What is the fascination with the big home screen clock?

[scosch]

I have wondered this for a while and never asked about it before: what is the fascination with the 'gorgeous' giant clock on the default home screen of htc phones when there is always a clock at the top of the screen? I just don't understand why you would eat up so much screen real estate displaying something that is already on the screen. I mean, why not then find a really cool looking signal strength indicator and throw that on the home screen too? Or a wifi signal indicator? I can understand putting a battery level indicator on the home screen since the stock battery indicator doesn't show increments of one. Don't get me wrong, I'm not writing this to make a judgment about people who like the big htc clock, I'm just curious why people feel the need to use it when there is always a clock visible anyway.

 

[grumpyjoe]

Well, for me I like it because I use reading glasses. And at a glance I can see what time it is vs putting on my glasses every time.

 

[FrankXS]

What screen real estate?

Anyway, I'm in the "default notification bar display too small to see quickly" camp myself.

-Frank

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[cegabq]

FrankXS - THAT is a gorgeous home screen.

 

[Lanhoj]

I agree with the OP.
I have:
- Retro Alarm widget on Widget Locker
- Text-based time on my homescreen using Minimalistic Text
As such, no need for other clocks.
I also remove the Status Bar clock though using StatusBar+.

 

[anon(394005)]

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.

 

[FrankXS]

FrankXS - THAT is a gorgeous home screen.

Full sized image attached...

-Frank

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[scosch]

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.

Well those reasons make sense. I suppose I never knew about the clock being able to launch different apps that people probably use daily. Although, couldn't you achieve the same thing by just having icons for those apps on the home screen? You mentioned 3 different ones, so that would take up a 3x1 or 1x3 area on the home screen (notice that you have the choice that way) whereas the default HTC clock takes up at least 4x2. But maybe the one you're talking about doesn't use up that much space, and I do know the HTC clock widget has options for the size of the widget. I don't know much about the widget because I got rid of it immediately on both my DINC and Bolt because the time is already displayed in the notification bar.

Regardless, I still don't see any posts about people using the huge HTC clock simply because they think it looks nice, so I may have had the wrong impression. And of course, to each his/her own when it comes to personalizing anything!

 

[Jude526]

If the clock mother's you you can remove it. I prefer fancy Widgets. There are different clock and weather skins

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[Jude526]

Bothers*****

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[kentrol72]

I like the clock and weather but I'd like to hide the status bar

 

[Lanhoj]

I like the clock and weather but I'd like to hide the status bar

Do you mean permanently hide or just be there when you want it and not when you don't?
If the latter is what you want, try GO Launcher EX or Nova Launcher.
I also use StatusBar+ to minimize the clutter in my status bar. All I choose to keep is the % and connection type, the rest are only visible if I drag down the Notification Bar.

 

[worwig]

I like to have the weather handy. Might as well have a clock handy too.

 

[Forgetful]

I use the 4x1 clock weather one. I do it because it looks good and provides a shortcut to weather

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[kentrol72]

Do you mean permanently hide or just be there when you want it and not when you don't?
If the latter is what you want, try GO Launcher EX or Nova Launcher.
I also use StatusBar+ to minimize the clutter in my status bar. All I choose to keep is the % and connection type, the rest are only visible if I drag down the Notification Bar.

(
I used GoLauncher X for a while but it bothers me to have to download all the Widgets that I use that are already on the device and works the way I want it. So yes if there is a way to hide the status bar until I want it like the pull down feature in GoLauncher X but without changing the launcher...that'd be great.

 

[Jude526]

Full sized image attached...

-Frank

Click to view quoted image


Sent using Tapatalk 2

. Thx. I have it on my phone now. Its cool

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[anon(394005)]

Well those reasons make sense. I suppose I never knew about the clock being able to launch different apps that people probably use daily. Although, couldn't you achieve the same thing by just having icons for those apps on the home screen? You mentioned 3 different ones, so that would take up a 3x1 or 1x3 area on the home screen (notice that you have the choice that way) whereas the default HTC clock takes up at least 4x2. But maybe the one you're talking about doesn't use up that much space, and I do know the HTC clock widget has options for the size of the widget. I don't know much about the widget because I got rid of it immediately on both my DINC and Bolt because the time is already displayed in the notification bar.

Regardless, I still don't see any posts about people using the huge HTC clock simply because they think it looks nice, so I may have had the wrong impression. And of course, to each his/her own when it comes to personalizing anything!

You could use three separate shortcuts for each app, but that would take away being able to see the latest weather information displayed on the clock/weather widget, instead you'd have to open the weather app. It would also be a step more toward an IOS type device of just having app shortcuts instead of being able to incorporate widgets. Yuck! Also, third party widgets such as Beautiful Widgets/Fancy Widgets are much more customizable than the stock HTC weather clock, so you can minimize how much screen real estate it takes. As such, my home screen looks a lot like Frank's with four app shortcuts across the very bottom and the Beautiful Widgets weather clock at the top using the NakedAlloy skin so the clock numbers have a metallic look. It looks so much better than the stock HTC widget and has much more functionality.

 

[scosch]

The fact that we can even have this conversation is what shouldn't be forgotten here (and thanks to synycalwon for mentioning ios to remind me of this.) Happy customizing!

P.S. I've already made it known that taking up a lot of screen real estate with widgets and app shortcuts is not my preference. On the off chance anybody cares, it's because I always have a great picture of my daughter as my wallpaper that I don't want to obscure. But, I do want quick access to some favorite apps. I highly recommend Simi folder to anybody that wants quick access to a variety of apps without covering the wallpaper.

 

[anon(394005)]

I understand about trying not to obscure a good wallpaper (or just keeping things organized). I typically use one of Cyber Warrior's Thunderbolt wallpapers (link below) except during the NFL season when I used the Broncos one (second link below). That one actually prompted me to clean up the homescreen further to ensure the Bronco was uncovered by any widget or icon! Also took a bit to crop it just right so the Bronco sat properly just above the lock bar.

http://forums.androidcentral.com/wa...htc-thunderbolt-wallpapers-cyber-warrior.html

http://forums.androidcentral.com/wa...7454-nfl-wallpapers-android-all-32-teams.html

 

[Ed Witles]

i just love anything retro