Hi-Launcher 1.0 – Design your own custom Start Menu
RNS Software’s Hi-Launcher is a new Start menu option for Windows Mobile 5, 6, and 6.5 devices. It’s a refreshed port of one of the best selling Palm OS apps to date. So what is Hi-Launcher? It’s a highly customizable Start menu which can be designed from the ground up. There are other Start menu options besides the default menu; however, none of them are as flexible as Hi-Launcher. This launcher has advantages over the bland Windows Mobile 6.1 drop down menu, Touchflo 3D menu, and the 6.5 Start screen. If you’re looking for a Start menu replacement, read our review of Hi-Launcher for all the details.
Hi-Launcher Tutorial Layout
Hi-Launcher’s biggest strength is the capacity to customize or design a cascading Start menu to fit your needs. Although it can be time consuming at first, you’re rewarded with a menu that works for you. Apps with high levels of customizations have a heavy learning curve, which is the case with Hi-Launcher. After installation, you can choose to start designing a menu from scratch or select one of the two pre-determined menus. I recommend getting started with one of two pre-made menus for reference sakes. You can pick a menu that looks just like the Windows Mobile 6 Start menu (yep, 6.5 users can get it back now) or one that serves as a tutorial. Remember that these can be edited to your liking. We also recommend starting with these to avoid getting yourself in a pickle (make sure to put Hi-Launcher settings in your menu!). If you don’t, you might accidentally save a menu that doesn’t give you access to important programs or settings, and it can be especially difficult to access them if you’re using a simple interface like the Today screen.
Hi-Launcher Custom Colors
Personalizing your menu begins when you start building it. You can add, delete, or edit any of the items in your menu. You can select the color of each text and background behind the text. This way you can match it with your home screen theme. Hi-Launcher allows for multiple levels of menus, or what you might call cascading menus. You can link programs, settings, bookmarks, contacts, power utility, screen tools, status information, and it even has a task manager built in. The task manager is convenient because it displays the programs that are running and all you have to do is click the items to close, unlike most programs that force you to push a small x. You can insert custom splitters to label and separate any of your start menu items too.
Hi-Launcher
The ability to personalize the menu with custom colors makes it easy to match it to any theme or the mood you are in. Other display options can be customized on top of that. You can change the menu border width and apply rounded corners or shadows. You can also select an animation style for the menu system (fade-in, mosaic, build, or slide). And of course you can change the height of the items to make them more finger-friendly. Something that we didn’t expect is the choice of where you want the menu to appear. Pressing the menu button on the top left, as usual, doesn’t mean that’s where the menu has to appear. You can have it pop up on the top or bottom, sides, and corners of the screen. An advanced feature is running the start menu by screen gestures. You can assign it to display by swiping in a specific direction, making it easy to access from any screen.
In conclusion, we really like Hi-Launcher because of the customizing capabilities. The editing of the items found within allows users to make simple or complex menus. With many apps, you are limited to what the company offers. In this case, you will probably be the one limiting what’s on your menu because the list of features almost seems never-ending. Other Start menus can be configured to perform some of these features, but who wants to make things hard when Hi-Launcher makes customizing easy and automatic? Yes, there is a learning curve, but it will reward you in the end so it’s worth it. Since the Start Menu is an important part of Windows Mobile, this app is probably one of our favorites. Hi-Launcher is a retail product, so there is a one time fee; but if you’re the type who likes to customize their phone (like most WM users), then watch the video below to see the advanced Start menu in use.
Tested on: Touch Pro 2
Pros:
- Extremely customizable
- Multiple menu layers
- Possibly the best 3rd Party Start Menu
- Demo is available
- Fast and highly functional
Cons:
- Price is slightly high
- Big learning curve (though that’s because of so many features)
Possible Improvements:
- Should place Hi-Launcher settings as an item by default to avoid locking users out of important functions found in standard Start Menu
- Option to choose an image as the menu background like on some other Start menus
Screenshots:
Get It from Our Store :
The developer has allowed us to give 3 copies of the app to 3 lucky readers. Tell us why you would like to get hold of the free copy in the comments section. Winners announced on 6th Dec Sun ( Melbourne Time )
When does it stop….hopefully never ever
Ewww, looks awful. Revenge of the stylus, right?
I could use a good app louncher Quickmenu isn't too finger friendly hopefulyl this is more so.
Having used Hi-Launcher with my Palm PDA for some years and found it indispensable, I am delighted to see that it has now been produced for Windows Mobile so I can continue to use it on the PocketPC that I have migrated to.
As the reviewer above has said, it is much more flexible than other similar options I have tried both for PalmOS or Windows Mobile. All too often other options have actually made life more difficult, hiding important funtions. Hi-Launcher not only enables ready access to the usual functions but also enables access to functions nor to ready available.
I am not sure if I completely agree with the reviewers comment about Hi-Launcher having a big learning curve. I have always found it very easy to configure everything and the template menu's provided give an excellent way of starting to configure the program for ones own needs, as well as learning what it can do.
I have always liked the way that the menus can be nested as well as given colours and headings of ones choice as well as giving ready access to recently used programs so it can be used in situations where one needs to switch from one program to another and then back again, as the menu pops up over the loaded program without disturbing it.
Read the instructions for clarification if you need to, but if you are reasonably savvy with such things you will probably not need to, as it is very easy to configure.
This program can pop up by dedicating a button for its use, for instance by holding the button slightly longer than usual. The menu items can be selected both via the touchscreen with a finger tip carefully placed or the stylus, as well as by the up down etc. buttons
The developers have also been improving Hi-Launcher over the years, so more functions have been enabled as time has gone on. Perhaps for Windows Mobile users this will mean that Hi-Launcher will keep up with new developments in Windows Mobile and with reasonable upgrade fees.
Bearing in mind the care that has gone into this program and its usefulness, I think the price is very reasonable and would encourage potential users to give it a try.
hey mate you havent provided your contact info , plz contact me on admin@1800pocketpc.com to claim your copy of Hi-Launcher
hey mate you havent provided your contact info , plz contact me on admin@1800pocketpc.com to claim your copy of Hi-Launcher
I liked the guidance for setting up own start up menu.
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