Hacking Can you make the R4 GUI less complicated?

jweaver · Nov 21, 2007

Its probably a silly question, but I will ask anyway.

I know of 3 colleagues who are buying DS-Lites for their Wifes/Girlfriends purely for "Brain Training".. I also know of several other people who are interested for similar reasons.

I have told every one of them to get an R4, and have shown them how to use it... As we know, its fairly simple IF you are computer literate.. For them, they can just about understand it, but for their wifes? No chance.

I just wondered it there is a feature (perhap a skin) which can make the functionality more simple.. I just need something which will display a list of games without any ability to delete files, change sort orders, or directories.

Ideally it needs to be more like the way that my old Supercard worked.

Is this at all possible?

Jon

azotyp · Nov 21, 2007

I once heard that if you rename game's name into _DS_MSHL.nds , you can load it with moonshell button on r4 loader. You can do that with only one game, but if someone focus on only one game, it should be enough.

rhyguy · Nov 21, 2007

well, i think some older versions didnt have those features, but they might not be compatible with the games you want...

why not buy the real games?

enigmaindex · Nov 21, 2007

I don't think you can make it any more basic. In fact I hate how basic the R4 GUI is haha, another reason i ordered a Cyclo. But i dont think you can make it more basic, just sit down with them for an hour or however long it takes and show them over and over, they cant be that stupid though. I taught my grandma how to use a fairly complicated phone in less than 45 mins.

MrKuenning · Nov 21, 2007

Fisrt of all, if they want a DS for only one game, the game will be cheaper and easyer than an R4.

Second you can replace the moonshell app with a game, and boot streight to the game off the main menu

Third, you can add the properties hidden on a PC to any file you dont want seen, so you can hide everything, and just place a few games on the root, for simplicity.

I gave my GF a R4 and a Lite. I just do the organizing for her. I have a

DS Games
Homemade Games
Programs
Drawing

folders and put aproprate programs within those folders. She has no problems.

But to answer your question. No, you cant alter the GUI. There is a homebew NDS loader that is animated kinda like the OSX Dock. Its pretty, and simple. You might make that a boot off of the main screen.

But those are my ideas.

jweaver · Nov 21, 2007

Thanks all.. Some interesting ideas.

I am sure that they will be able to work it out, but I spent 1/2 and hour with a (non-computer literate) colleague yesturday and tried to explain some of the features and just got a blank look.. How he is going to go home and 'translate' what I told him (which he didn't fully understand) into something his wife will understand is beyond me.

Bearing in mind that a lot of people in this world have no idea what a 'directory' or 'file' is, its easy to see how they might be confused.

My biggest concern is the 'select' button, which changes which files are shown.. I just know that I am going to get called over Christmas saying "all of the games have disappeared, just because they have pressed it to just show 'ebook' for example.

Also the 'delete' feature scares me a little, only because they CAN mess things up.. Although, as you say, if I hide some files, that won't be so much of an issue.

To respond to the comments about them wanting just one game.. Thats not what I am saying.. THey are interested in a DS because of the adverts on the TV about "Brain Training", but they obviously will be interested in more games..

An R4 is an obvious choice for them, especially when they don't actually know what they want.. Now they can have all the cames and choose what titles/genres they like.

Thanks for all your help

All the best

JOn

Eyedunno · Nov 21, 2007

Not really relevant to the OP, but I really wish they'd change the R4 main screen to have, say, six buttons instead of just three (with the last three being buttons for customization, enabled by renaming an nds file to some specified name with an underscore at the beginning, like the Moonshell trick in azotyp's post).

azotyp · Nov 21, 2007

Maybe you should told them to buy original games, if they're too hard with thinking to understand r4 gui, they can like go somwhere where they can download demos of games with wifi (like some shops or i dont know where, but there are these places).

spinal_cord · Nov 21, 2007

People were split 50-50 on the official forum (R.I.P) about making the menu more functional, more buttons etc, as a result I guess, the R4 team didn't make any changes, that or they just didn't pay any attention to the forum members.

matter · Nov 21, 2007

The EZ Flash V has a simpler interface. It boots up straight into the list of files, with no silly 3 button starting menu. The latest firmware works just as well or better than the R4, with no patching of roms required.

ZPE · Nov 21, 2007

Aw come on. It isn't that hard to use the R4...lol!

Yes I'm lolling at everyone that can't operate a simple GUI.

111111111 · Nov 21, 2007

QUOTE(azotyp @ Nov 21 2007 said:
Maybe you should told them to buy original games, if they're too hard with thinking to understand r4 gui, they can like go somwhere where they can download demos of games with wifi (like some shops or i dont know where, but there are these places).

Too true, if you (not you personally) are too stupid to operate something as simple as the r4 gui (which even 3yr old children can navigate) then you should really be buying original games (or hk clone carts).

pasc · Nov 21, 2007

just rename the game to Default.nds and do the same to the .SAV file, then copy both in the root and the game will boot upon bootup of the R4. Nuff said.

jweaver · Nov 21, 2007

QUOTE(tsimehC @ Nov 21 2007 said:
Aw come on. It isn't that hard to use the R4...lol!

Yes I'm lolling at everyone that can't operate a simple GUI.

THats not really fair.. I am not saying that they cant' use the GUI.. I agree that its not that difficult.. But these are women, who arn't at all computer literate (or intersted).. And if you know women, you will know that if something frustrates them, they will simply not use it because they don't understand... Believe me its true.. My ex-wife refused to use Sky+ for 6 months because it failed to record something on QVC ONCE!

I was simply asking whether it was possible to remove some features, to make life a little bit easier.

I realise that the answer is no, so thats the end of it.

Thanks

Jon

111111111 · Nov 21, 2007

QUOTE(jweaver @ Nov 21 2007 said:
THats not really fair.. I am not saying that they cant' use the GUI.. I agree that its not that difficult.. But these are women, who arn't at all computer literate (or intersted)..
wow, sexism too.

Newsflash, women are stoopid!

QUOTEAnd if you know women, you will know that if something frustrates them, they will simply not use it because they don't understand...

And thats different to men how exactly?

azotyp · Nov 21, 2007

QUOTE said:
you will know that if something frustrates them, they will simply not use it because they don't understand...
Not every women are like that, we have lots of smart women in this forum like (sorry if i will spell it wrong) WAR.

QUOTEwow, sexism too.

This forum is sexism friendly, some people eaven write topics like "why men should be kept as pets"

iritegood · Nov 21, 2007

QUOTE(pasc @ Nov 21 2007 said:
just rename the game to Default.nds and do the same to the .SAV file, then copy both in the root and the game will boot upon bootup of the R4. Nuff said.

Yes, do that. And if you want to keep the GUI clean, just hide all the folders and files you don't want shown (everything but the games). And if you don't mind having the microSD a little messy, put all the games in the root. It'll make it look like everytime they click "Games" it'll bring them right to the games. Simplest way in my opinion. It couldn't be simpler infact.
And keep the default "view" to games. That way it hides the saves (which you could also hide in the computer) and just shows the game.

The R4 is pretty much the simplest GUI I've ever seen. But ^that's a step to make it simpler, if need be.

111111111 · Nov 21, 2007

QUOTE(azotyp @ Nov 21 2007 said:
This forum is sexism friendly, some people eaven write topics like "why men should be kept as pets"Â

LOL, prolly the best thing for us.

elfsander · Nov 21, 2007

QUOTE(azotyp @ Nov 21 2007 said:
QUOTE said:

you will know that if something frustrates them, they will simply not use it because they don't understand...

Click to expand...

Not every women are like that, we have lots of smart women in this forum like (sorry if i will spell it wrong) WAR.

He didn't say that women are stupid, he only said that they are easily frustated and then simply stop using it. While men commonly would destroy the device if that happens to them.

A select few, however, of both sexes actually ask others for help or read the manual.

jweaver · Nov 21, 2007

QUOTE(elfsander @ Nov 21 2007 said:
QUOTE(azotyp @ Nov 21 2007 said:

QUOTE said:

you will know that if something frustrates them, they will simply not use it because they don't understand...
Not every women are like that, we have lots of smart women in this forum like (sorry if i will spell it wrong) WAR.

Click to expand...

He didn't say that women are stupid, he only said that they are easily frustated and then simply stop using it. While men commonly would destroy the device if that happens to them.

A select few, however, of both sexes actually ask others for help or read the manual.

Click to expand...

Agreed.. I never said anything about women being stupid. I simply said that women who ARN'T computer literate might find the R4 confusing and complicated...

Anyway.. Can someone help me with 'hidden files'.. I tried it on mine.. I used the Windows Propreties to make the 3 "_DS*" files and "_system_" directory Hidden.. Its hidden under windows (now shown as 'feint') but when I put it in the R4 and select the "Files" view, I can still see ALL the files (including the hidden ones).

Any ideas?

Jon

Hacking Can you make the R4 GUI less complicated?

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