Best Home Replacement App for You

[Chillout]

Ive been using DXTOP too, it was the first home replacement I've tried; I love everything about it except the epic lag when returning to home screen or waking up the phone. It drives me nuts, but the variety of themes you can use, icons, etc. along with the Dock, keeps me coming back to dxtop.

I did download the new launcher, which I actually kinda like but since I can't use DXtop with it and rename my icons, I removed it for now. I know I can use Bettercut to rename Icons, which is cool, but I guess in the end I'm too spoiled with the icon packs you can use with a theme manager to go back to stock blah icons.

 

[sybergato]

I know I'm spoiled and greedy and want it all. . . but is anyone working on a home replacement that has all the bells and whisles combined into one app? Like the 3 or 4 different scrolling methods in the options? The option to have the dock drawers or the side drawers, without having to switch homes? I've tried a few of the home apps out now and I think that each have their positives and negatives. And I imagine that some DEV out there has tried them too or has been reading posts like this and thought, well I could update and add the option to put a side dock in GDE or something. . I dunno. . . I want my cake and eat it too right?

btw, I'm using GDE. I love the Cube transition with a split wallpaper like day and night and a few others I had to find myself. With the screens set at 4, it's awsome. And the dock bar widget is super. . .but alas, a custom drawer would be nice as well as possible side docks for different set up. I have the other home apps on my phone, just don't use them as often. I have home switcher which is very nice, but the problem with that is that when you switch, your Icons and wallpaper stay the same. Wish I could have a red open home theme with red background and Icons then homeswitch to GDE Cube'd with darker Icons and a split wallpaper, Anyone else????

 

[Chillout]

I finally had enough of the epic lag that dxtop was giving me, so I began trying the other replacement options, including using the new 2.1 launcher. I tried everyone listed in this thread, along with sweethome. I had settled on Home++, I installed it and it seemed to be working fine. I was loving life with getting my speed back on droid; Home++ was working great. Then I started getting some weird lag so I rebooted and then it was ok. After a few hours though I started noticing random weird crap happening whenever I try to access the home screen; various parts of other home themes started appearing everywhere..icons from dxtop, launcher from home++, etc...so I was like WTF!!

So I decided a factory reset was in order, a soft reset. I did that, phone came back up. I started the daunting task of rearranging everything again and downloading my favorite apps, etc. I was loving the super fast speeds, and crisp changing between the 3 screens. I went to reinstall Home++ and thought, I wonder if I can get dxtop to function better now that I wiped out my phone and started from scratch. So on a whim I redownloaded it (minus multiple icon packs I had before) and wonder of all wonders (knock on wood) it's actually been running really well. Virtually no log or very little even when using multiple apps and putting the droid through it's paces. I know using icon packs can slow up the phone so Im going to stick with the base icons for now.

So at this time, I'm going to stick with dxtop again and see what happens. I really like being able to rename shortcuts and icons, but it's not a deal breaker if dxtop goes south again.

 

[Chillout]

An update for anyone that might be interested...I have been receiving some intermittent FC's since I reinstalled dxtop. They only seem to happen if I'm editing a folder or app, and it doesn't happen all the time, just random.

Also, I had forgotten to put dxtop and beautiful widgets onto the ignore list for my task killer after I reinstalled them so that helps some as well.

Overall I'll stick with the same set up for now and continue to monitor it. If it gets worse again I'll permanently remove dxtop and call it a day but for now, we shall see...

 

[Chillout]

and just when I say that...it started acting up again. I began getting epic lag last night on my phone just doing basic functions. I powercycled it but still kept getting lag. Goodbye dxtop, maybe when they do a real update to fix the lag I'll try it again but for now I installed the 2.1 launched and Bettercut and that so far is working quite well again...nice to have that speed back on my droid, permanently.

 

[Chillout]

I think I am droid home replacement app kryptonite or something. Since I posted yesteray, my 2.1 launcher started FC'ing so much I could barely even use the phone. As soon as one FC, there was another. I managed to get to the applications in the settings and uninstall it,then rebooted my phone and was working again but there I was stuck with the stock home again. I reinstalled Home++ and resetup my shortcuts using Bettercut and so far it's working well. If I start to have issues again though, I will uninstall Home++ and just stick with the stock home launcher for now. As long as I can keep using Bettercut, I can live with that if necessary for the time being.

 

[kn0t]

I use GDE. It takes a bit of getting used too but I really like it. I put a hero theme on top of that and it looks cool and works great, on both my cliq and behold 2.

 

[that1bb]

If you are just looking for a dock, additional screens and rock solid stability, check out Helix launcher.

 

[Roy Aguilera]

Helix Launcher2. Ruqqq did a hell of a job on it.

 

[cooleye]

I'm using Slidescreen, which give a very simple text-based home screen. Still slightly buggy as it sometimes crashes without notice but the simplistic look sold me. It provides email/calendar/sms/twitter/facebook notifications. I'm using the free version.

 

[Chillout]

Helix Launcher2. Ruqqq did a hell of a job on it.

+1 on Helix, working great since I installed it..best one so far IMO.

 

[op3rator]

good summary i like panda as well but as you stated feels very nursery rhyme type

 

[maggiem]

+1 on Helix, working great since I installed it..best one so far IMO.

From reading this thread, I decided to try Helix Launcher. It's so easy and I have only had 1 FC in a week now. Was getting them every day with home++ and dxtop was just ridiculously slow for me.

 

[Magnious]

Please add Helix Launcher and ClockworksMod to your list.

 

[UserError]

HelixLauncher2 located here ... http://forum.androidcentral.com/android-apps/9391-fixed-helixlauncher2-4.html

It runs great!!

 

[raymond#AC]

thx for tips

 

[specops2k3]

I use Helix Launcher and have had no problems using it. I have tried launcher++ it is also good, but lacks the shortcuts on the bottom.

 

[Cory Streater]

I use GDE with the Obsidian theme on my Droid. I only use three screens since I make liberal use of the application docks. The application dock allow me to have room for my widgets as do the call/add buttons always being on the bottom and not taking up useable space. I highly recommend the Obsidian theme because it keeps everything clean.

I never really had any lag issues and now that I rooted (using Sholes 2.0.3 rom) and overclocked to 800mhz, GDE flies. I know 2.1 is coming but I don't know if I can give up my application docs and love the ability to add or remove home screens as needed.

I've been using GDE for a few months now, and it works really well. The only difference is that I'm using the Hero theme.

 

[marvin]

For the Backflip:

dxTop - I like the four screen configuration best. Liked the dock.
PandaHome - The trays that can be configures are interesting and useful. My favorite configuration was 1 homescren and all six trays enabled.
OpenHome - Distant third for me did not like
GDE - was very slow

But in the end I went back to the standard home app.

 

[TheReclinerJockey]

I use dxTop with the Gumbo BARE rom. It removes sense and makes everything very snappy. I haven't noticed any lag w/dxTop and the fc's are few and far between. I don't think I could go back to the bloated 7 screens w/ sense on my Hero heh. I had a very hard time just trying to figure out what to do w/ the fourth and now they've added a fifth screen in the middle.
It's amazing.