Thread: A simple front end!???

Heres a quick (very quick I know!) pic of what I would like my audio player to look like. This is just the layout of course!



This would be the main audio playing screen. All playlists etc would be organised on another screen. Ideally the saved playlists would then become available as albums in the album view area. Again for easy selection.

I'm with you and agree 100%. This is my concern also with allot of the skins. I do want allot of features and want to utilize my carpc to the fullest. I mean I paid allot for it and spent allot of time on it so why limit myself. HOWEVER, to me safety is first and I'm not using this at home. I will be using it in the car and at times while driving; well most of the time.

I want to be able to see the GPS button when I want to use it without hitting the RADIO button then going oops and going back etc; too much time and an accident waiting to happen. I good menu system is critical to a carpc. You don't have to show everything all at once like you said. For example why not just put MUSIC as the main menu and have sub-menus such as MP3, Radio, and Sirius etc. This way instead of having like 8-10 items on your menu at once you can narrow it down to say 5 and make the 5 bigger because you've eliminated your space restriction issue.

Additionally, you don't need every menu or option on every screen. Why have it there if you're not going to use it at all. In Navigation mode why have your music options and all the navigation options showing? Are you really going to use all of them? Put the important once there; like Route, Cancel Route, destination etc. But then put another menu there to pull up advance once if you need them.

Lastly, make unused menu disappear and have an option to push a button to make them appear so you always have them but not always showing up and taking up space. I mean 7" LCD is not big so why limit your space even more with clutter? Make the NAV full screen with minimum menu options with an advance button.

I know what you're saying about paying someone then having to see something else you like. This is something we're going to have to deal with. There's nothing stopping me from switching skins occasionally just to get a different feeling. But at least I know I have one that I can always go back to and get what I need!! I know for a fact I'll see a skin that I absolutely love; well I'll still download it and use it.

What do you mean about details on my custom arrangements? Let me know and I can give you more information. I typed this fast so excuse any spelling or bad grammar!!

Civic03,

I'm really suprised more people don't feel the same as we do! Safety has to come first, and that means clear easy to use front ends.

In regards to details. Who is doint your skin. How much and how long?

Cheers
Jamie

Originally Posted by wilsonj

Heres a quick (very quick I know!) pic of what I would like my audio player to look like. This is just the layout of course!



This would be the main audio playing screen. All playlists etc would be organised on another screen. Ideally the saved playlists would then become available as albums in the album view area. Again for easy selection.

Nah, that would be too complex for me. I don't want to screw around with all the folders and files while I'm driving. I just want to load all of my MP3s on the Audio screen and start playing through them all. This way I can go through weeks without listening to the same song twice. See? What works for you might not work for others. If you don't like what people offer for free here, don't complain and start modding. Or hire someone to do the modding for you like Civic03.

Jaimie, people do feel the same way but also remember we all have different taste. Others also have different goals for their carpc; some use it more than just a carpc. It's like their desktop on the road; so to speak. For me it's for a carpc to aid in NAV/Music mainly. All the other stuff are pluses. Some I'll use while driving and the others I just want just in case!

I'll PM you.

Originally Posted by wilsonj

I understand that some want to do complex tasks. But really how complex a task can you, or should you be doing while driving along supposedly watching the road?

Really when I say simple, I mean simple to use. I would still like all the functionality that is available, but just not shown all at the same time.

As a suggestion. On the music player screen have the basic controls FF, RR, Next, Previous, Play/pause Volume and a list of albums on one side and a list of the songs that are in the album that is selected on the other. Then you could have a button for advanced. In a pop up menu you might have Playlists, search song/album, EQ visulaisations etc. These features don't have to be omitted, just not visable all the time cluttering up the screen.

WhoIsThisGuy,
I still want a menu screen that has CD, DVD, MP3, VIDEO, GPS, RADIO and APPLICATIONS and maybe PHONE, haven't explored that side of things yet!
Its just the way I want things implemented. In a way that it is really quick and simple to use.

By haveing a touchscreen you have taken away any tactile feeling buttons. So I can't just lean over and "feel" for the next track button etc. So I want to be able to see it at a quick glance, and then be able to hit it accurately with my finger, without fear of pressing the wrong one.

I feel while many of the skins out there are an absolute work of art, most are not easy or intuitive enough for me to use while driving.

Civic03,

The idea of paying someone to make a skin has definantely crossed my mind. But I a little worried that something great, like digitaldash2 or streetdeck will be released soon and be much better.

Having said that, may I ask the details of your custom arrangement? please PM me if you dont' feel it is appropriate to discuss them publicly.

Regards
Jamie

Oh right.

In which case, yeh, u just need a road runner skin.

Please dont get my wrong. I'm not complaining about the front ends and skins people make, especially as they are free. As I don't have any experience with making skins or using photoshop I was hoping someone had done a more simplistic one

b8bboi,

I can appreciate that everyone wants something different, but I have over 10000 songs. Some of which I rarely want to hear, so making one big playlist, for me, is impractical. Hence being able to select the album I want at the press of a button would be handy. Or did I misunderstand what you said?

Anyway, different strokes for different folks I guess.

Regards
Jamie.

i also want a very simple skin, al i got to use i mp3 and video, currently no gps and such, so im working on my own skin for RR, will release here when done...

you know man frodo player has a album list and a track list on every skin.