Initiate Tips

[rjuhl]

OK, here is one.

The 'Company' field of your contact program can be used for any label to sort by. As an example, I have entered 'family' in 'company' for all family members. Now, when I enter 'fam', I get a listing of all entries with 'family' in the 'company' field. Limited only by your imagination!  

May not be super useful to everyone, but I am finding that a very powerful feature to have.

[ConfusedVorlon]

try the google mobile bookmark in my downloadable bookmarks
when you launch it, it asks you what you want to search for - and opens the page with the search already done.

To make your own custom search bookmarks on other sites, do a search on 'xyz' and store the bookmark that comes up

When Initate sees xyz in a bookmark, it asks you what text to replace in the spot where xyz would be.

[rjuhl]

When creating shortcuts in Memopad, name the link (not the URL) with a beginning 'w' or 'www' or your preference. Then, by entering that leading identifier, all links are visible. (They are actually just sorted in this order, grouped together, as no other word or name would begin with 'www'.)

I can never remember the links, but this creates a 'view' just by using a prefix to the name. The same can be done when entering contacts also, by applying the prefix to 'Company' field, and choosing to sort by co - first - last.

[ChasTreo]

Here is a good bookmark for those living in the UK

British Rail (HCN CHX)
www.nationalrail.co.uk/ldb/livedepartures.asp

With this you can find out the next couple of trains from any station.

If you know the short code for your station it saves time, or else the website looks it up for you.
I added the HCN & CHX for my own Convenience, add your own or not, as this is only a text reminder in the title.

HCN = Headcorn, Kent
CHX = Charing Cross London

[ChasTreo]

BBC Ceefax as a bookmark

Ceefax
http://www.ceefax.tv

It works well on my 600, but make sure you use Wide Page Mode 
You might want to test it from a PC to get the hang of it.

ps the BBC don't approve of the above site, see:
BBC throws strop at 'Ceefax Google'
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/04/01/ceefax_google/

[MFB]

To fully see your jpeg wallpaper (your son's picture), make sure you do not have any favorites.   Press the favorites view and all of your app names will be hidden. Wall paper will be there and display is clutter free. But when you need to launch them, just type in the keys and the app list comes up as usual.

Another tip would be not to use skins. I have been trying to trouble shoot random resets supposedly caused by launching Initiate.  After removing the high res skin and just using the built in, I haven't suffered any reset.  Hmmm,  can anyone confirm or duplicate this?

I was tempted to shift to Launcher X but IMHO, Initiate is the best launcher replacement for the Treo 650.  Btw, I am just using the free version. 

[ConfusedVorlon]

Hi folks,

I've just written and released an email course for Initiate. An email a day for four days and you should be an Initiate expert.

It's new, and I'd love to get feedback. Have I missed something important, is the course unintelligible, boring, or useless?
Do you wantto write another day or two to add?

you can sign up here
http://www.hobbyistsoftware.com/Updates.php

let me know what you think.

[ghuber]

Rob, thanks for the 4-day course.  I've been using Initiate for several months, and have been through the doc, but the course was a good refresher, and I learned and re-learned a thing or two.  thanks.

[ConfusedVorlon]

Oh - and here is teh biggest tip - the one that would have made the previous tip redundant...

Sign up to get the inside secrets on Initiate here:
http://www.hobbyistsoftware.com/Updates.php

[RicoM]

Another tip that Rob told me.  I wanted to develop a skin that was more my own taste.  Instead of having to do each individual part and send it to Rob to compile, I used an existing skin's layout and just designed a bitmap that I liked better.  For example, my avatar is my new NC State skin that uses the Minimalist skin that was already designed.  I just made a high-res picture that fit the parameters that minimalist already had and I like it MUCH better.

I always knew you could add jpgs to the existing background, but I only thought about doing that for pictures...I never thought about designing a background against an existing skin.

[ConfusedVorlon]

thanks for your answer but it won't show everyone, just a few, not even all the ones i put on favorite bouttons. that's what I couldn't figure out. how do I get them to show so I can pick them? thanks for taking the time to help. i'm a new treo owner and i'm still confused )

when selecting, you are using Initiate as normal. So the thing is to figure out how to launch a call normally in Initiate.
hopefully this will help:
http://www.hobbyistsoftware.com/initiate-documentation.php#Views

remember to update your list! (menu/record/update list)

[Alli]

With the new version 3 (beta), you no longer need the purist skin. You are allowed to hide all the buttons and widgets and whatnots.

With I8, you no longer need to worry about tabs and categories. You only have to remember the name of the app - or even a letter or two contained in the name. It makes it super easy.

[slyfox1]

Rob
I signed up for the Initiate Pro updated email course but have not received any tips on the new and improved version.  When do you plan to issue? 

Thanks

[ConfusedVorlon]

Rob
I signed up for the Initiate Pro updated email course but have not received any tips on the new and improved version.  When do you plan to issue? 

Thanks

they have been out for weeks. Try unsubscribing and re-subscribing (and check your spam filter)
http://www.hobbyistsoftware.com/updates.php

[spff216]

I have subscribe and unsubscribe several times and it still not gotten the four-day e-mail update on initiate