Very
good
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QuickDesk Pro - Make Things Snappy
Tested version: [PRO] BETA 0.5.1
Latest version: [PRO] v0.5.5.2
Requires Android: from 1.6
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Summary
The test report for today’s app is long overdue. Although we had already tested QuickDesk in the past, the new pro version of QuickDesk includes a set of important changes. As far as I know, QuickDesk was the first app to offer a real multi-tasking feature on the Market. Despite the proliferation of multitasking Android apps, the original is hard to beat. QuickDesk Pro is one of those few apps that has become a staple on all of my Android devices. Find out what makes QuickDesk Pro better than the rest of the pack in today’s test.
Features & Use
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QuickDesk Pro allows you quick access to your apps, shortcuts, widgets and folders – all on one screen. It basically acts as the central control center for your phone. Close, open or uninstall apps with ease and comfort. A simple double-click on your Home button opens up QuickDesk.
A home replacement app may not sound like the coolest thing out there, but the way you can efficiently manage all your stuff with QuickDesk Pro makes the app a real must-have. Basically, QuickDesk Pro is located between your launcher and the app you are running.
Let’s say you have your Browser open and notice that the screen isn’t bright enough. Just open up the QuickDesk Pro and adjust your display’s brightness and – problem solved! For this particular example, you would have to place an energy-saving widget on your QuickDesk beforehand like I did on my phone.
That’s the best part about QuickDesk Pro: it lets you multi-task without having to quit any applications. This way you can simultaneously browse the Internet and skip to your favorite song on the mp3 player. Simply make sure to have all your most necessary widgets lined out on your QuickDesk.
QuickDesk Pro also allows you to switch quickly between apps without having to go back to the home screen. In other words, QuickDesk Pro is the expanded version of “long pressing the home screen” feature on most Android phones.
My QuickDesk setup has all of my favorite apps and widgets on one screen for easy and quick access.
I’ve gotten used to QuickDesk Pro so much that I almost never have to go to my home screen :0
Bottom Line:
I use QuickDesk Pro on an hourly basis and I can’t imagine my phone without it. It’s really worth giving QuickDesk a try if you haven’t done so already. Try out the free version of the app first before deciding to invest in the full thing.
Screen & Controls
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The best way to use QuickDesk Pro is to start the app by double-clicking the home button. Please make sure to set QuickDesk as your default launcher before doing so. You can also fiddle with the settings and flip things around so that you open QuickDesk with one tap and your regular home screen with a double-tap (Preferences/Behavior Settings/Swap Home Key Action).
Alternatively, you can also open QuickDesk by long-pressing the search button.
Once you’ve opened QuickDesk, you can fill it with apps, widgets, shortcuts and folders by long-pressing your QuickDesk or via Menu button/Add. Long-pressing an app located on your Quick Desk opens up the following options:
Remove (from QuickDesk)
Force Stop (kill the app if it’s running in the background)
Uninstall
Details (App info)
All apps and widgets can by moved by drag & drop to any place on the screen. At the bottom of the screen, you can see your recently opened apps. You can open/close this bar by sliding your finger up or down. You can also make this bar a permanent part of your screen (Preferences/Appearance Settings/Always Show). This feature can be completely deactivated if you don’t need it.
Pressing the menu button in QuickDesk opens up the following options:
Add
Edit
Preferences
Notifications
Settings
The QuickDesk Pro Preferences are divided into these categories:
Behavior Settings
Appearance Settings
Quick Start (Setup Tutorial)
Help/FAQ
About
Changelog
In Behavior Settings and Appearance Settings there are even more possibilities. Some of the possible adjustments are:
Double Tap Timing
Fast Startup Mode (QuickDesk always in background mode)
Animations (turn on/off)
Background Color
Show Favorite Launcher (display your standard homescreen on your QuickDesk)
Bottom Line:
QuickDesk Pro is easy to set up. The large quantity of options and settings allows you to customize the feel and look of QuickDesk to fit your personal
needs.
Speed & Stability
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QuickDesk Pro runs reliably and without any problems. Turning on Fast Startup Mode will make QuickDesk start up instantly. This may not work as well on older phones that may need a little longer to open QuickDesk.
Price/Performance Ratio
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QuickDesk Pro is available for ~ $2.39 from the Android Market.
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Market Comments
Paul108h, Aug 24, 2012
Will miss this a lot. Unfortunate that i won't be able to use this on my new galaxy s 3, for want of the necessary capacitive buttons.
Michael, Jul 28, 2012
Pretty decent, though I ultimately uninstalled it On a Motorola Photon 4G: Pressing home button to go from an app to back home is no longer almost immediate...and when in a different page of the desktop, pressing home now makes it jump to the main desktop page without the smooth transition. Won't overlay over Tasker; minimizes tasker every time. Couldn't figure out how to get the quick panel to be minimized by default, assuming that's not a bad idea. It's one thing not to offer continued updates, but the FAQ and documentation website is only a broken link these days. Couldn't figure out how to sticky any apps on the quickpanel for quick access like QD's startup tutorial suggests. On the good side (probably), you can swipe running background apps on the quick panel to close them. The ability to have one-click take me to my desktop, and another one-click take me right back to the previous program really sounded good to me, but QD wasn't implemented quite well enough for me to keep it installed, especially when considering I'd lose long-press search button to launch it (which was at least preferrable to the alternative, losing the droid's stock double-tap home search function.)
Arild, Jun 12, 2012
Wonderful and speedy, but... Trying to the menu often results in a FC. Pity it is no longer maintained
AzDayton, May 19, 2012
Excellent but needs update We desperately need this app, or one like it, but updated to work right in ICS! Come on developers, step up!
Anthony, May 15, 2012
Beat good app. I love this app and thats why I bought it, but I have to uninstall it just to add a widget to my main home screen. Can you please fix this. HTC Vivid.
David, Mar 31, 2012
@kennyboy,@dave,@someothers... here's ur update. No more updates. Nice app, dev. [NookColor/cm7]
Paul, Mar 27, 2012
Brilliant Perfectly provides my last used and most used apps at the touch of a button. Thanks! Would like it if the shortcuts carried over to landscape mode (have to recreate shortcuts). Also might be neat to have multiple screens of shortcuts.
Jason, Mar 7, 2012
Well done! I've been looking for these features and this is the only app I know of that has them all. It is unfortunate that the dev gave up on this app, it had a chance to become one of those apps that everyone buy's.
migo, Jan 10, 2012
good just needs scrollable widgets. uninstall option on panel icons always force closes on nexus s
Kennyboy, Nov 17, 2011
Thought development was dead on this. Now it's back, number 1 purchase! More updates please?
j.schleppy, Oct 29, 2011
Nice to see an update :) Loved it but was holding off on purchase till the dev showed some life. Now a certified owner. Thank you for your awesomeness!
Uncle Emphie, Oct 9, 2011
Purchased to support a great app. Thanks Faruq. Would like to see more enthusiastic development though.