming back to Go Launcher. Call it comfort but it just makes the most sense to me. I like GO Launcher's add-on's as well, from GOSMS (best sms widget) +emoji plug-in, their switcher, the grid customization, the numerous free themes, speed and customization of scrolling through screens, ease of setting everything up, etc...

I like Android 4.1 Jellybean Launcher as well. But it's not open to customizing.

I keep clearing defaults and giving touchwiz a try and it's just not very good.

I should spend more time with Nova or Apex but from the little time I spent it wasn't as easy to use, for me, as Go Launcher.

 

[shepo73]

If you don't like it delete it. That easy.