Soft keys vs Button Savior

[gadgetrants]

Welcome to the forum!!! Love your screenshot.

My apologies for what may appear to be an argumentative response. I definitely don't mean it that way.

I agree that people who don't like softkeys have not set it up correctly.

I'm not in a position to know what many/most/all other people who don't like SoftKeys have done, but in my case I was totally comfortable with the setup. (The app Widget Locker uses a similar programming strategy to get widgets on to the lockscreen.) The app is well-written and the features are great. I also used a home manager, which made checking the default home launcher even easier.

My concern with SoftKeys is in how the soft-button performs. I appreciated that transparency could be changed...but I noticed that even with light taps the button seemed to move from one location to another, and otherwise behave erratically. Functionally, the way to fix this (has it been fixed?) is simply to make it stay on top, and to lock its position. In fact, this is how the corresponding button in Button Savior behaves.

Regarding visibility of the button (and I apologize for repeating myself...I said this in an earlier post) I decided against the strategy of making the "n" key the sole button for calling SoftKeys (is it clear what I mean by this?). In other words, some users have chosen to hide the soft button, and only use the "n" key. But I think the "n" key (at least the two I've used) is too stiff, and will probably break with excessive use (compare to the volume and power keys). So I've tried to use it as little as possible. I'm hoping our NC will make it two years...admittedly if I owned several tablets and only planned to use it for 6 months, I'd have a whole other attitude about using the "n" button!

-Matt

 

[atinsley]

Good reply Matt,

My N button feels pretty solid and I am not worried about it breaking so I am one of the users who have turned off the virtual button. I guess we've both got good setups for our own preferences!

Sent from my sdk using Android Tablet Forum App

 

[J515OP]

Matt,

I hear you about the n button, it probably wasn't designed for the kind of use a back button gets but certainly it should be able to take quite a few presses. Never the less, you can do several things to avoid having the on screen button and avoid using the n button. Being the super user that you are you probably aready know these but here goes.

1. In many applications the back button appears to the left of the arrow button above the n button. If it is there you can use it.
2. If you have notifications on and Quick Swithcer you can tap the houses in the lower left and then navigate to BN home, Zeam home or SoftKeys from there. The notifications also sometimes have a back button which you can use.
3. You can swipe right to left (I think I actually learned that from a post by you) in the lower right corner of the screen to go back.

Those options will get you out of most screens and to where you want to go without hitting the n button even if you have a couple of extra on screen presses to do it. For some full screen apps like Angry Birds you might still have to hit the n button but that shouldn't be enough beyond its designed use to make a differnce.

I am pretty happy with the SoftKeys setup that has been recommended here and don't find myself pressing the n button too often. To each their own though.

Some people might prefer different buttons or home launcher just because that is what they prefer. Darn MCoyulets.

 

[gadgetrants]

Holy carp, people can see my posts today! I'm visible again!

"n" button...hehehe...makes me grin. Sounds un-PC. By the way, sorry for the off-topic comment but I went to Cal. Drives me bonkers (now that I live in the middle of nowhere) when I see NorCal in people's screen info. You better be enjoying the sun/culture/food for me.

Oh, and yeah I realize I'm neurotic about breaking the stupid button. I also wash my hands like 8 times a day, go back and check locked doors 5 times, etc., etc.

-Matt

 

[J515OP]

Good school. I grew up in the Lake Tahoe area, went to UCLA and then I lived in LA for about 10 years before moving back to the Folsom area (just east of Sacramento). So the culture and food are still pretty good, but the sun isn't what it is down there. I know it still isn't that cold but our highs this week are only mid 50s compared to high 60s and low 70s in SoCal.

 

[gadgetrants]

Born in LA, grew up in S.D. (UCSD). Grad school in the Bay Area. I realized when I said "sun" in my post that I sounded like I didn't know the difference between north and south! Still, you get more of it than me.

I just applied for a job at U.C. Merced...but not holding my breath...

You're a BRUIN!?!?!?!?! I don't think we can talk anymore. Go Bears! The REAL Bears.

-Matt

 

[rico2001]

To me the quality of a good key app is one you never notice. Since installing Button Savior, it blends so well in the scheme of the NC that, although I use it countless times a day, it is as natural as the softkeys which already came on the NC. So far I've done everything on my NC manually so I'm a little insulted by comments that if you choose Button Savior over Softkeys, you simply don't know how to configure it. Being precise with implements to my NC, I was only looking for a back and menu/setting key. Button Savior does these simple two things beautifully without issue. I have no need for for alternate menus and button changes. Everyone has their own opinions on these two apps and all I can tell you is try both out, see which one fits your style.

 

[atinsley]

I wasn't trying to insult anyone. It just isn't entirely obvious how to set up Softkeys after you've rooted the Nook and I'd imagine there are many people who don't like it simply because it isn't configured properly.

Sent from my Droid

 

[ewichern]

You know, i ended up uninstalling softkeys and running nothing.

I have my volume buttons remapped to back/menu and use the ones one the notification bar, and i haven't really used softkeys since the first day i was rooted. I'm hoping the random reboots are somehow linked to softkeys as some people have implied and they'll go away now /crosses fingers.

 

[priyank]

Thanks to vapor63

 

[UnstoppableDrew]

Big thanks to vapor63 for explaining how to set up Soft Keys, and also to gadgettrants for the tip on setting SK to be the default. I've rooted my wife's NC, and have been trying to set it up for her so that it's easy to use (she's not nearly as interested in this stuff as I am). One issue I've been having is it every now & then it forgets I've set SK as the default launcher, I hit the n button, and it asks me how I want to complete the action.

Keeping in mind she primarily want to use the nook as a reader (and is mostly humoring me about rooting it) I setup softkeys slightly differently than vapor did. For the virtual home button, I set normal press to 'Home' (the original default B&N launcher), and long press to Zeam. Physical button is set to 1 press soft keys, 2 press launcher.

So double tap the n button goes to the book reading home, just like the original single tap did. If she wants the other launcher she can single tap and long press the virtual home. I also just tried switching long & short for the virtual button, I might leave it that way since you have double tap n for reader home, it makes alternate launcher the easier option.

 

[gadgetrants]

Big thanks to vapor63 for explaining how to set up Soft Keys, and also to gadgettrants for the tip on setting SK to be the default. I've rooted my wife's NC, and have been trying to set it up for her so that it's easy to use (she's not nearly as interested in this stuff as I am). One issue I've been having is it every now & then it forgets I've set SK as the default launcher, I hit the n button, and it asks me how I want to complete the action.

Keeping in mind she primarily want to use the nook as a reader (and is mostly humoring me about rooting it) I setup softkeys slightly differently than vapor did. For the virtual home button, I set normal press to 'Home' (the original default B&N launcher), and long press to Zeam. Physical button is set to 1 press soft keys, 2 press launcher.

So double tap the n button goes to the book reading home, just like the original single tap did. If she wants the other launcher she can single tap and long press the virtual home. I also just tried switching long & short for the virtual button, I might leave it that way since you have double tap n for reader home, it makes alternate launcher the easier option.

Hah, another husband-wife pair. I swear, it's a club! Thanks for joining us.

An option you might try is adding a shortcut on the Zeam desktop to the Library. I originally had a shortcut for my wife that took her to the B&N stock home, but then I noticed when she got there, she just selected Library anyway! Of course the built-in shortcuts on the stock home (like last book read and resizing of book covers) are pretty handy. I wonder if we'll ever be able to modify that launcher.

-Matt

 

[UnstoppableDrew]

Hah, another husband-wife pair. I swear, it's a club! Thanks for joining us.

An option you might try is adding a shortcut on the Zeam desktop to the Library. I originally had a shortcut for my wife that took her to the B&N stock home, but then I noticed when she got there, she just selected Library anyway! Of course the built-in shortcuts on the stock home (like last book read and resizing of book covers) are pretty handy. I wonder if we'll ever be able to modify that launcher.

-Matt

I did add a shortcut on the Zeam desktop to the library, but as you said, she likes the scrolling covers and books on the desktop. I've seen the thread about how to use desktop visualizer etc to link to books on the Zeam desktop. I tried that but hers are all in device memory, and when they open they ask for your credit card. Haven't tried moving them to the sdcard to see if that helps.

 

[gadgetrants]

Wow, that's odd about the credit card request. You used Astro to edit the epub file-type association, right?

Since you're rooted, it should be straightforward to navigate to the books you've downloaded and copy them to the sdcard. I'm curious if it's a workaround for the CC problem...post back if you try it!

-Matt

 

[UnstoppableDrew]

Wow, that's odd about the credit card request. You used Astro to edit the epub file-type association, right?

Since you're rooted, it should be straightforward to navigate to the books you've downloaded and copy them to the sdcard. I'm curious if it's a workaround for the CC problem...post back if you try it!

-Matt

Yes on the Astro. And no, moving to sdcard didn't make any difference. I just posted about it in the XDA thread, will see if they have an answer.