Minimalistic Text – an essential Android app for creating sublimely minimal date/clock widgets
by Paul Wilks
May 16, 2012 11:02 AM –
Install
Minimalistic Text is a set of sublimely manipulable widgets perfect for homescreen modification. Incorporating simple texts which display time, date, weather, battery or custom options, the app is very much about what you want it to do. The app has been, and continues to be, hugely popular with people who love to tinker with the look and feel of their Android devices.
Price: Free
Tested on: HTC One X
Content Rating: Low Maturity
Pros & Cons:
Pros
- Massively customisable app to make your own slick & minimal date/clock widget!
- Lots of size options!
- Looks great in a minimalist design!
Cons
- Can be a bit complicated for a beginner.
Features:
Minimalist Text is one of those apps that demonstrates what separates us Android users from the average iSheep. Customisation is central to any Android experience and apps like Minimalistic Text- as well as Clockr, SwitchPro Widget, Advanced Clock Widget and Circle Battery Widget- all reviewed recently- help to mould our homescreens exactly how we wish. It could be argued however that, of these, Minimalistic Text is quite possibly the most configurable.
The app is all about exploration and practice. It’s not the easiest app in the world to use but with some patience, it’s perhaps one of the most versatile and rewarding. The depth you can go to with Minimalistic Text is quite staggering, but I’ll attempt to cover the basics at the very least.
There are a number of pre-defined profiles which represent some basic capabilities. You have: time, date, battery or weather. The data of these can be displayed in a variety of widget sizes, and with an essential minimalist design. So, for example, the time is displayed in a simple text format much in the same way we saw with Clockr. You can choose to have a background or not then select what colour it might be. Same applies to font and you can also adjust the type of font you use. For weather you can select between celsius or fahrenheit and which source the weather information comes from… and so on.
Perhaps what’s most impressive is the range of widget sizes Minimalistic Text contains. You can choose from: 1×1, 1×2 (vertical), 1×3 (vertical), 1×4 (vertical), 1×5 (vertical), 2×1 (horizontal), 2×2, 3×1 (horizontal), 4×1 (horizontal), 4×2 (horizontal), 4×3 (horizontal), 4×4, 5×1 (horizontal) and 6×1 (horizontal). If all this wasn’t enough for you, there’s an add-on called Minimalistic Text – Call add-on. This essentially allows for making calls directly from a widget. Very handy!
Like I mentioned, Minimalistic Text is very much about exploring and experimenting and finding a widget that suits you and your homescreen. It’s an essential download for people who like to modify their Android experience by personalising their homescreens. It’s not the easiest app to use but a very flexible and versatile tool nonetheless.
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Minimalist Text – 4×2 widget
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Minimalist Text – Several widget types
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Minimalistic Text – Custom configuration
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Minimalist Text – Neat preview window
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Minimalist Text – Colour select
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Minimalist Text – Choose widget
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Minimalist Text – Widget type
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Minimalist Text – Weather source
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Minimalist Text – Font setting
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Minimalist Text – Language choice
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Minimalist Text – Preferences
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Minimalist Text – Shadow settings
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Minimalist Text – Global settings
Usefulness:
Minimalistic Text is superb for creating simple, functional and cool-looking widgets that display time, date, weather and battery life. If you like customisation, this is the perfect app.
Ease of Use:
The only thing going against the app is the fact it’s not that easy to use. You really do have to play with it, experiment and explore the features to get the most out of it. Some elements are very straightforward, but advanced configurations can be tricky.
Frequently Used:
This all depends on how much you like to alter and tweak your homescreen widgets. There are more than enough options and preferences to provide plenty of different solutions, depending on your tastes and requirements.
Interface:
The interface is functional and simplistic. Most things are very clearly marked and it’s not really difficult to navigate. The app has been around now for some time and is a perennial favourite amongst many experienced Android users, an essential download for many. I think it could perhaps do with a little refreshment- maybe the inclusion of the ‘Roboto’ font or other ICS-style options.