Registered: Mar 2000
Location: Richmond, VA, USA
Posts: 151

I shall e-mail

I'll e-mail them and ask. What is this 'work' thing you are talking about? Never heard of it.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location:
Posts: 110

Pretty, but

I agree that Backdrop is a cute app, but doesn't it make your Prism hard to read? I used it for about a day and decided that function outweighed beauty.

Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Mountain View, CA
Posts: 211

Re: Pretty, but

quote:

---

Originally posted by alanf
but doesn't it make your Prism hard to read

---

__________________
<FONT face="verdana,arial,helvetica" size="1" >NetCaptor and Odigo Rule!<i></font>
"The Internet is now on computers?"
Homer Simpson

Registered: Dec 2000
Location: Silicon Valley, California
Posts: 173

You can also choose which applications you want the background on. Since I like most of my color apps and icons, I set backdrop for my black & white application, startup screen and (depending on my mood) the launcher (default screen).

I have no problem creating images. I use ifran to convert images to the correct size and sharpen the image. Then zap it through FireConverter.

I'll probably use this until the color version of SilverScreen comes out. I've already registered that....

Registered: Nov 2000
Location:
Posts: 49

Greetings,

Would someone mind sending me the Clouds file? Also, has anyone been able to get this to work with LaunchEm2?

Thanks,
-m

[email protected]

__________________
"Jazz is an art in which the risks
are great, the rewards subtle."
-Don Grolnick

Registered: Jun 2000
Location: Pembroke,MA
Posts: 307

Re: Pretty, but

quote:

---

Originally posted by alanf
I agree that Backdrop is a cute app, but doesn't it make your Prism hard to read? I used it for about a day and decided that function outweighed beauty.

---

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: Richmond, VA, USA
Posts: 151

FYI

I got this e-mail from the company concerning Background EZ's compatibility with SilverScreen:

quote:

---

Hi,

Thank-you for your email! Unfortunately, Backdrop EZ doesn't support a
foreground greater than 1-bit depth (B/W), so apps that force the device to
use more grey levels will cause BDEZ to temporarily hide the background. I
will be looking at possible solutions to this for the next major release, but
there is no current workaround.

Sorry,

Josh Freeman
Twilight Edge Software
http://www.twilightedge.com

---

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Seattle, WA, USA
Posts: 406

Re: I like it!!!!

quote:

---

Originally posted by fixitgal


I disagree. It's very cool, and I am the envy of my office. I can start showing off the color capability of my Prism for things other than games...

Toys are good for the soul...

---

Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Pleasanton, CA
Posts: 253

Re: Re: I like it!!!!

quote:

---

Originally posted by Vertigo


That's great, but you could have shown off the screen even more by just opening up Handspring Photo Album (Free Download)...

---

Sure, I show off pictures of my kids (that I have in my Album) every chance I get. The thing I love about Backdrop GC is that it spices up my calendar and other screens, which I look at all day. It also improves visibility when I'm outdoors, since the contrast (of the background) is better and I can change the foreground color. So it's not just the "cool factor," it's turned out to be useful.

It's not often that I get hooked on software, since I'm such a hardware geek. C'mon Vertigo, just let me enjoy it...

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"When I am Empress...Heads will roll!"
Queen of Parts

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Seattle, WA, USA
Posts: 406

Re: Re: Re: I like it!!!!

quote:

---

Originally posted by fixitgal
It's not often that I get hooked on software, since I'm such a hardware geek. C'mon Vertigo, just let me enjoy it...

---

oh FINE... But I curse you with that $18 dollars.
ema ooraj lorain poolat funrum!!! Mwahahah!

Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Pleasanton, CA
Posts: 253

Re: Re: Re: Re: I like it!!!!

quote:

---

Originally posted by Vertigo


oh FINE... But I curse you with that $18 dollars.
ema ooraj lorain poolat funrum!!! Mwahahah!

---

Ha! I laugh at your feeble attempt to curse my moolah...

Luckily I had the DragonballZ icon of good luck installed on my Prism with Backdrop GC (and my fully paid shareware fee)...

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"When I am Empress...Heads will roll!"
Queen of Parts

Registered: Mar 2001
Location: Tampa
Posts: 10

Well. looks like I'm the only one so far who loaded and used Backdrop only to have my Prism crash and require a HARD reset...OUCH! Everytime i soft reset it the picture of the damn Golden Gate bridge appeared with a fatal exception....nice thought, but it ain't worth the hassle.

Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Pleasanton, CA
Posts: 253

Any other new apps?

Cotey,

Have you installed any other apps recently? What kind of hacks do you have (if any)?

I haven't had any problems with mine and I have a ton of apps, plus am using a VisorPhone constantly.

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"When I am Empress...Heads will roll!"
Queen of Parts

Registered: Mar 2001
Location: Tampa
Posts: 10

Nothing really? Added a few AvantGo channels....actually got my fatal exception during a hot sync, but like I said, whenthe bridge kept coming up and nothing else but a fatal exception message, I put 2 and 2 together...when i did my hard reset, and then synced again, same problem (I guess my computer but the background on there again)....since I've killed it, had no problems. Maybe it's something else, but I am not willing to take the chance.

Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Pleasanton, CA
Posts: 253

Corruption?

quote:

---

Originally posted by Cotey
Nothing really? Added a few AvantGo channels....actually got my fatal exception during a hot sync...<snip>Maybe it's something else, but I am not willing to take the chance.

---

My main suspect would've been corruption caused by the fatal exception during HS. Only way to know for sure is to only change one thing at a time (install one app or change settings). The world may never know. Geez, that's why I hate software troubleshooting...

I still like Backdrop...

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"When I am Empress...Heads will roll!"
Queen of Parts

Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Mountain View, CA
Posts: 211

I know this is too late but.

You could have tried a Warm Reset. It bypasses all of the startup requests (Kind of like Safe mode on Windows) so it wont load whats causing the problems and will enable you to delete it. Guess it's too late though. Sorry

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<FONT face="verdana,arial,helvetica" size="1" >NetCaptor and Odigo Rule!<i></font>
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Homer Simpson

Registered: Nov 2000
Location:
Posts: 49

Greetings,

Thank you to those of you who sent me your Clouds files; they look great! I'm now the envy of all my pda-holding friends. I will soon be able to repay you with another very cool-yet-unobtrusive background. I'll let you know when it's available. I've experienced no problems whatsoever. Since BackdropGC doesn't seem to work with third party launchers, I've actually gone back to using the stock Palm launcher, which is something that I'd never thought I'd do. As an added side benefit of giving up LaunchEm, my Prism no longer resets upon removal of a Springboard either.

I've sent an email to the creators of BackdropGC questioning the following:

1)Can they get their app to work with LaunchEm2? Currently the background image doesn't show at all.
2)Though it does work with Datebk4, I'd really like to be able to retain my color icons. Until then, I'vehad to disable Backdrop in Datebk4.
3)Can they get their app to work with Supernames? Not only doesn't the background image appear, but it also disables all other color features, making them appear in black & white.

Is anyone getting Backdrop to work with a 3rd party launcher? If so, please tell us which one it is.

Thanks again,
-cnegrad

__________________
"Jazz is an art in which the risks
are great, the rewards subtle."
-Don Grolnick

Registered: Nov 2000
Location:
Posts: 49

Payback Time

Greetings,

It's payback time! I've made a great color background for use with BackdropGC, and I'll be happy to send it to anyone who wants it. It's the image of deep blue pool water glistening in the summer sun. I have to say it came out great. If anything, it may even be a little less obtrusive than the clouds picture. I find that on my Prism that it looks best with the brightness set at about the half way mark.

I'm going to try and attach the image to this message, so hopefully it will appear below, and you can download it at your convenience.

Let me know what you think!

Enjoy,
-cnegrad

Attachment: mark's pool.jpg
This has been downloaded 98 time(s).

__________________
"Jazz is an art in which the risks
are great, the rewards subtle."
-Don Grolnick

Registered: Nov 2000
Location:
Posts: 49

Greetings,

The following is the response I rec'd from Twilight Edge, creators of Backdrop:

> 1) Is there a way to get Backdrop GC to function with
> Launch'Em2? Currently I can't get my background picture
> to appear at all. I'm even willing to forego all the
> color icons and other features; but I can't get the
> background picture to appear at all in this app.

You can get the background image to show in Launch'Em by installing
its bundled ScreenDepth plugin and setting the mode to 'Black & White'.


> 2) Is there a way to get Backdrop GC to function better
> with Datebook4 with regard to retaining the Color Icons
> in Month View? As much as I would love to use my
> background picture in Datebook4, I can't live without
> the colors that correspond to my various categories.

Unfortunately, the current version of Backdrop GC doesn't support a
foreground greater than 1-bit depth (B/W), so the only workaround is to
disable it for Datebook4. I will be looking at possible solutions for
this in the next major release.


> 3) Is there a way to get Backdrop GC to function at all
> with SuperNames? Currently I can't get my background
> picture to appear at all in this app. I'm even willing
> to forego the colored categories in this app; but I
> can't get the background picture to appear at all. If
> not, do you know if BackdropGC works properly with
> Address Plus? If so, I'll consider switching..

Both SuperNames and Address Plus automatically switch the OS into a
deeper bit depth, which will hide the background. There's no workaround
at the moment, but I'm looking at ways to force enabled apps to stay in
1-bit mode for a future version.

Regards,

Josh Freeman
Twilight Edge Software
http://www.twilightedge.com

__________________
"Jazz is an art in which the risks
are great, the rewards subtle."
-Don Grolnick

Registered: Dec 2000
Location:
Posts: 30

Can someone email me a cloud file as well? Thanks.