View Full Version : Fonts4OS4
volcanopele
05-21-2003, 12:12 PM
Lubak has made his Fonts4... series of programs available for OS4 Clies. This is essentially FontHack with a nicer interface but it is definitely something I will be checking out:
http://www.palmgear.com/software/showsoftware.cfm?prodID=49540
rldunn
05-21-2003, 01:12 PM
I beta-tested this on my wife's SJ30, and it works great!! Great app that OS4 users should be happy with. It also adds more font choices than what are available in FontHack.
turcic.com
05-21-2003, 01:26 PM
very nice app yeah!
jimroad
05-21-2003, 01:43 PM
Fonts4 OS4 works great! I used "Thinfont Fix" but it doesn't offer other choices. Great job fonts4os4!!!
volcanopele
05-21-2003, 02:07 PM
Wow, this is a really neat program. I have been using the OS5/Tungsten T font with Fonthack almost exclusively but I really like how easy this makes changing fonts. so far my faves are the Tahoma font and the Times New Roman font.
lilmagnus
05-21-2003, 04:12 PM
OK. So I download the app. Unzip it. Then transfer requisite prc and pdb files to my NR70. Tap Fonts4OS4 icon and what do I see? Original is active and all the rest are showing NOT installed. I previously was using Fonthack but have reset all the Fonthack stuff and disabled the hack. Any help?
lubak
05-21-2003, 04:21 PM
Originally posted by lilmagnus
OK. So I download the app. Unzip it. Then transfer requisite prc and pdb files to my NR70. Tap Fonts4OS4 icon and what do I see? Original is active and all the rest are showing NOT installed. I previously was using Fonthack but have reset all the Fonthack stuff and disabled the hack. Any help?
lilmagnus,
do you install ALL files from zip?
And do you install it to RAM (not to CARD)?
lubak
rldunn
05-21-2003, 04:23 PM
Yeah, that was one problem I had in testing the beta. Each particular font has two font files, one regular and one HR, and both of them have to be installed for the font to show up as being available.
lilmagnus
05-21-2003, 04:28 PM
Never mind. Didn't realize had to install font files in sets. Thanks for another great util Lubak!
volcanopele
05-21-2003, 04:59 PM
You can install the files on the card. Just check the move non-active fonts to card box and you are ready to go. I love that option :)
plaid
05-21-2003, 08:21 PM
There is a problem with using the smallest font, Handera 18. The height spacing is too small and will crash some apps. The built-in Todo app will crash if there is a full screen or more of todo's showing. The LX browser from LauncherX will also crash when there is a full screen showing and you tap on a row. The crashes show invalid row error messages, and I've seen this before with Fonthack fonts. If the font height was 2pixels higher (not the actual characters, just the space it takes) it would solve these problems. Certainly looks good though, and is much easier to manage than fonthack.
Since I've got FontHack all set up and working, is there some reason I'd want to switch to this? I wasn't really able to tell that from the promo literature. (Granted, setting up FontHack isn't easy, but it's done and I've got the hang of it now.)
Also, as I've heard it described if I wanted a specific font different in a particular app I'd have to run Fonthack as well.
Thoughts?
Aym
rldunn
05-22-2003, 03:42 PM
You would only want to switch if you wanted to use some of the new fonts that are in Fonts4OS4, or if you switched fonts often and wanted the process to be easier.
sebring
05-22-2003, 06:03 PM
Thinfontfix also enhances these fonts beautifully. Gives them a much bolder, richer look.
Originally posted by aym
Since I've got FontHack all set up and working, is there some reason I'd want to switch to this? I wasn't really able to tell that from the promo literature. (Granted, setting up FontHack isn't easy, but it's done and I've got the hang of it now.)
Also, as I've heard it described if I wanted a specific font different in a particular app I'd have to run Fonthack as well.
Thoughts?
Aym
That's my question as well. I'm using Lubak's (free) OS 5 style fonts for OS 4, and they look very nice.
Question: Can ThinFont Fix be used at the same time as FontHack?
sebring
05-22-2003, 06:35 PM
Yes, ThinFont Fix also works with FontHack. I was using the OS5 fonts also, but I really like the Times Roman font in this app and so far it seems to display correctly in all my apps. Before this, I had a problem with all the fonts I tried, except the OS5 set. All the others I tried would have display issues with one app or another.
Thanks for the info sebring!
sebring
05-22-2003, 06:41 PM
:)
I just activated ThinFontFix while using FontHack and it made no difference, it didn't cause any problems either. For the heck of it, I deactivated FontHack while ThinFontFix was active, but TFF still did not work. Oh well, I'm happy with the way I have things set up.
sebring
05-22-2003, 06:58 PM
The main benefit I found of using TFF with FontHack was after a soft reset, the preference screen looked much better while waiting for FontHack to reactivate. TFF makes a very noticable difference in the appearance of the Times Roman font in this set.
tanker_bob
05-23-2003, 05:49 AM
If you use Lubak's fonts, you don't need ThinFontFix. The results with Lubak's are superior to TFF in font definition. For example, an ellipsis (...) looks like a line with TFF because the dots run together. Both are free.
jimroad
05-23-2003, 06:37 AM
Thanks Tanker. I'll give it a try.
sebring
05-23-2003, 02:20 PM
Originally posted by tanker_bob
If you use Lubak's fonts, you don't need ThinFontFix. The results with Lubak's are superior to TFF in font definition. For example, an ellipsis (...) looks like a line with TFF because the dots run together. Both are free.
TB, I use TFF with the Times Roman font in this set and it makes a very significant difference over no TFF. The only occurences I could find of an ellipsis, on my device, displayed correctly.
I ran into some big problems last night (as mentioned in my PDADef Pro 3.1a thread in the Apps forum: http://www.cliesource.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=15366 ) and I was wondering if activating ThinFontFix while FontHack123 was active may have triggered part of that problem. Initially, there seemed to be no conflict and also no noticeable difference, but then later whenever I reactivated FontHack123 and exited from X-Master, my T665 would crash, TFF was no longer active at this point.
tanker_bob
05-23-2003, 05:04 PM
Originally posted by sebring
TB, I use TFF with the Times Roman font in this set and it makes a very significant difference over no TFF. The only occurences I could find of an ellipsis, on my device, displayed correctly.
I haven't tried the Times Roman. I like the OS5 font and have no reason to change. The ellipsis problem was with the standard Clie font. Haven't tried TFF w/anything else.
EZPalm
02-04-2004, 08:59 AM
Hey, Lubak - thanks for your incredible work.
My eyes are so thankful to you, and also, I have less chance to
get involved in a car accident... ;-)
Wytnucls
02-04-2004, 10:47 AM
Installed it on NR70 with just HiRes Fonts. Couldn't see the fonts. 14 days left on trial. Changed the date on the PDA hoping that would solve the problem. Now, the program is locked up. Deleted everything. What a waste of time. I guess I'll stick with the Sony fonts!!
EZPalm
02-04-2004, 11:02 AM
Originally posted by Wytnucls
Installed it on NR70 with just HiRes Fonts. Couldn't see the fonts. 14 days left on trial. Changed the date on the PDA hoping that would solve the problem. Now, the program is locked up. Deleted everything. What a waste of time. I guess I'll stick with the Sony fonts!!
I had gotten all this stuff to work in no time.
You're saying "Installed it on NR70 with just HiRes Fonts". What do you mean? Make sure you install the Fonts4OS4 prc file along with the other font files - there are just a few of them.
If you have any other font hack - disable it first.
Make sure your Hi Res is enabled - go to "Home" >Device> Pref>
Hi Res and enable Hi Res.
Font4OS4 worked for me fine for my NR 70 but I prefer the look of the OS5 font installed via FontHack 123 4.0c.
Do it - it's worth the (little) effort! Once you have it you wouldn't settle for the native super thin font.
Wytnucls
02-04-2004, 03:51 PM
Of course I installed the .prc file, but never thought that all the fonts (Hi and Low Res, Yuck!) had to be included, for the program to work properly! Now I've been locked out anyway, as it thinks the trial period is over. No mention of this was made in the help files! I guess I'll never see Lubak's fonts! I'll survive I suppose...
EZPalm
02-04-2004, 05:49 PM
Originally posted by Wytnucls
Of course I installed the .prc file, but never thought that all the fonts (Hi and Low Res, Yuck!) had to be included, for the program to work properly! Now I've been locked out anyway, as it thinks the trial period is over. No mention of this was made in the help files! I guess I'll never see Lubak's fonts! I'll survive I suppose...
Wytnculs - read my lips again.
Go download FOR FREE Lubak's FontHack 123 v 4.0c, his Clie Fonts for OS 5, and a hack manager (TealMaster or X-master).
After you enable the FontHack thru the hack manager, open it up there and just choose HResStandard = OS 5(0) and that's it! Peace of cake. You can change the fonts for all the apps or only those you choose.
These few minutes of downloading and configuring are worth it.
Wytnucls
02-04-2004, 06:10 PM
OK, thanks, I'll give a bash!
gklinger
02-05-2004, 12:31 AM
I've never used a replacement font (I've been using PalmOS devices for about 4 years now) so all this talk has me curious. I've downloaded Fonthack123 and the ClieFonts as well as Fonts4OS4 and I'm looking forward to messing around and seeing what all the fuss is about.
I've never had trouble reading the default font but who knows, maybe I'll like one of these other fonts better.
EZPalm
02-05-2004, 01:17 AM
Originally posted by gklinger
I've never used a replacement font (I've been using PalmOS devices for about 4 years now)
Me too, but 4 years ago there hadn't been Hi res, until about 2 years ago. Anyway, IMHO, if you don't suffer from thin fonts on some of your apps you shouldn't bother. But if you do have thin fonts it's worth changing .
EZPalm
02-05-2004, 01:09 PM
As stated above I successfully changed the NR 70 thin Hi Res fonts
using FontHack and Lubak OS5 fonts.
In case there are more people out there who don't get it why this hack is vital, here are the results of a simple "field test."
I held my PDA outdoors in broad daylight.
With the new fonts installed I could read a contact's phone number off my Palm ACT! from a three foot distance ( I wear glasses with [progressive multi-focal Rx). When I switched back to the native fonts, it took me a while to recognize the number even from one foot distance. Anything farther than that is impossible. Further, in order to make sure I read the number clearly and with no mistakes, I had to take off my glasses and read it from half a foot distance. Obviously, all this doesn't apply to indoor lighting.
The only thing I don't get is how I had allowed myself suffering from the thin fonts for so long...
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