[HD2 Windows Mobile 6.5 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] bbobeckyj:
I guess that to me the essence of these new OS, and SPB Mobile Shell is that it puts form over function, to perform any action with those requires a lot more effort than it does with how I've set my phone up, it also seems to work slower.

For a start, I have on my Today Screen the things which I want to use or see most often. SPB Diary, easy today launcher, and alarmToday. I also use wkTask task manager for the tabs. My two soft keys are also customised, one runs WM5NewMenu (which is also run by long hold of the send key), the other runs a script I made with mortscript which closes all open programs, and resets the system settings to my default preferences, such as screen orientation and brightness.

In my WM5NewMenu popup menu, I have shortcuts to all the other things I use most frequently, such as messaging, not to open my inbox, but to open a text or email with the person I'm sending it to pre-defined. So for example if I want to text my wife, it's only 3 clicks from any screen. Note that WM5NewMenu is as quick as pressing right click with your mouse on your desktop, and each submenu is just as quick. I also backup my PIM data every day automatically have a script which sends it via email to myself, so if I have lose my phone or have to hard reset and my storage card get corrupted (or any other worst case scenario) I'll never be without the information I really need.

I also have google mobile in the launch menu, a couple of scripts to start/stop my media player, which will turn on bluetooth, allow me to connect my headset, then set the volume to maximum, offer a playlist selection and then lock the screen etc.

There are quick links to toggle WiFi and BlueTooth and start menu (the hardware buttons are too low for one handed use). I have one which opens my file explorer (apparently missing on WM7) to my IE favourites folder, and after I pick one it will close the file explorer again.

My lock screen is customised with the slider exactly where I find it the most comfortable to use, and the message is my phone number, in a different font, so I can show people easily when they ask and I've forgotten it.

A few other things without dragging on forever -

A Script which programs my work schedule into my diary with as little as 2 clicks for each day's work.

And I don't profess anything but a superficail knowledge of other OS, but the ability to use the same .LNKs and parameters as on my PC is extremely useful. For example, I can make a .LNK to the messaging .EXE, and include any or all of the following, To, CC, BCC, Subject, Content, and attatchments. Examples of use can be if you text the same thing each day, like 'I'm on my way home' would take a maximum of four clicks to send from any screen.

A coreplayer link which also sets the sreen brightness to max.

A lot of my .LNKs have different icons to the default program's

I've removed as much of the HTC customisations as I could find out how to, such as the HTC messaging.

I have a basic keylogging system in place (not a true keylogger, but it logs every time I use any program) so I can check when I did things. This sounds really anal or obsessive but, for example, it's usefull for when I take a break at work and forget when I started my lunch hour, I can just check what time I turned my phone on.

---------- Post added at 11:32 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:23 AM ----------

I have an external battery charger and have often managed to deplete one battery before the other has been charged, but this is while watching a film with a bluetooth headset and the screen brightness at maximum. :D