PPCGeeks - Streamling the PPC 6800 Experience

I'm trying to streamline the theme on my PPC 6800. The goal is a simple, somewhat touch-friendly interface, designed for hybrid use with a stylus. I don't want to replicate the iPhone exactly, but I want a simplier, more touchable interface for OS-level navigation.

This is something of an ongoing project. Once I get the base system UI right, I have plans to manufacture a longer stylus.

I've installed SPB Mobile Shell and set the Now screen to come up when the device is turned on. I've also re-mapped the start button to SPB Plus using AE Button Plus. I would consider total elimination of the start menu if all functionality were fully available elsewhere.

I've installed SPB Pocket Plus, which gives me a real close button, among various other goodies.

However, I'm new to Windows Mobile and having trouble with a few points:

1) I would like to make it so that I simply do not see the "Today" screen ever, only seeing the SPB Menu and SPB Now. How can I do this?

2) How can I take finer grain control of the contents of SPB Menu? I would like to map some applications to empty slots on the front screen of SPB Menu, etc. Maybe I should try a different app entirely?

3) I would like to somehow make the phone options more accessible, particularly those relating to roaming. Right now, I have to go Phone -> Menu -> Options -> Services -> Roaming -> Get Settings to simply pull up this screen.

4) I would like to tweak the contents of the top menu bar. Winbar Advance seems to be overkill. I just want a clock and a small battery indicator, and preferably to remove the

5) I can't seem to get AE Button Plus to properly trigger the brightness up / down HPB Pocket Plus action when the Outlook and IE buttons are pressed. They don't seem to work at all. Any ideas? I would like them to support press-and-hold to trigger multiple times, like a key repeating. Should I be using another app?

This is an ongoing project, but suggestions for any of these points would be very welcome...