What is the fascination with the big home screen clock?
- Thread starter scosch
- Start date
I am with the OG poster. I just don't get it and I don't like it. I have a Gnex and the first thing I did was remove the big white analog clock. Not necessary to have it there taking up 2/3 of the screen. I prefer less clutter on home screens so have collapsed many apps into folders grouped by category.
Another question. Is this brown-yellow/green color wallpaper the way the phone is delivered?
The home screen clock provides other functions such as quick access to alarm clock, calendar, and weather info. And in the case of some third party apps such as Beautiful Widgets, you can customize which apps launch depending on what area you touch. As an example, the defaults: touching the time brings up the alarm clock, touching the date brings up the calendar, touching the weather info brings up the latest forecast.
I personally like having the time VERY visible when I bring up my homescreen...personal preference I guess.
The HTC iconic Time/Weather widget is aesthetically pleasing and as noted above, serves some nice functions as well.
I also prefer using the Beautiful Widgets version of the clock/weather widget, mainly because they have a 4x1 version, and I do agree that 4x2 just takes up too much screen real estate.
Of course, the real beauty of Android...even Sense Android....is that you can do whatever YOU want with your homescreen.
You're kidding, right? You actually care what background wallpaper is on the phone when delivered?
It looks like this out of the box:
-Frank
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I like the 3d clock. /shrug. Course that's a root thing. Sense 3 is nice. Oh and "ewwww widget locker" for good measure.
Sent from my Thunderstick using Tapatalk
Sent from my Thunderstick using Tapatalk
I agree with the OP. The first thing I do when firing up an HTC device is ditch the giant stock homescreen clock.
Granted, I do usually replace it with a smaller clock/date/weather widget called SimiClock (try it, it's great), but I always seem to glance up to the small corner clock when checking the time on my phone rather than the clock I put up at the top row with SimiClock. Top corner is a habit I guess since battery life is always of interest, too.
I don't taking up so much real estate with the giant HTC clock widget when you can use something smaller and have a much better view of your wallpaper (like a photo of your kids, or a pic you took on vacation or your favorite supercar or whatever you like to look at). Different strokes I guess, but I like a larger view of my wallpaper photo and change it frequently just because I can with Android. How iOS people don't go insane without the ability to customize a homescreen is beyond me.
Granted, I do usually replace it with a smaller clock/date/weather widget called SimiClock (try it, it's great), but I always seem to glance up to the small corner clock when checking the time on my phone rather than the clock I put up at the top row with SimiClock. Top corner is a habit I guess since battery life is always of interest, too.
I don't taking up so much real estate with the giant HTC clock widget when you can use something smaller and have a much better view of your wallpaper (like a photo of your kids, or a pic you took on vacation or your favorite supercar or whatever you like to look at). Different strokes I guess, but I like a larger view of my wallpaper photo and change it frequently just because I can with Android. How iOS people don't go insane without the ability to customize a homescreen is beyond me.
Yes. I can't imagine what continuously stairing at what is essentially an app listing screen would be like.
-Frank
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I was at Sam's Club earlier and ended up looking at their cell phones one of which was a live iPhone. Its homescreen full of app icons, the tiny display and the single physical home button gave me a new and better appreciation for my Thunderbolt and Android in general. I could never use a device designed like that.
firepsych
Well-known member
- Nov 6, 2011
- 136
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I really need to get real work done but this more fun so I'll add my blather.
When I had my BB I thought the HTC Clock was the coolest thing. Until I got my Thunderbolt. Then I quickly realized how much usable space it takes up. Fortunately my eyes haven't gotten that bad yet so I can see the clock in the status bar and I have a watch and a clock on my computer and a clock on the wall in one of my offices and there's the kitchen clock. Well you get the idea.
But then I found Widgetzoid which has a fairly customizable clock and other shortcuts.
Also though I was used to my keyboard shortcuts on my BB. I agree that a screen full of shortcuts is not asthetically pleasing but it is more functional. I like to get where I want to go with as few taps as possible. Yes my screen is cluttered but I have access to about 25 apps/functions from my home screen. Which ends up being more than I had with my BB.
But most importantly the cool thing about Android on your own phone I that you can easily do whatever you gosh darn like.
When I had my BB I thought the HTC Clock was the coolest thing. Until I got my Thunderbolt. Then I quickly realized how much usable space it takes up. Fortunately my eyes haven't gotten that bad yet so I can see the clock in the status bar and I have a watch and a clock on my computer and a clock on the wall in one of my offices and there's the kitchen clock. Well you get the idea.
But then I found Widgetzoid which has a fairly customizable clock and other shortcuts.
Also though I was used to my keyboard shortcuts on my BB. I agree that a screen full of shortcuts is not asthetically pleasing but it is more functional. I like to get where I want to go with as few taps as possible. Yes my screen is cluttered but I have access to about 25 apps/functions from my home screen. Which ends up being more than I had with my BB.
But most importantly the cool thing about Android on your own phone I that you can easily do whatever you gosh darn like.
Something you might find useful to preserve screen real estate is Circle Launcher. I use it. I have two total screens configured. My main home screen where I put only any icons that I access numerous times every day without fail (4), and on my second screen I uses Circle Launcher bubbles. That's it. If I want to run another favorite program I just swipe my home screen over to the next one and use the Circle Launcher folders. I've already posted my main home screen in this thread. But here is my second. All my other 5 home screens are blank. The transparent background on Circle Launcher (if configured) helps to preserve your background pic.
Circle Launcher...
-Frank
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Wow that looks really cool. Another app is Multicon which will allow you put several shortcuts into the space that one shortcut uses. Multicon probably won't help you keep the wallpaper visible but if you want to use the HTC clock widget and still have a BUNCH of app shortcuts on the screen, this is the way to go.
I use one of the Wallpapers from TSF Shell, I love the color and design.
I'm also using:
- Minimalistic Text (time/weather/date)
- Simple Text (icons)
- Nova launcher Prime
- StatusBar+ (simple StatusBar without needing root)
- Missed It! (text-based App-specific Notifications appear in the middle blank space whenever I get a Notification but stays invisible when I have none)
I use a smaller clock and have widgets on each side of it. I t is bigger than the little tiny thing on the notification bar (makes it easier on older eyes) and having the ability to access alarms and timers easier. I have my weather on another screen
I guess I'm on the opposite end here. I love my large clocks from HD Widgets. I like the 5-day forecast and i have everything I really want on my home page. I'm using TSF Shell and the animated folders are great. I've always just loved the large clock on the home screen.View attachment 23879
I have to have a full week calendar and 4 day weather for job scheduling. then contacts, email, messages and screen sleep icons take up the rest of the screen. My clock is in the status bar.
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