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Over the last 5 years or so I have been a staunch support and user of SPB Products from my early days with Windows Mobile 2003, 5.0 & 6.5 from SPB Diary, Pocket Plus and many more of their titles. It wasn’t till I had bought my HTC HD2 that I really got into using SPB Mobile Shell. This powerful interface add some enhancements that Windows Mobile was missing or was lacking in ability.

With my final move away from WinMo in October of last year to Android with the purchase of my Dell Streak 5, lead me back to SPB to see what they had to offer this great OS. The net was a buzz with the possible launch of SPB Mobile Shell 5.0 for Android. This was laced with a bit of possible poison at first with the main development of the software going the OME way, however SPB finally came back to the loyal fans and decided to release SPB Mobile Shell 5.0 to the public as a stand alone application.

After the prelims and beta’s were complete SPB relaunched SPB mobile Shell 5.0 as SPB Shell 3D. This new UI interface for Android was going to add more than just a new way to navigate the screens of your Android device.

Most readers might be familiar with applications like ADW Launcher Pro, LauncherPro Plus, Go Launcher Ex and many more they all offer pretty much the same thing – to allow the user to customise their devices home screen by adding more widgets, more screens and nice animated screen navigations. What SPB have done is taken this common concept and add a hole new twist with a 3D styled carousel that allows the user to see their home screen pages in a fluid and visually appealing way. Here is my personal insight and thoughts about this highly anticipated  application. Does the hype match the product?

First off the device I use  SPB Shell 3D on is the Dell Streak 5, if you are not familiar with this device click here to find out a bit more about this device, basically it is a Smartphone/ Tablet hybrid in the fact, that is has all the phone capabilities of a Smartphone but is close to a tablet (very small one) in size – 5 inch screen. When I first saw the intro photo’s and the videos doing the rounds on the net I wondered if I could get SPB Shell 3D on the Streak, as the UI was changed by Dell with the update to 2.2 Froyo and the implantation of Dell’s Stage UI. This new UI cut the possible screen real-estate down in landscape mode as the other widgets/ icons on the left and right of the screen over lapped and in portrait mode the Stage UI Widgets took up the entire screen.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
My first impressions was wow! I mean it just looks great on the 5” screen. I really like watching peoples reactions to seeing it for the first time, for example the other day I showed a work mate she was taken back with the 3D Carousel and wished it was on her iPhone.  Another thing I get asked and I must admit I asked it my self – Battery Life? I thought with all the 3D look and feel that the Streaks battery would be hit really hard but after more than a week using it I personally have not seen any real difference in the battery use compared to when I was using LauncherPro Plus.

MY SPB SHELL PANELS
Here are some screen shots of SPB Shell 3D on my Streak, I have seven Panels in total three on each side of the Home Panel.
 

	The Carousel For me this is the main difference of SPB Shell 3d from all the other Home Screen apps on the Market – The 3D Home Screen Carousel, you can swipe left and right and it will spin around and show all your screens or you can use the Carousel button at the bottom to slide left or right. The bottom right button allows you to edit (change name, colour), remove and position your screens the way you want them. You can drag and drop current screens or add them also.
	The App Draw The App Draw is pretty much stand except for the little Home Icon at the top right of the Icons shows that, that icons has been placed as a shortcut on your device whether it is on the screen or in a folder.
	SPB Shell 3D Menu By Pressing on the screen you will bring up “Add to Home Screen” pop up menu. You can then select from * Folder * Empty Panel * Program * SPB Widget* * Android Widget * Android Shortcut *Below is a pic of the SPB Widget Pop up Menu…
	My Home Panel (Middle Screen) Has SPB Time widget at the top with four shortcuts to my most used apps followed by SPB contacts widgets to my most called family and friends (Can also be added as a folder). The bottom widget is SPB’s Messaging Widget (SMS), when you click on the photo of the widget it opens the vertical carousel of your current SMS’s it is very smooth and looks great with the Navy Blue background, by clicking the message it will open your SMS application for me it is GO SMS PRO. The bottom menu (for me) is – Phone, Go SMS, Carousel Menu Button, Gmail and App Draw.
	Social Panel (1st Right Side Screen) I use SPB’s Call Log widget to see my incoming and out going calls next I have three shortcut icons to my most used social apps, to the right I use Pure messenger Widget with Twitter only.
	Systems Panel (2nd Right Side Screen) Again I have used SPB Time Widget at the top followed by three shortcut icons then SPB widgets – Carrier (Signal & carrier); Sound Widget (Normal, Silent, Vibro); Battery; Backlight (Five settings); Airplane Toggle; Wi-Fi Toggle and Settings, Bluetooth Toggle and settings.
	Applications Panel (3rd Right Side Screen) My last screen has SPB Folders at the top – Travel (GPS apps); Multimedia (Music, Photo & Video apps); Communication (Extra Social apps); Games. The Folders open to show a very nice Folder System, you can change the folder view from an Icon, Row, Large open folder on screen. The name of the folder is pre-determined by the apps you place in it.  I also have another Calender Widget this one just shows main today appointments. When in Carousel Mode it will flick over the appointments you have.       The World time app shows your top three destinations for me I have Perth where I live, Sydney as I deal with eastern states and Hamilton, New Zealand as my mum lives there. Click the Globe opens the 3D  Globe showing the places on the map, looks awesome on the Streak.   The Weather widget also has a 3D look, showing a graph of the weather temps.
	SPB Calender Panel (1st Left Side Screen) I have this as my first Panel on the left of the Home screen it gives me all my appoints for the day and what’s coming up tomorrow, very easy to add a new event by clicking the “+” button. The arrows at the top allow me to navigate to the previous month or next month.
	SPB Weather Panel (2nd Left Side Screen) This Panel gives me all the weather details for my location with a very nice animation, the clouds move from right to left. It gives you up to fours days of weather and Nigh, Morning, Day and Evening. When viewed in Carousel Mode the Weather will flick over the coming days showing you an animated weather outcome.
	SPB Time Panel (3rd Left Side Screen) Again using another full SPB Panel – Time. You can also change the Clock skin, you will need an internet connection (Wi-Fi or 3G). As with the SPB Weather Panel in Carousel Mode the SPB Time Panel clock will pop out and the clock arms will move around the clock as will the moon.

OTHER SPB WIDGESTS/ SCREENS
Here are some other screens and widgets that I don’t currently use but are available…

SPB SHELL 3D IN ACTION (VIDEO)

If you want to see SPB Shell 3D in action view the YouTube video below…

OUT COME
I love using my Dell Streak it is a very different device compared to other Smartphones on the Market and is why I liked it, just like the Streak for me SPB Shell 3D is different from the rest of the Home Screen Launchers it gives such a rich and vibrant UI for the user and allows the user to customise their device with a very easy systems of panels, I was sceptical at first if the SPB could pull it off and give an application that wouldn’t slow down the device in any way but still give some fluid animation that the high res device with 4” + screen.

PRICE
SPB Shell current goes for $14.95 AUD from the Market, is it worth it? I personal believe it is, so much so that I bought it after using the Beta version current version is 1.0.3.

WHAT WOULD I LIKE TO SEE IN THE NEXT UPDATE?
Well I would like to see Sizeable widgets, more widgets like Gmail, Twitter some may want Facebook.. Better looking Messenger widget bubble (different colours?)

For more information head over to SPB’s website by clicking here