• A blank page with absolutely nothing on it
• A copy of the current one
• Standard (large icons)
• Standard List (small icons, allowing for more applications per page)
• Standard Tools (large icons with a number of tools on the bottom)
• Standard List Tools (small icons with tools, and
• Standard Big (really large icons for each application)

You have complete control over the appearance and functionality of your theme. Each element can be resized, rearranged, or deleted. You can even decide what each of the buttons on the 5-way pad (if your model has one) does when pressed while the theme is enabled.

In concept, the editor is great. However, it suffers a few rather significant drawbacks. The small size of the Palm's screen combined with the small box outlining each element in the editor makes it very hard to see and select a certain element. It also makes it very easy to place an icon overlapping another, resulting in a rather tiresome trial and error session to get all the elements to fit.

To makes matters more complicated, there is no ability to select multiple elements at the same time. If you want to change the theme from large icon mode to small icon list mode, you need to change each icon, resize the box, and rearrange it into list formation individually. If you're the type of person that can never settle for an arrangement for an extended period of time, this can get very frustrating.

The launcher
While TealDesktop's themes stand-out from other launchers, its other features do not. TealDesktop allows for categories to be displayed as tabs across the top of the screen, in a drop-down menu, or both. Categories can be either selected though a menu option essentially identical to the one in the standard launcher, by dragging the icon to the ideal tab, or by holding the stylus down over an icon for a few seconds, causing a list of actions to pop-up.

In addition to category selection, this list can be used to delete, beam, send, or copy the program or to get information about it (its size, version, number of records, etc.). The pop-up list is shown in Figure B.

FIGURE B

The pop-up list allows quick access to a number of handy functions. Click picture for a larger image.

TealDesktop has a large collection of gadgets that can be displayed on the screen. They can be added from the theme editor and provide functions such as launch an application or desk accessory, cycle categories, show/hide private records, turn off and lock the handheld, pop-up a list of apps, toggle beam receive, and a number of others. While none of these features are unique to TealDesktop, having the most commonly used ones on screen can be very convenient.

Like all good launchers, TealDesktop has support for applications on an external memory card. Applications on the card can be categorized just like RAM applications, but, unfortunately, must be in separate categories. Thus, if you have a selection of games in both RAM and on a card, you must have two separate "Games" categories. Furthermore, the programs must be grouped by category in folders on the actual card, wrecking any organizational system you might have. Each category must be manually created as a folder on the card and setup on the Card Category Setup screen, shown in Figure C.