BossPaper Is Better Than Winterboard???

[ZR_Yancy]

You decide.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wz1dmOmYs6c

[iphonewarrior]

That must absolutely kill your battery.

[aaronsiphone]

That must absolutely kill your battery.

It actually doesnt, apparently it uses less battery hogging than winterboard, think I remember reading that it uses so littgle you wont notice a different, it has also been stated that is is alot less ram hungry than most apps/winterboard things out there

[ZR_Yancy]

That must absolutely kill your battery.

http://thebigboss.org/2009/07/22/bosspaper-bigboss-upcoming-wallpaper-app/

I have been working on a new FREE app called “BossPaper”. This is a very configurable advanced wallpaper app that lets you control what wallpaper shows up on your SpringBoard. You may be saying, “But Winterboard does that!” Sort of, but not like this. BossPaper can work with Winterboard (or without). Read on for details.

Last year, Saurik released Winterboard. This enabled some new features none of us have ever seen before such as rotating desktop wallpapers via Javascript HTML pages. While this was revolutionary for us iPhone owners, it also came at a cost. Performance running these themes sucks. There are a few ways the Javascript based images can be implemented and all of them have problems. If you load them all into memory, Springboard uses a signficant amount of memory. If you fade them, Springboard uses a lot of CPU. Javascript is very memory / CPU heavy. In addition, the Javascript runs behind all applications and while applications run. This impacts performance heavily and causes apps to lag even while you’re using them and not on SpringBoard. In addition, the script continues to run even while the iPhone is locked draining battery.

I have had it on my list to solve this for a while. The result is BossPaper. BossPaper is an advanced wallpaper manager that puts total control of wallpapers into your hands. BossPaper has these features:

*You control which images are displayed. You can use camera roll, installed themes, or a combination of! With Winterboard, you could only install a theme and use what came with it. Now you can use images from many themes or other sources such as BossPaper packs.

*You can use your own images from the camera!
*BossPaper stops rotating images as soon as an app launches. This prevents battery and CPU drain.
*BossPaper stops rotating images as soon as the iPhone is locked. This prevents battery drain.
*BossPaper uses very little memory and CPU! It does not inject into apps only SpringBoard so you should not notice any application lag running it.
*BossPaper can use one of many transitions such as fade, water drop, page curl - you configure which one(s) you want. Configure how long the transitions last.
*BossPaper lets you control when to rotate images. You can rotate it on a timer you configure or you can rotate when an app closes, or both!
*BossPaper lets you hide icon labels so those that do not want to install Winterboard can use it without.
*BossPaper lets you dim the wallpaper.

[ZR_Yancy]

I've uninstalled Winterboard & going with just BossPaper to see how much my battery improves.

[seanwes]

I've uninstalled Winterboard & going with just BossPaper to see how much my battery improves.

Will check back for a follow up.

[kakofonix]

I like this app. While I've successfully weaned myself off Winterboard themes, (knock on wood), this is a very acceptable compromise, allowing me to have custom solid backround color in place of the stock black. I can also confirm that it has negligible memory finger print, unlike Winterboard.

[evolution83]

I wish they would make winterboard more memory friendly. That's the only reason I choose not to jailbreak at this point in time.

[kakofonix]

I wish they would make winterboard more memory friendly. That's the only reason I choose not to jailbreak at this point in time.

Well, here's the next best thing. In my experience, Winterboard isn't so bad an app really, it's just that one tends to bloat it up with too many, and often disagreeable, themes. "All theme developers are not created/gifted equal".

[evolution83]

Does BossPaper allow themes? If so I'll use it. Winterboard is a memory hog for themes and I miss customizing everything.

[kakofonix]

No themes in the Winterboard sense of the word. The app is really better described as a wallpaper slideshow. You choose the photos you want to play and the transitions.

[evolution83]

Yeah, not really something I care for at this moment. I'd really like a better alternative to Winterboard that isn't such a memory hog, unless the developers fix this themselves.

What about Customize? I hear there's problems with it.

[ZR_Yancy]

Well...I've noticed my battery has improved and my memory management has improved as well. Since I don't theme my phone heavily, I'm gonna stick with BossPaper.

[Napoleon_PhoneApart]

I'm trying BossPaper now, too. I'm going to manually add my custom images and sounds and see how it goes.

[kakofonix]

Sounds??? S'far as I know, you can add only images or use solid colors.

[kakofonix]

What about Customize? I hear there's problems with it.

I don't think that app has been updated since the Summerboard days and may not be compatible with iPhone firmware v3, but don't quote me on this. I haven't used it since v1, and even then, found it very buggy.

[Napoleon_PhoneApart]

Sounds??? S'far as I know, you can add only images or use solid colors.

I mean I planned to SSH in and add my own custom images and sounds outside of using BossPaper for custom wallpapers.

[3GiphoneE]

I have winterboard installed for some themes i use, and have bosspaper installed as well, they both perform differently I don't see a problem with my battery draining any faster with winterboard installed and i don't know how my phone would be without winterboard. I think it all comes down to personal prefs.

[evolution83]

I have winterboard installed for some themes i use, and have bosspaper installed as well, they both perform differently I don't see a problem with my battery draining any faster with winterboard installed and i don't know how my phone would be without winterboard. I think it all comes down to personal prefs.

It's not a battery issue but more performance. Winterboard uses a lot of resources whereas BossPaper doesn't.

[jamjam]

how do you get BossPaper? is there source for it or is it in cydia?

[iphonewarrior]

how do you get BossPaper? is there source for it or is it in cydia?

Perform a search through Cydia, it is in there.



I got my 3GS last friday and I haven't for the first time ever installed Winterboard. It's usually one of the first things I do. It's not the same as Winterboard but it's a good workaround for now. I hope they implement a few more features via updates.

I'm impressed so far.

[jamjam]

what category is it under? cause i perform search on cydia, but it won't show up

[iphonewarrior]

Launch Cydia, then go to Manage (at the bottom), then click Sources.

Scroll down and you will have a BigBoss & Planet-iPhones source, Tap on this and scroll down to BossPaper, then install respectively.

If you don't have the BigBoss & Planet-iPhones source then go back into the main sources page in cydia. Click Edit in the top right, then click add in the top left.

Then add this source:

http://apt.bigboss.us.com/repofiles/cydia/ ...then repeat the above.



EDIT: bigboss's source is one of Cydia's default repo's so it should be already there.

[jamjam]

i have the source but still see no BossPaper in it, the closest one i found is bpaper, which is like 22 walpapers, is that it?

[iphonewarrior]

i have the source but still see no BossPaper in it, the closest one i found is bpaper, which is like 22 walpapers, is that it?

Do you have any updates available to you on Cydia? This may be one of the reasons why.

[jamjam]

updating now, i delete the repo and re-adding it, hope it works!

EDIT: Found it, Thanks iphonewarrior!