Soft keys vs Button Savior

[faceman]

To me the quality of a good key app is one you never notice. Since installing Button Savior, it blends so well in the scheme of the NC that, although I use it countless times a day, it is as natural as the softkeys which already came on the NC. So far I've done everything on my NC manually so I'm a little insulted by comments that if you choose Button Savior over Softkeys, you simply don't know how to configure it. Being precise with implements to my NC, I was only looking for a back and menu/setting key. Button Savior does these simple two things beautifully without issue. I have no need for for alternate menus and button changes. Everyone has their own opinions on these two apps and all I can tell you is try both out, see which one fits your style.

Rico - I am intrigued by your description of how you use BS, could you give a similar outline of how to set up your way so I can try both methods?

 

[dangerousdee]

For soft keys. How do you make the D Pad button go away? Is there a setting to get rid of it?

 

[darmeen]

Rico - I am intrigued by your description of how you use BS, could you give a similar outline of how to set up your way so I can try both methods?

it just works...install it...use it...I didn't have to do anything to BS for it to work..

At first, I just disabled softkeys...but I don't even have it installed now.

Most of the keys don't have full functionality (need 2.2) but the back and home key works perfect out of the gate.

 

[jonesygirl]

I just downloaded and installed Button Savior from the market. When I try to use it, I get the following message: This app requires USB Debugging enabled to work properly. Please come back to this app after USB Debugging is enanled. Enable now? No or Yes.

Either option I select, nothing happens. It closes out of that setting screen and when I try to run the app again, it goes back to same message. What do I do?

 

[darmeen]

Open NookColor Tools, select All Settings, Development, then put a check mark next to USB Debugging

 

[jdog]

I've found that about the only thing I use soft buttons for is to go back on screens that don't give me back option. Since all I need is a back button, having to do an additional click to undock soft buttons is annoying to me. I'd like for the "n" button to go back on single press and go home on long press(or double click perhaps). Anyone know of an app that might allow me to configure that way?

 

[ucfgnome]

Thanks for your post made it very clear, that helps.

There is probably an easy fix for this: download Home Manager, and open it. It will show you which of your launchers is the default, and allow you to switch it. It may not be intuitive, but SoftKeys needs to be the default launcher. That way, when you press the Home button, control passes to SoftKeys, which then either loads Zeam (I assume that's your launcher) or the SoftKeys menu, depending on how you configured the number of presses.

-Matt

 

[Smaugy]

Well I tried both and had problems with Button Savior. I am using Soft Keys now. I upgraded to v3.08 and now the issues I had are gone. One of the nice features in 3.08 is the addition of "Run service at boot"...which removes the need to modify any of the configurations. I was having issues getting Soft Keys configured or more likely understanding how to configure/get it to work. Now every time I boot, I get Soft Keys on the screen without doing much.

So I uninstalled Button Savior and haven't looked back.

 

[darmeen]

Well I tried both and had problems with Button Savior. I am using Soft Keys now. I upgraded to v3.08 and now the issues I had are gone. One of the nice features in 3.08 is the addition of "Run service at boot"...which removes the need to modify any of the configurations. I was having issues getting Soft Keys configured or more likely understanding how to configure/get it to work. Now every time I boot, I get Soft Keys on the screen without doing much.

So I uninstalled Button Savior and haven't looked back.

Just out of curiosity, what problems were you having with button savior?

 

[RpD]

I think people are frustrated with SoftKeys because they aren't properly setting it up.

Virtual Home Button

1. Normal Press: set to your Preferred Home Launcher (In my case, Zeam is my favorite)
2. Long Press: SoftKeys
3. Unchecked

I'm not sure why these settings for the Virtual Home Button have an effect, but they seem to.

You do know that the "Virtual Home Button" is the 'house' button on the Softkeys bar, yes? Why would you have the long press of the 'Virtual Home Button' of the Softkeys bar call... Softkeys? Kind of recursive... it's already open.

My preference for the Virtual Home Button... is to choose a normal press to send you (back) to your preferred launcher... and a 'long press' to send me to the B&N stock 'Home'. Great to switch back and forth between B&N and 'android'.

Also... by setting Softkeys as the default 'home' (use "Home Switcher" if necessary), and then setting your defaul home/key in Softkeys... you can kill all app/processes by whatever means... then easily restart Softkeys 'notification icon' by pressing physical key.

 

[OldDogEyes]

I think people are frustrated with SoftKeys because they aren't properly setting it up.

Yes, the softkeys super-imposed button dealie sucks. So does Button Savior, to be honest. With SoftKeys, you can disable the constantly floating "button". I instead have the "n" key setup to do the following:

Single Press- Bar appears over bottom home bar, in any program, with all of the necessary buttons

Double Press- Return to Home (within 200ms, so essentially double-click).

This is the key advantage of SoftKeys. In normal operation, there is nothing obscuring my screen, ever. As soon as I find it necessary to use one of the necessary keys (usually back), I hit the "n" button. Suddenly, a bar appears on the bottom with all of them there. I hit the one I want, and SoftKeys goes away and performs the action. No floating icon on top of everything all the time reminding me about how the nook color lacks android hardkeys.

As a bonus, when I hit the n button, to bring up the softkey toolbar, it also brings up my most recently used programs at the top, as if I held Home on a normal Android device.

To achieve this setup, make sure that SoftKeys is installed and your default action for the "n" key. Enter SoftKey settings by opening it as an App or whatever and set the following:

Options in order:

SoftKeys Service

1. Uncheck "Run Service"
2. *personal preference*
3. *personal preference* (should be pretty low)
4. *doesn't matter, the "popper" is turned off in #1
5. Check "Auto Hide"
6. Unchecked (*personal preference I assume, haven't tried it on*)

Virtual Home Button

1. Normal Press: set to your Preferred Home Launcher (In my case, Zeam is my favorite)
2. Long Press: SoftKeys
3. Unchecked

I'm not sure why these settings for the Virtual Home Button have an effect, but they seem to.

Physical Home Button

1. Single Tap = Softkeys, Doubletap = Zeam (preferred launcher)

Some people have to reboot after install to get their preferred launcher to appear here

2. *personal preference*

The rest of the options are personal preference, but this configuration seems to be to be rock-stable and incredibly convenient. I am posting this, despite it seeming obvious, because it seems as though some people aren't yet grasping the capabilities of SoftKeys as compared to Button Savior, and as in the above quoted, the immediate features of SoftKeys aren't well known. Hope this helps some people.

Vapor, Thanks for your setup suggestions...

When SoftKeys talks about a "Virtual Home Button" and a "Physical Home Button" what are they referring to on the Nook Color? I *thought* that the "Physical Home Button" was the button that looks like an 'N", the only physical button on the face of the device.

Also, what is the "Virtual Home Button"? Where is it? I don't think they are referring to the "Quick Nav Arrow" above the "N" button that brings up the "Quick Nav" bar with the 6 gray buttons. So where is the VHB?

Thanks in advance for answering my silly questions...
Doug

 

[Sir Robin]

I got my Nook Monday night and tried Phiremod which comes with Soft keys, I found it (SK) so annoying I switched to Nookie Froyo but never got Market up and switched back to Phiremod Tues. and was considering just going to stock Nook with root then today I found Button Savior and I am much happier.

 

[rico2001]

I got my Nook Monday night and tried Phiremod which comes with Soft keys, I found it (SK) so annoying I switched to Nookie Froyo but never got Market up and switched back to Phiremod Tues. and was considering just going to stock Nook with root then today I found Button Savior and I am much happier.

side note: both softkeys and button savior are apps with can be uninstalled and reinstalled to any rom or android version. Although softkeys comes with all the autonooters and many roms, I like button savior myself and immediately uninstall softkeys and install button savior.

 

[CA_Harry]

Hi guys,

I need some help regarding SK. I downloaded Zeam as my launcher and I'm trying to set up SK so that the little button is not showing and I can access SK by pressing the n button. Here is what I've done:

1. Download and install Zeam
2. Download Home Switcher and set my default home app as: Soft Keys

In SK I have the following settings:

Virtual Home
1. Normal Press = Zeam
2. Long Press = B&N Home

Physical Home Button
Single Tap SoftKeys, Double Tap Launcher

Now when I click the n button, absolutely nothing happens. If I click it twice nothing happens as well. Pressing the n button does wake my Nook up from a black screen, but if I press it while the Nook is operating, nothing happens.

Ive tried to reboot and the settings are still there. I'm not sure whats going on. please help!

 

[Sir Robin]

Hi guys,

Now when I click the n button, absolutely nothing happens. If I click it twice nothing happens as well. Pressing the n button does wake my Nook up from a black screen, but if I press it while the Nook is operating, nothing happens.

Ive tried to reboot and the settings are still there. I'm not sure whats going on. please help!

That was how soft keys worked for me, I just switched to Button Savior and my N button acts how I want and the soft buttons are unobtrusive.