Launcher X Acquired, Will be Revived

Posted By: Ryan Monday, May 22, 2006 2:43:28 PM

A new company called Get Mobile Solutions has acquired the source and rights to redevelop Launcher X, a custom launcher application for Palm OS originally created by Little Mobile Creations.

Get Mobile Solutions (GMS), founded by Kenny West, founder of PalmGear.com, and Jeff Gibson, founder of GoTreoSoftware.com. GMS has designated GoTreoSoftware.com as the exclusive marketing and engineering arm for Launcher X moving forward. GMS representatives will post official progress reports on LauncherXplanet.com.

Launcher X Updates
GMS has pledged to release an update for Launcher X soon that will add compatibility for the latest Palm OS handheld and smartphone features. This first maintenance release will include NVFS compatibility, 5-way navigator support and full-screen & landscape modes. The company has plans to continue to work on and improve the program with added support for skins and other features.

Launcher X was an innovative application of its time. PalmInfocenter reviewed it upon its first release in November 2002. It was seen by many as the replacement for the former king of launchers "Launcher III."

Launcher X's initial development was done by the late Bozidar Benc, a pioneering Palm OS developer from the early days of the Palm OS platform.

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Excellent!

sford @ 5/22/2006 6:02:41 PM #

I used Launcher III, then Launcher X when it came out, and it has remained my launcher of choice. Good news that it lives on!

____________________________________
Pilot Pro -> III -> IIIe -> Nino (yeah...oops!) -> IIIc -> VIIx -> m505 -> NR70V -> NZ90 -> NX60 -> T3 -> Zire 72s -> NX80V

RE: Excellent!

mbgrayson @ 5/22/2006 6:23:11 PM #

I agree. I use Launcher X on my T3 and my TX. It still works well, and i just like it's powerful simplicity....

Mike

RE: Excellent!

joad @ 5/22/2006 7:06:00 PM #

I've used Launcher, Launcher 2, Launcher 3 and Launcher X... Have tried Zlauncher and many other ones but keep coming back to LauncherX for simplicity, good graphics, and minimal configuration.

It was a real shame the developer died and development stopped just before the 650 came out. Luckily it's been hacked for the 650, but having active development once again is excellent news.

RE: Excellent!

Kesh @ 5/22/2006 8:53:47 PM #

Sweet! I was sorry to see when Launcher X floundered, and hopefully this will give it new life.

RE: Excellent!

abosco @ 5/22/2006 10:01:33 PM #

Launcher X was overrated because Launcher III was so great. If you don't like ZLauncher, try another skin. There are millions. ZLauncher is hands-down the most powerful launcher ever seen for the platform.

-Bosco
NX80v + Wifi + BT + S710a

RE: Excellent!

rokiteer @ 5/23/2006 11:14:08 AM #

I too have tried ZLauncher, although it was a few years ago. ZLauncher wasn't as good then, IMO, as LauncherIII or LauncherX, and I switched back, and haven't look back once. ZLauncher may be more powerful, so I would say that better features and more power are not what I want in a PalmOS launcher. Instead, give me ease of use, an elegant interface, quickness or response, and reliability. Personally, I'm now looking forward to more LauncherX improvements/innovations in this direction, and updated compatibility, and not towards added complexity and "power".

RE: Excellent!

Altema @ 5/23/2006 1:46:14 PM #

This is great news. I mourned when Bozidar left us, but about a month later I realized there were not going to be any updates to his program without an intervention or acquisition.

RE: Excellent!

Hitman1 @ 5/26/2006 2:37:06 PM #

I just couldn't accept any other launcher on my treo. Everytime I try to switch to a new launcher, I keep getting back to Launcher X for my treo 650. It is just plain simple, clean, responsive, and does what I need well.

There are bugs on the treo though that I hope they fix soon, like the annoying resets caused by launcher X.

God Forbid Garnet Launcher Gets Updated

Gekko @ 5/22/2006 10:09:31 PM #

God Forbid.

RE: God Forbid Garnet Launcher Gets Updated

joad @ 5/24/2006 12:16:28 AM #

Hey, it's only 2006... don't expect Palm/Access/whatever to try catching up to what third-party freeware was able to do over 5 years ago!

Some people *like* the brilliant "catagory" of "CARD" that Palm has developed and nurtured over the years. Patent Pending.

Anyone who wants to catagorize their programs located on external media by what they actually *ARE* (as opposed to where they are located) or simply prefers to otherwise have them integrated and able to launch from one place is obviously an absurdly overdemanding "power user." ...And we know how Palm feels about "those people..."

Please don't bloat it!

dserodio @ 5/23/2006 1:21:21 PM #

Launcher X is much more responsive than ZLauncher, MegaLauncher, or the like. Please keep Launcher X "clean".

My only RFE is to add support for background images (aka "wallpapers".

There's also an old, known bug that the "battery meter" only shows Volts (not percentage) on the TX.

RE: Please don't bloat it!

mikegehl @ 5/23/2006 2:03:44 PM #

Using the builtin hi-res skin, switch to landscape mode. Click the battery meter to change it to percentage. Then switch back to portrait view.

Mike

RE: Please don't bloat it!

mikegehl @ 5/23/2006 2:06:00 PM #

Doh! click = tap

RE: Please don't bloat it!

dsaroff @ 5/23/2006 4:24:29 PM #

Wow! Cool. Thanks!

RE: Please don't bloat it!

Tuckermaclain @ 5/23/2006 6:16:51 PM #

It could use more visible tabs in the 320x480 mode. The tabs on the side are the thing that really sets this one apart. I used to love Launch'Em. Launcher X is what Launch'Em could have been if development was continued. Can't wait to try the next version.

I wonder what kind of features they might add that would be useful on a Treo?