Posted by Blake Stimac in Android Apps | 2 comments
A Widgetless Android…
It’s been more than a year that Android 1.5 came out, and I have trouble imagining a time where widgets were not a part of my everyday life, (the original bland stock widgets notwithstanding). The thought dawned on me as I was looking through my five homescreens of my Nexus One. I have eleven widgets across five screens and only eight icons. After thinking about it further, having the option for a widget is a make or break deal for me. It’s why I’ve yet to change from Twidroid as my Twitter client of choice, as the alternatives are getting better and better, but no widget no deal. Widgets are nothing new to the world, but Android does them right.
Probably one of the scariest things to think of sans widgets, HTC Sense. What would the appeal be? Even without the large live widgets gorgeously displayed on the screen, HTC Sense is still more enjoyable than stock Android, depending on who you ask. Sure, the multi-touch browser, the flash lite, the ‘people-centric’ contact consolidation is all very nice and all, but those are things you notice after you dive into Sense. All I’m really saying is that without the widgets adorning the screens of HTC’s Sense, there wouldn’t be much to grab you immediately.
So how much do you use widgets? Are they as important to you as features like multi-touch, a good web browser? I’d love to hear in the comments sections.
p.s. high five to the person who gets my video game reference in the above picture.
I’m with you on that one Blake, Sense is by far, to me, the best flavour of Android. I just don’t like the white taskbar and its icons of vanilla Android. Widgets are great on Sense UI, and my favs are all around music – access to my mp3 collection and Last FM for Internet Radio. I have to say as well though I look for cities where its raining with the weather widget, that windscreen wiper detail is fantastic, I love showing that off to my friends!!!
I am with you to an extent. If I get to many Widgets on my seven screens my phone get to lag. I do not know how you run that many widgets at once and not want to break your phone. Don’t get me wrong this is a love hate relationship with way more love than hate. But with my full screen people widget alone it takes about a second to one.five to load when I swype to the containing screen. So yes I don’t know how I ever did without on my phone but I get soooo frustrated sometimes.