- A Look At S60 Menu Organization – Part I
- A Look At S60 Menu Organization – Part 2
- A Look At S60 Menu Organization – Part 3
I already took a look at what’s in my ‘Crap’ folder, the extensive list of apps and icons that I have no use for in my N95-3 and other S60-powered handsets. Most of them are sent to the ‘Crap’ folder simply because there’s already another shortcut that gives me access to the app, and I don’t need them in my menus if I have a shortcut.
The next logical step to this three-part series is, if that’s in my ‘Crap’ folder, how is the rest of my menu setup? Personally, I think that my way is extremely logical, and simple for a new S60 user. Following this post, I’ve actually hard-reset my N95-3, and will take a look at how illogical the default menu layout really is, so you can look forward to that for the conclusion to this mini-series. So without further ado, here’s the Symbian-Guru’s menu:
As you can see, there are only 12 items. I want to be able to see everything available from the menu, so the cap is 12. Mind you, I’ve been using the same menu setup, with slight variations, since my 6620, so some things that seem silly likely are, but I’m averse to change, particularly on my phone.The top left always goes to Messaging, though I don’t often access it through here. I realize that doesn’t make sense, but whatever. Top middle has become a Nav folder. It contains anything that uses GPS – the default applications, plus Nokia Maps, Google Maps Mobile, and Location Tagger or whatever other GPS-related application I have installed.Media is top-right, and contains anything having to do with, well, media/entertainment. I have the Music application, Podcasting, Flash, Real player, Mobbler, etc. in here. It’s a pretty well-defined folder. I find it really annoying, also, that the real Media folder (with the nice little icon) is stuck in the Applications folder, though on some handsets, such as my N95-3, I can at least change the label of the Music folder, and use that one.
Clock is always default-left, as I use it daily, and that gives quick access. Again, it’s been in that exact position since my 6620, so it’s staying there. The Applications folder has taken center stage, for a number of reasons. Inside is the Application manager, Download! app, and any games. If I have multiple games installed, I’ll create a Games subfolder, but otherwise, they’re simply left in the folder. I have the Applications folder center stage because I install applications constantly, as I try out new ones and whatnot. Having it front and center gives me the quickest access.
The default-right position is currently occupied with a Contact folder, though in the past, this has been somewhat of a ‘wildcard’ position. The Contact folder contains Jaiku, SlickIM, and whatever other contact-related apps I may have installed at the time. This position, however, is open to change.
The next row is always the same and consists of Web, Office, and Tools. Web is anything having to do with the internet that didn’t fit into Media or Contact; i.e. the web browser, the Home Media app, and that sort of thing. Symella, which is one of the first apps I install, bounces between Media and Web, depending on how I feel when I setup the menus.
Office is anything related to a ‘business’ phone. Clearly on the Eseries this folder has more in it, but on my N95-3, it contains things such as QuickOffice, Voice Recorder, Calculator, Barcode Scanner, etc. Any email clients I may have installed will go in this folder, as well.
The Tools folder contains anything that’s a utility of sorts, or settings related. This includes Y-Browser, Handy Taskman, the Jaiku tool (which, really, could just as easily go into the Crap folder, as much as I use it), and anything else. Also within the Tools folder are two subfolders – Connectivity and Crap. Crap has been explained, and Connectivity is anything that connects. Bluetooth, Infrared, USB, etc.
The last row is Profiles, Settings, and Themes, and this row is largely another remnant from the S60v2 days, when they were in the base menu. On my N82, I use an app called ThemesLauncher, which gives me the missing ‘Themes’ icon, for quick access. I actually change themes a few times per week, so having it handy is nice.
That’s it, really. With this setup, everything has a clear logical place, according to its function or focus. Sure, there are overlaps, with apps such as Symella and Real Player, able to fit in Media or Web, but for the most part, it’s simple. Best of all, if someone who has never touched an S60 phone picks it up, they can hit the menu button and have little trouble finding the appropriate app (I’ve tested this with my family a bit).
So, what do you think? Are you struggling to see the method to my madness still, or do you agree that it’s incredibly logical and well-thought out? How do you set yours up?
For those interested, here’s the detailed account of what’s in each folder (with numbers corresponding to the position on the menu):
- Messaging
- Nav - GPS data, Landmarks, Nokia Maps, Location Tagger, Google Maps Mobile
- Media - Music player, radio, podcasting,video center, Real Player, Flash Player, Share Online, Internet Radio, Mobbler, Symella
- Clock
- Applications - App Manager, Download!, N-Gage
- Contact - Internet Telephone, Jaiku, Slick IM
- Web - Home Media, Web, Mobile Web Server
- Office - Calculator, Recorder, QuickOffice, Notes, Barcode, Zip, Converter, Adobe PDF, Calcium
- Tools - Connectivity, Crap, Memory, Y-Browser, Screenshot, Hi-N-Bye, MagicKey, Handy Taskman, Jaiku Tool
- Profiles
- Settings
- Themes
