Here It Comes.....

[From Eli fm Midwood, Brooklyn] As a big fan & registered user of Apt since the 0.9x beta stages; I am happy to let the PalmAddicts community know that the 1.0 version has been released today.

I bought this app within 24 hrs of the reg process being in place. As someone who earned a good number of certs fm Novell, including instructor, I recognize a robust, highly functional app when I see it. I'm not a programmer, but I was inspired to get a book, so that I could better understand just what Apt was doing "under the hood".

Lee Wilmot, the developer has been very responsive & involved with user concerns in the thread in which he first announced Apt, over on 1src.com - in the applications forum. It should tell you something that the 2nd thread, named "Apt 0.9a (formerly known as PAP)" got to well over 1,200 posts by a core of interested people who traded ideas among themselves & the developer.

BTW, the base functionality has been rock solid for many of the recent betas, even though there has been fine tuning on the advanced features...that's what beta testing is all about. It has great basic features that are easy to use & advanced features that can be complex, but add tons of productivity & power to the user who is enlightened enough to actually read the userguide & the wiki.

Just go to apt.dinglisch.net where you'll find links to both the UG & the wiki. But do read the docs, & see the very helpful wiki; because like a good bowl of soup, I wouldn't want you to miss a "single drop" of what Apt can do for you! (apologies to Campbell's).

The basic story is that in early betas Apt started providing per-app preferences that went beyond what the native PalmOS Prefs app gives you i.e. the ability to control environmental stuff like game / alarm sounds, DIA up/down, statsubar (ditto), brightness & more, all on individual app basis! Then there is the capablity of Apt to recognize recently used & favorite apps, which can be put into popup, and 'star' menus... (you can have up to 4 groups of Faves to give you more flexibility & functionality).

Let's not forget the ability to give you full control of the 4 h/w buttons via simple press 'n release, or press 'n hold (up to 3 diff press 'n hold options- 1, 2, & 3 second hold durations - that give your many options to launch apps, DA's & macros, etc. & a dialog even shows you how long you've been holding, so you know when to let go (if only people had that ability w/their worries & concerns, but that's another story :D )

There is still much more, like triggering apps via pen taps & strokes, the ability to lock apps- full or partial screen - which can be released by up to 3 separate triggers, which are customize-able for each app you want to lock. You can also set triggers to display Time, Date, or simply going Back to the previously used App via button presses.

So here is the 'skinny' to cover the full range of categories of functionality & then you can go to the site mentioned above & see for yourself (you can find the wiki at apt-palm.wikidot.com )

1. Think global, Act local- just tell Apt which apps to have improved management/functionality via app/da launches, pen taps, environ controls, etc. & after using it you will discover more ways to use what is there, I have! If you are patient, see the thread on Apt 0.9a... only 1280+ posts!

2. Beef Up The Buttons, I loved the ability to do so much, as mentioned above, with button presses... like launching my backup on SD volume mount & launching popup menus I created...

3. Super Status Bar- I assigned a pen stroke to the statusbar clock.. a simple stroke on a specific location, & a basic tap gives me the native functionality (time, date, brightness), & the stroke across the length of the s-bar clock icon is assigned to launch my Palmary Clock, very handy, very cool. All time stuff in one place!

4. Upgrade your apps- diff things like assigning screen tap 'n drag can be associated w/the scrollbar & the wiki even has directions on how to do this - diff apps behave differently, so your mileage may vary!

5. Events That Change The World - there are a LOT of diff controls to do things, like when I insert my 2nd SD card & the OS mounts it, Apt can recognize this 'Event & then launch my backup program & then send a command bar / letter combo - / B, which actually starts the backup for me, as if I tapped on the menu item "New Backup / B" - awesome! Then there is recognition of Idle states, diff (programming type of) controls, doing stuff after Reset etc.

6. A Sight For Sore eyes- Apt's macro capability allows me to make global & sep. individual settings for screen brightness, or dim after a set amount of idle time & restore after I make a pen tap, or any of the 4 h/w buttons are pressed. Apt allows you to play games in full color & brightness, or save power when you leave your palm idle. Leave certain apps w/lower brightness, to make nite reading easier on the eyes....

7. Can You Speak Palm? - Apt's system allows you to interact with & manage so many things that are going on, & you don't have to be a programmer to do them. Just use Apt! (OK, read the userguide also)

The docs are about 30 pages (lots of good info), supplemented by the wiki; which is chock full of examples & how to's & pics. Then the Apt 1.0 thread over on 1src, where the author is often there to help, so nothing is left but to download the trial, read over the first section of the docs carefully, go thru the rest (you'll be returning later to help Apt make your PDA sing!) & of course play with it, enjoy it. Then to get the full complement of capabilities for more than the trial version (limited in how many Apt triggers you can assign) you should register it.

It is worth every penny. I hereby nominate Apt for "Rookie of the Year" & MVP. Check it out!