There's a Patch For That! (Part 1)
webOS Quick Install 2.7 Main Tweaks Screen
The Palm Pre webOS 1.2.0 and 1.2.1 updates brought users 125 new features and improvements (and some issues). Now it is the Pre user community's turn to give back. Users have developed dozens of patches (tweaks) including the On Screen Keyboard, landscape modes for Email and Messaging, plus upgrades for the Launcher, Sounds, Calendar, Contacts, and Phone. Patches are modifications (tweaks) that add key features to existing Palm applications. Homebrew Apps are new programs.
The Getting Started: Homebrew Apps, Patches, and Themes guide shows you how to install and remove patches. For a list of patches, see Patches. As always, we need to throw the usual warning and provisos up there: you're patching system webOS files, so stuff can break here. Plus the patching system is constantly evolving. For many Pre users, though, the risk is well worth the reward. (See: How to Revive a Pre.)
To install patches, follow these instructions. To remove a patch, click on the same patch again. You can remove all patches before an upgrade or any time you like. Using WebOS Quick Install, click Tools, Tweaks, "Online Repository" tab, and then install the Emergency Patch Recovery (EPR). In Preware, install the Emergency Patch Recovery patch and restart your Pre to remove all patches. For much more see Patches.
Here are some of our favorite patches so far.
On Screen Keyboard
No other patch has been as popular as the On Screen Keyboard (or Virtual Keyboard) development led by PreCentral member emoney_33. Now you have the best of both worlds: a slide-out keyboard and a great virtual keyboard!
Wait until you see how fast it is! When you press Shift, the keyboard shifts to upper case! See how the Shift key is glowing? Pretty sweet, huh?
Now press the Orange key and the keyboard instantly changes to numbers and symbols. See how the Orange key is now glowing?
But wait, there's more! Press that little gear key in the bottom left and you can select different themes! Here's the remix ice theme:
The On Screen Keyboard really shines in Landscape mode:
Palm could offer another major upgrade by just including the On Screen Keyboard. Palm can easily add a virtual keyboard but there is no iPhone app for a slide-out keyboard.
Display Upgrades
You probably noticed that the screen had a couple extra bells and whistles. The battery icon doesn't tell you much but the new Battery Percentage Patch shows the icon and the percentage!
Now you actually know how much charge is left. (In fact you get your choice of 3 different Battery Percent patch options. ) Also, did you notice the date in the top middle of the screen? That is the Add Date Patch! Yet another patch lets you include the year as well.
LED Notification is another popular patch. Our old Treo's and Blackberry's had an LED that reminded us of missed emails, voicemail, and texts. Now with this tweak LED Notification is back! Once you install it you get a new option at the very bottom of the Screen and Lock settings. After installing the patch, make sure you tap this to "ON."
There are also patches to make the Launcher more usable. Instead of the basic 3 x 3 layout you can use the Launcher 4 x 4 patch or even the Launcher 5 x 4 patch. Look at how many more apps you can have on screen. Version 2 of these patches does a better job with word wrapping.
Email Patches
You already saw the Messaging in Landscape patch above. Here is Email in Landscape patch:
Notice the new buttons at the bottom of the screen? The trash can icon is the Delete All button and the exclamation point is the new Mark All as Read button. Both are included in the Delete All - Read All patch.
Craig Lincoln, aka Milominderbinder, is a moderator on the PreCentral forums and the developer of the Palm Pre Tips and Tricks. Craig's recent articles include Music Player (Remix), There's a Patch for That (Part 1), Part 2, and Part 3, and Getting Started: Homebrew Apps, Patches, and Themes.
PS If you need help, please post your request in the forums such as webOS Quick Install, Preware, or Patches
