More Today-Screen frolics in store as Anthony Newman reviews RhinoSuite by RhinoCode: info at your fingertips.
RhinoSuite is a small collection of applications for Pocket PCs by Rhinocode. It consists of three applets for the Today Screen: RhinoStats, a graphical CPU monitor; RhinoLaunch, an application launch bar, and either of iPAQPanel or PocketPanel, a system monitor utility.
 | All this information on the Today Screen thanks to RhinoSuite
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iPAQPanel exists as a slightly fuller-featured version of PocketPanel, containing some extra abilities specific to the Hewlett-Packard iPAQ range, such as Wi-Fi control. Our test device, an iPAQ h1940, does not offer any of these particular features, so the version under review here is PocketPanel.
PocketPanel sits on the Today Screen, offering a number of icons to monitor system status: battery, both in icon and percentage; free RAM and storage memory, a system cleanup icon and links to screen brightness and the program's options. Tapping each icon loads the relevant system applet, with the exception of the cleanup utility: this scans the unit for temporary files and suchlike, and then informs the user how much space can be saved. It can also operate automatically at intervals. It's a handy tool, but we're not sure it should take up a large-icon space on the Today Screen.
Thankfully, the bar has a compact mode which reduces everything to narrow coloured bars and removes the cleanup link to a small dot. In this mode, the icons are equally easy to read.
PocketPanel also offers voice prompting at certain system points, such as full battery and low battery. These offer no real functionality but are certainly cool.
Although we couldn't test this functionality, the utility can also monitor the Wi-Fi status of the handheld, complete with data transferred.
RhinoStats, the next portion of the suite, presents system usage in a graphical format across the Today Screen. A grid of user-configurable colours displays a scrolling readout of CPU and memory usage, with a text overlay, in three different sizes in accordance with user choice. Again, this is a cool feature, but unless users are keen to find which particular app is slowing their system down, it won't really be that useful.
The third applet, however, is very useful. RhinoLaunch also sits on the Today Screen, displaying the date and with a link to the system clock. Its main purpose is to display up to five rows of links to programs and other portions of the file system for quick launching.
Rather than just managing links to programs, RhinoLaunch offers a really powerful and customizable solution. Firstly, it offers multiple categories which can be toggled: users can have all of their utilities in one, for example, and internet applications in another. Although RhinoLaunch doesn't load a default set of applications, and thus requires some configuration before first use, it boasts some useful features.
It can not only maintain its own links to programs, but can use a directory of shortcuts from which it draws its links. This means it can constantly reflect the latest system layout, avoiding the possibility of dead links. Users can also link to any item in the file system - including control panel items - and set custom icons for these, as well as command-line options.
RhinoLaunch thus leaps into the lead as our favourite program in the suite, rewarding time spent configuring with a lot of power and control.
Availability
RhinoSuite is available now from the RhinoCode web site for $10.95 USD. It is compatible with all Pocket PC 2002 and 2003 devices.
Conclusion
RhinoSuite offers a handy selection of system tools at a very reasonable price. Its PocketPanel and RhinoStats applets are useful and flash, but RhinoLaunch alone is worth the price of admission: its configurability will appeal to any power user. The suite doesn't offer nearly as many features as its rival, Omega One Battery Pack, but may be exactly the ticket for other users.
- What's positive: Powerful launcher; fun graphical readout
- What's negative: Not as feature-rich as rivals
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