Help X-Plore

[zuben el genub]

I'm trying it after reading some recommendations on this forum.
It isn't bad, some things could be a little larger so you could read them and it does work as advertised.

But--

What is the story with the Beers? I don't mind buying an app, but the way that works is crazy. How are they really charging? I can't do much about any payments unless they are through Google. I don't have and will not use Paypal or Bitcoin.

If there is no logical information about paying, I'll find another file manager.

 

[Thom]

Reading ...

Settings | Configuration set
Item height to 120%
Font scale to 120%

Beers ...

The value is in the lower right area of the button.

... Thom

 

[zuben el genub]

I got a pop up about owing a beer - what's that?
If they want a paid app, then put an amount on it and I'll buy it.

The pop up also had a list for 2 and 2 beers,

 

[EarlyMon]

I got a pop up about owing a beer - what's that?
If they want a paid app, then put an amount on it and I'll buy it.

The pop up also had a list for 2 and 2 beers,

The financial model for the app is very loose.

The lowest payment unlocks all features and you can contribute more to either thank the dev and/or encourage his further development. I think that the lowest contribution is something like one or two dollars.

It's a VERY old model and wasn't that uncommon in the early app days - and this is one of the early apps.

You pay through the Play Store. I did.

As for paying just to thank a dev - once upon a time that was normal in the Play Store. No more. If your app includes PayPal for monetization, Google will kick it out of the Store and your developer account will be at risk as memory serves - Google gets a cut on anything you pay and they don't tolerate bypassing that with PayPal.

I liked Naked Browser so much I bought the premium version just to say thanks. I don't use the premium version because I'm too lazy to learn any new buttons and the free version is perfect for me. The dev was surprised when I explained that.

 

[Thom]

I got a pop up about owing a beer - what's that?
If they want a paid app, then put an amount on it and I'll buy it.

For me it was a long time ago. Just do it. The messages never come back.

... Thom

 

[zuben el genub]

I don't see Pro or a paid version in the store. There's various amounts on the popup.
Which is the right charge? Send one beer $1.35 or there are other amounts up to sending dinner @ $21.60?

I prefer buying apps - I bought most for Palm. But doing it this way is crazy.

If I can't go through the Play store - I don't use paypal or bitcoin. Whoever wants the money would have to use the Paypal that takes a CC from a non-user.

 

[EarlyMon]

In app purchases (IAP) apps do not have pro versions in the Play Store.

 

[Crashdamage]

It's just up to you how generous you want to be in rewarding the developer. A slightly humorous take on paying for the app. I paid through the Play store if I remember right, it was a long time ago.

 

[EarlyMon]

Yeah, all the questions are answered.

Not sure what wasn't covered...

 

[electricpete]

I probably wouldn't dump an app for difficulty paying.

Fwiw, I tried both xplore and solid explorer awhile back and I personally preferred solid explorer (paid). I realize others have different tastes. I doubt there is much functionality difference for most people, just slightly different ui. Like xplore, tilting phone between portrait and landscape toggles between 1-pane and 2-pane modes on solid. But each mode stands on its own more fully in solid: Similar to the old es file explorer, the solid 1-pane mode can move/copy all in 1 pane mode if you prefer (I think xplore always forces copy/move to other pane rather than allowing you chance to navigate to a destination in the same single pane between cutting and pasting). The solid 2 pane mode shows both panes fully (in xplore one pane is partially hidden by controls). I also have bad eyes and solid is much easier to see and not as "busy" imo (solid options are in menus, not plastered all over the display like xplore, solid 1-pane mode is not encumbered with extra pane header).

I think solid uses more material design ui, so it is more consistent with other apps on your device. I'm not saying material is always better, but it seems so in this particular case to me (I just find xplore to be "clunky")

If you haven't tried it, I'd recommend to give solid a test run and make your own call.

 

[zuben el genub]

OK. I'd pay $4.99 for the app - no problem.
HOWEVER -- I do not want to click on the menu for the beers, have them require paypal or bitcoin and then have to back out in embarrassment since I can't pay with either paypal or bitcoin. They would have to take CC or a check.
My bank doesn't have a pay app for my card yet, I refuse to use Android Pay, Google Pay - I'd only take an app from my bank.

I'll check out Solid Explorer. The one thing I have against X-Plore is seeing some of the buttons. I have to get a pair of magnifying glasses.

Thanks

 

[zuben el genub]

I probably wouldn't dump an app for difficulty paying.

Fwiw, I tried both xplore and solid explorer awhile back and I personally preferred solid explorer (paid). I realize others have different tastes. I doubt there is much functionality difference for most people, just slightly different ui. Like xplore, tilting phone between portrait and landscape toggles between 1-pane and 2-pane modes on solid. But each mode stands on its own more fully in solid: Similar to the old es file explorer, the solid 1-pane mode can move/copy all in 1 pane mode if you prefer (I think xplore always forces copy/move to other pane rather than allowing you chance to navigate to a destination in the same single pane between cutting and pasting). The solid 2 pane mode shows both panes fully (in xplore one pane is partially hidden by controls). I also have bad eyes and solid is much easier to see and not as "busy" imo (solid options are in menus, not plastered all over the display like xplore, solid 1-pane mode is not encumbered with extra pane header).

I think solid uses more material design ui, so it is more consistent with other apps on your device. I'm not saying material is always better, but it seems so in this particular case to me (I just find xplore to be "clunky")

If you haven't tried it, I'd recommend to give solid a test run and make your own call.

I just looked it over. The GUI isn't bad looking - I can see it, anyway. However, on the version 2, they have gone to in app purchases, and the paid key goes with the original version. I don't want to get stuck in the same boat.

 

[Hadron]

The solid 2 pane mode shows both panes fully (in xplore one pane is partially hidden by controls).

That depends on the screen size. On my phone I have to slide it slightly when switching panels in landscape (i.e. the UI is still slightly wider than the phone screen), but on my tablet it shows 2 panels fully with the toolbar in-between.

(As I only ever use it in portrait on the phone this isn't a problem for me. I actually had to try it out in landscape just now to see what it was like!).

 

[Hadron]

I just looked it over. The GUI isn't bad looking - I can see it, anyway. However, on the version 2, they have gone to in app purchases, and the paid key goes with the original version. I don't want to get stuck in the same boat.

The older version is still available as Solid Explorer Classic. You can still find the unlocker for that too, so if that works for the newer one then I assume you can just use that instead of the IAP.

As it happens I still had the unlocker on my phone from testing an early version of Solid Explorer, so I just tried installing the new version on my device and it shows "License Status: Legacy License", so I think the old unlocker is working, but don't know whether there is any difference in practice between that and the IAPs.

 

[EarlyMon]

I just looked it over. The GUI isn't bad looking - I can see it, anyway. However, on the version 2, they have gone to in app purchases, and the paid key goes with the original version. I don't want to get stuck in the same boat.

I don't know why you have the idea stuck in your head that in app purchases = PayPal and bitcoin.

It's been explained multiple times - you buy through the Play Store, whether separate app for pro, pro key, or in app purchase.

The Play Store lets you use a multitude of payment methods - PayPal, your credit card, or bill to your carrier account.

It's been like this for years.

Is this your first app purchase?

 

[electricpete]

That depends on the screen size. On my phone I have to slide it slightly when switching panels in landscape (i.e. the UI is still slightly wider than the phone screen), but on my tablet it shows 2 panels fully with the toolbar inbetween.

Thanks, then it's device dependent.

One feature xplore has that solid doesn't is an expandable/collapsible directory tree (solid only displays one level at a time in a given pane). I'm sure many (who are used to it) see that as an advantage. But it also contributes to that overly-busy display from my perspective. Often it's just a matter of what you're used to. I've settled into solid awhile back and now when briefly switching back to xplore for this thread, it just looks ridiculously cluttered to me. But I'm sure if I'd have started with xplore to begin with, it would have grown on me and solid would look odd.

I agree with Earlymon and others, I don't see the payment problem with either app. Just choose whatever level of donation you feel comfortable with.

 

[Hadron]

I'll check out Solid Explorer. The one thing I have against X-Plore is seeing some of the buttons. I have to get a pair of magnifying glasses.

Its configuration options include the ability to rescale the icons and the fonts (I have both scaled up 10-20% for my comfort).

Edit: and having posted that I realise than Thom posted the same thing at the start of the thread!

 

[zuben el genub]

I don't know why you have the idea stuck in your head that in app purchases = PayPal and bitcoin.

It's been explained multiple times - you buy through the Play Store, whether separate app for pro, pro key, or in app purchase.

The Play Store lets you use a multitude of payment methods - PayPal, your credit card, or bill to your carrier account.

It's been like this for years.

Is this your first app purchase?

It would be the first time in app. I normally don't bother. There's things that want donations like some web sites and they only do Paypal. Some browsers, too. I'd donate to Pale Moon, but they want Paypal and I don't.

I've bought every other app that had an amount in the Play store and one from a scientific publishing company.
I bought all my Palm apps. I prefer to buy my apps, but if they have in app, they could state how payment would be preferred.

How do I know Google Play does support the in app paying and it isn't independent when it's in app?

I just read somewhere that some developers prefer in app, rather than Play. Google doesn't get a cut supposedly and more for the dev.

 

[Thom]

To me X-plore is a little uncomfortable.

It is obvious that it was developed for a tablet with the display on both sides and buttons in the middle.

On a portrait phone it is ... for lack of a better word ... klunky.

Give me the option to hide the buttons.
Give me the option to display the buttons on the left or right instead of the flip-flop that is currently imposed.

Yes I bough it. Yes I use it. I also use ES Pro (but not for cloud access).

X-plore is apparently great for tablets (I don't have one) and it would be great if the UI was tweaked a little to make it great on phones in portrait.

... Thom

 

[Hadron]

I like the column of buttons because once you've organised it to your needs it is very quick to use. The sliding side-to-side is odd, but does provide a visual cue as to which pane I'm in (though I'll concede that there are other ways of doing that). So I view that more as a quirk than a clunk, and something I'm happy to live with for the efficiency.

Playing a bit with Solid Explorer I agree it's a very clean design. In use it became more efficient once I found the option to add a context menu at the bottom when you select a file/folder (though that's still less efficient than the traditional pop-up menu or the more comprehensive button bar in X-Plore, since for many functions you then need to press the menu button on that bar to access them, making e.g. getting file properties a 3-step process). I'm going to use it for a bit though, since I figure there's enough depth to the app that it will take more than a few minutes to learn how to use it to its best.

I still have Root Explorer for those times I want something more traditional, but have been using X-Plore as my primary for a while now. On the tablet it's the only file explorer I have installed.

 

[EarlyMon]

It would be the first time in app. I normally don't bother. There's things that want donations like some web sites and they only do Paypal. Some browsers, too. I'd donate to Pale Moon, but they want Paypal and I don't.

I've bought every other app that had an amount in the Play store and one from a scientific publishing company.
I bought all my Palm apps. I prefer to buy my apps, but if they have in app, they could state how payment would be preferred.

How do I know Google Play does support the in app paying and it isn't independent when it's in app?

I just read somewhere that some developers prefer in app, rather than Play. Google doesn't get a cut supposedly and more for the dev.

Nope. It's exactly as I said earlier and the opposite of what you're saying - Google always gets its cut.









There. That's the chain of events for an in app purchase on a new account - it tries to buy from the Play Store and requires that your Play Store account has a payment method or methods set up.

How the payment is preferred is through the Play Store and you can choose whichever of your Play Store methods are set up. It's no different than buying a pro version of an app.

There's no private payment, there's no third way and it's not how you keep insisting that it must be despite several of us telling you repeatedly that you're wrong.

@Thom - X-plore has been this way since before Android tablets - remember, it came from another platform.

 

[electricpete]

Earlymon is relentlessly answering the op, which is good. Very thorough answer.

How do I know Google Play does support the in app paying and it isn't independent when it's in app?

Ahh good question.

I've had some lingering questions about in-app purchases and I think maybe it's similar to yours. I went ahead and posted it as a separate thread in the lounge as follows:

I was always a little uneasy about in-app payments. If you have your google account set up to require password for purchases (which seems like a prudent thing to me), then it'll ask you for your google password during the in-app purchase. But what's to prevent the app from spoofing the google popup dialogue to steal your password???? Programming a popup to look like google popup and record a password is easy. All they'd lose is the single payment, which is a lot less valuable to me than my password.

So I do watch carefully for that confirmation of the transaction to pop up in my email (usually almost immediately), which makes me feel better that the popup was legitimate and my password hasn't been stolen. To steal my password AND still process the transaction they'd need some kind of man in the middle attack....considering the security built into everything google, I imagine that'd be a whoooole lot tougher to pull off than the simple pop-up input window to steal your password without processing the transaction to google.

What do you think?
Do you agree it would be easy for an app developer to spoof google popup and steal your password (if he's willing to forego the payment)?
Do you think it is safe as long as we get the google confirmation email (or maybe that could be spoofed too...).

why I made it a separate thread... Although your thread got me thinking of this topic again, I actually didn't read this particular part of your post until after my new thread, so I thought my topic was different and I didn't want to hijack. Confused? Me too..but since I can't easily delete my new thread I decided to leave it as is and explain how I got there. You're free to continue discussion wherever you want.

 

[zuben el genub]

Some apps you can buy from their website. If you do purchase from website, does that guarantee that Play store is the vector? I check web sites for more information on an app if there is any to be had. Some also sell.

Take At Bat. I don't have to buy it, I can just download as I subscribe to MLB on the Roku. You get At Bat premium free. That is taken care of on MLB website, not Play for payment.

I got Pocket Money through their website years ago. I was eligible for a sideways upgrade as I owned and still had the Palm version. That choice was not available on Play since the assumption was that no one had a prior copy. I could do the same for Documents to Go if I wanted it. I still have that installation CD from Palm. (I asked DTG)

I also purchase apps on the computer rather than the phone. I can log out totally or kill javascript on the computer. If all fails, I can yank the ethernet cable. I can see where URL is going and close the browser if I don't like it. I can also read any fine print and check any other links far easier. I don't think I've ever purchased an app or anything else on the phone.
As for getting with the times - financial sites like Nightly Business Report will run information for security that I prefer to follow for cell phones.

 

[EarlyMon]

When you visit the X-Plore developer's website and choose X-Plore from among his apps, it directs you to get it from the Play Store. It's not available for direct sale on his site.

That can vary by app.

Visiting websites to purchase apps or visiting Transylvania to visit Count Dracula will often result in different experiences and guarantees than visiting the Play Store, either directly or via an in-app purchase.

 

[zuben el genub]

Yes, you get the app at Play Store but it is donationware.

X-Plore is freeware
You may send donation

That does NOT say specifically that the donation goes through the Play store.

I'll buy Solid. Even if it doesn't get upgraded, I don't care.