Rooted palm pre vs Rooted Hero - Hero CDMA Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Had a question for those who used to own Palm pres and rooted them.
As of now how would you compare the Palm Pre (rooted of course) to that of a rooted Hero (say mine, AOSP 2.3.3)
Does the palm offer anything better than the hero does. Just wondering because a guy on C-list is selling his palm for cheap and was wondering if it would be worth the time to maybe switch up phones.
If i'm in the wrong thread sorry, if this offends people because its not directly a Android HeroC question, sorry again. Just wanted to ask

i have no first hand knowledge..but better? perhaps the cpu and the ability to use a touchstone..and a slide out portrait keyboard, which i do know a lot of people that liked that design.
what's not better? probably development for webOS as compared to Android...i'd imagine you can still find more WinMo 6.5 apps than you can webOS, as I never see anyone with Pres or Pixis. Everyone owns Android phones and iphones.
just my $.02

The palm is way smoother and faster, once you overclock it. I'm running screenstate 500/800 and its great. Battery life is pretty good too. Beyond that, I prefer android. There are way more and better apps. Also, tethering on the pre is harder to achieve and is a much slower connection, fwiw. Could be because I haven't figured out how to update radio/profile/prl on the pre.
Sent from my HTC Hero CDMA using XDA Premium App

Good to know
Thanks for the response. Reason i'm asking is i'd just like a change of phone for now and i'd rather not do a true upgrade, but instead maybe move to a phone that was what i was trying to decide on when i first got my upgrade last year.
Again thanks for the responses.

kevphan08 said:
Thanks for the response. Reason i'm asking is i'd just like a change of phone for now and i'd rather not do a true upgrade, but instead maybe move to a phone that was what i was trying to decide on when i first got my upgrade last year.
Again thanks for the responses.
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Be careful though, activating an "old" phone is considered an "upgrade" to Sprint, so they will charge you the new $10 premium data charge that comes with activating a smartphone.
From my Gingerbread Hero.

Nsandhu23 said:
Be careful though, activating an "old" phone is considered an "upgrade" to Sprint, so they will charge you the new $10 premium data charge that comes with activating a smartphone.
From my Gingerbread Hero.
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don't that just suck! did it to me when switching to a used hero from a hero!

man i wish we wouldve got that webos port to work awhile back until sandix or whatever that douchebags name was ruined it for everybody, that wouldve have been the coolest thing ever.

The Hero is a great phone ONCE it is rooted. If you don't have the Hero rooted it's basically a pile of crap. I'd pick the Hero(rooted) over a palm pre(rooted) any day.
And with AOSP developing an incredible rom for the Hero, it's a nobrainer.

Nice input guys
Yeah for clarification I do have a rooted hero (aosp 2.3.3) its just i'd like something thats more integrated. I liked, when looking at the pre before, how it integrated all my contacts honestly a lot better. I like having my google account synced to everything, but I've had times where switching roms and stuff i lose important contacts and it sucks.
Just trying to find a different scenery i guess since sprints pretty much put hero's in the dump.
Also as a little note i hate how we're so limited with our phones. Can't play really any games, barely any ROMs that I'd like to try but cant because of our hardware, etc...
Anyways i'm rambling... Take it easy guys

kevphan08 said:
Yeah for clarification I do have a rooted hero (aosp 2.3.3) its just i'd like something thats more integrated. I liked, when looking at the pre before, how it integrated all my contacts honestly a lot better. I like having my google account synced to everything, but I've had times where switching roms and stuff i lose important contacts and it sucks.
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You're not going to get this answer from many people, but the best, most stable firmware in terms of integration is the stock, up-to-date firmware (all OTA updates installed). There were issues when the Hero first received 2.1, but that was almost a year ago. They have released several OTA updates since then, and as far as I know they ironed out any major outstanding issues.
Sure, it's not the latest and greatest, but it's stable. And HTC Sense does have good integration features. I switch back to it from time to time, and the only thing that really disappoints me about it is not being able to download the latest versions of every app due to API differences. But all intended features work as designed, including making phone calls. And there are Sense features that still haven't made their way into other ROM images or apps.

Related

Anyone else own/owned a iPhone before owning the G1?

Ok, to start this off, I don't want to sound like a fanboy. In all reality, the whole reason I switched to the G1 from a 3G iPhone was because of all of Apple's shaddy practices with releasing new firmware / new phones. Anyway, my question to those of you that have owned both is this: do you really love your G1 as much as you did your iPhone. Now, don't flame me for the way I asked this, and I will support what I say here.
My first, biggest problem, with the G1 was no native Exchange support. That was almost a deal breaker for me on the first day. I did not want to have to pay to have support for business applications that should be included on a smart phone in this day and age. And, to those of you that had an iPhone, you probably already know that it's really nice that all of your contacts sync with your Exchange server. Imagine my surprise when I stuck my sim card into the G1 and only had my contacts from the last phone that utilized saving contacts to the sim. Major disappointment!
2nd problem with the G1 is the lack of a well organized app store. How many times have you searched for a specific application, and came up with nothing, but if you change that search query to become a little more complete, all of a sudden you get a hit. (Ex. searching for weather and then searching for weather widget. (this isn't an exact example, just an example))
3rd problem is, the iPhone is way more responsive. Yes, I know you can install other roms that are better optimized, but the deal is, it's been well over a year and most of these issues should have been ironed out. I had my iPhone completely unlocked and jailbroken, with background support, etc, and still got way less force closes and whatnot then the G1.
I could go on with more issues, but I'm sure I'm just beating a dead horse. Now, don't get me wrong, I've been running Slackware Linux since version 7 and many other distros before and after that. I've got OSX Leopard on my Gateway laptop just for the fun of it. I buy game consoles for the sole reason of figuring out to hack them, play with it for a couple of months, and then sell it off to a buddy. I'm no stranger to modifying code and troubleshooting things. I just kinda see the whole Android movement kinda flawed.
So, now I'm at a decision point. I've got about 4 days left on my buyer's remorse period and not sure if I should stick with the G1 or go back to my iPhone and deal with the crappy battery, and the giant hassles it is to deal with Apple. Or, on the other hand, I can stick with the G1 and ride out the bumpiness of the OS until all is well. Has anyone else been against this decision and maybe gone back to the iPhone and regretted it? Just looking for other people's insight. I know that it all boils down to personal preference, but anyone who wants to flame / offer suggestions / etc. it'd be much appreciated.
Hi,
I intend getting a G1 this month, so this post is an interesting one to me. I have been using a HTC Universal for years now and I recon it is time for me and it to part. its been an ace PDA and some parts of it are still ahead of its time, but stuff like a good camera and GPS are missed. Now with windows mobile it is easy to get a program (APP) for what you want but you need to search the net of different companies and most times you have to load it from your PC. The Iphone was another choice for me but I felt 3G in this day is a bit pants, the universal has that! and the battery life is not good. So if you want my penny worth I would stick with the G1, even if it was only for the battery situation. Plus with all these roms to use and speed things up. Great I recon.
Regards
Jay
these are the ramblings of a person who hasn't even got a G1 yet LOL
chesh420 said:
Ok, to start this off, I don't want to sound like a fanboy. In all reality, the whole reason I switched to the G1 from a 3G iPhone was because of all of Apple's shaddy practices with releasing new firmware / new phones. Anyway, my question to those of you that have owned both is this: do you really love your G1 as much as you did your iPhone. Now, don't flame me for the way I asked this, and I will support what I say here.
My first, biggest problem, with the G1 was no native Exchange support. That was almost a deal breaker for me on the first day. I did not want to have to pay to have support for business applications that should be included on a smart phone in this day and age. And, to those of you that had an iPhone, you probably already know that it's really nice that all of your contacts sync with your Exchange server. Imagine my surprise when I stuck my sim card into the G1 and only had my contacts from the last phone that utilized saving contacts to the sim. Major disappointment!
2nd problem with the G1 is the lack of a well organized app store. How many times have you searched for a specific application, and came up with nothing, but if you change that search query to become a little more complete, all of a sudden you get a hit. (Ex. searching for weather and then searching for weather widget. (this isn't an exact example, just an example))
3rd problem is, the iPhone is way more responsive. Yes, I know you can install other roms that are better optimized, but the deal is, it's been well over a year and most of these issues should have been ironed out. I had my iPhone completely unlocked and jailbroken, with background support, etc, and still got way less force closes and whatnot then the G1.
I could go on with more issues, but I'm sure I'm just beating a dead horse. Now, don't get me wrong, I've been running Slackware Linux since version 7 and many other distros before and after that. I've got OSX Leopard on my Gateway laptop just for the fun of it. I buy game consoles for the sole reason of figuring out to hack them, play with it for a couple of months, and then sell it off to a buddy. I'm no stranger to modifying code and troubleshooting things. I just kinda see the whole Android movement kinda flawed.
So, now I'm at a decision point. I've got about 4 days left on my buyer's remorse period and not sure if I should stick with the G1 or go back to my iPhone and deal with the crappy battery, and the giant hassles it is to deal with Apple. Or, on the other hand, I can stick with the G1 and ride out the bumpiness of the OS until all is well. Has anyone else been against this decision and maybe gone back to the iPhone and regretted it? Just looking for other people's insight. I know that it all boils down to personal preference, but anyone who wants to flame / offer suggestions / etc. it'd be much appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Install exchange email apk.
prettyboy85712 said:
Install exchange email apk.
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Click to collapse
What he said. We've added Exchange support to many ROMs at this point. Most ROMs are extremely responsive (try cyanogen's or MyTouchv1.0 by cc or any of the ION ROMs for that matter). Most of the time, just updating the ROM will fix many of the FC problems you're having.
Like you said, it all comes down to personal preference, but much of your problems seem to have been addressed with the custom ROMs, you should try them out before you run out of time to return it. If it comes down you not liking it, you can always unroot and no one would be the wiser when you returned it.
The Market problem is the only one I still have with the phone (and I'm using JACHero too ). I can't really search for an app unless I know exactly what its called, but the Market works, and does its job, just a little unrefined (remember, the G1 has only been out for a little while compared to the iPhone, we'll eventually catch up).
I know that these problems should have been addressed by HTC or Google already, but because they're slow, we've done what we could with what we've had, and its worked out pretty well for us. Regardless, even if they released a fast, bug free ROM, you can bet your ass that the cooks at xda will make it better.
I had a 2G iPhone before I bought my G1, and I'm so glad I did. Mainly because of 3G and GPS, but also because of Apple's firm grip over what the device could do.
1) I've always used gmail, so no problems there, but hey, I'm no business user.
2) Yeah market search sucks big time, which is more than ironic coming from google, but it's not something that annoys me too much.
3)Can't relate to your experiences with crashes. I had jailbroken and tried using the backgrounder app. It was useless, the phone would constantly run out of memory and start killing my IM app (without my knowledge) and Lastfm. I've only ever had force closes on Hero, but on Haykuro 6.0 (magic port) I haven't gotten a single one.
There are ROM's with Exchange support (eg the non-rosie Hero ROMs) and third party apps. I'm sure google will update the market in 2.0 (donut) because surely they must know how bad it is. Not really sure what to suggest with FC's, just try out different ROMs?
The rogers roms are very fast and stable G1 ROM's.... and they have FULL exchange support built in - syncs calendar/email/contacts via exchange... The hero roms do as well but that won't be your cup of tea.
Get Ravenges Rogers ROM -
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=524074
I use exchange extensively with hero and rogers roms and it works really, really well. You have a lot of control over it and functionality is spot on.
Get the Rogers ROM as it's basically made for G1 hardware, so everything works and it's fast and responsive. T-Mobile is the reason for such crappy exchange support - as HTC based ROMs have been supporting it fully for quite some time now.
p.s. - Google Voice on this phone is BAD ASS. I love the toggle icon as well, i can turn google voice on with 1 press, make a call via my GV phone #, then turn it back off and be back on my regular cell instantly... LOVE IT.
Well, I've been using JACHero since 2.6.0 and it hasn't been bad. Rosie is a little unresponsive, but once JACHero came out with 2.7 and added Launcher back in, I just switched to JACHero 2.72 Full w/ Launcher instead of TouchFLO. It's definatly faster and I do have my Exchange support which is good. It also now syncs my contacts from the Exchange server which is nice too. I dunno, on one hand you have Apple's death grip over the phone and it's OS and on the other hand you have Google with it's hand in every one of your pockets. Which is a bigger burden? The company that locks you into how they do things, or the company that lets you do what you want, but wants to know everything about it.
Apple's appstore just hit 1yr old. I know the Android market isn't quite that old yet, so we have some things to wait for. Everything is just kinda buggy. I dunno. It's really just a waiting game really to see how great Android can possibly be. Here's another part of my decision that I didn't mention. When I got the G1, I still had 6 months left till my official upgrade. I ended up shelling out $350 for the phone. I still have my iPhone 3g and could probably sell it to cover this cost without a problem on eBAY. Knowing this, would you return the phone now and get back the $350, stay with the iPhone until I have the upgrade, and then picking up the G1 (or maybe another android) in Feb when it would only cost me $99? Decisions, decisions.....
vr24 said:
The rogers roms are very fast and stable G1 ROM's.... and they have FULL exchange support built in - syncs calendar/email/contacts via exchange... The hero roms do as well but that won't be your cup of tea.
Get Ravenges Rogers ROM -
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=524074
I use exchange extensively with hero and rogers roms and it works really, really well. You have a lot of control over it and functionality is spot on.
Get the Rogers ROM as it's basically made for G1 hardware, so everything works and it's fast and responsive. T-Mobile is the reason for such crappy exchange support - as HTC based ROMs have been supporting it fully for quite some time now.
p.s. - Google Voice on this phone is BAD ASS. I love the toggle icon as well, i can turn google voice on with 1 press, make a call via my GV phone #, then turn it back off and be back on my regular cell instantly... LOVE IT.
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I haven't looked at the Rogers ROM due to such an old build date (LOL, it's only a couple of weeks I know). But, as I've turned off everything that makes the Hero rom, Hero, I don't think it would hurt to switch. The only thing that I see would change is no flash support, which is mostly broken anyway (well, maybe not broken, just not as useful as everyone thought).
If I was to try out that Rodgers rom, would I just need to wipe and reflash as I'm coming from JACHero 2.7.2? I've already got my SD card all partitioned up with fat32, ext3, linux-swap.
How well does flash support in the browsers on these roms work? as I understand it, not all browsers in these roms include flash support. In WM 6.0 we were kind of spoilt, as we had a browser called skyfire. It was very good at flash playing and rendered the page as on a desktop pc with a zoom option.
Well, you can see flash animations on ign.com, but on sites like youtube and hulu, don't even count on anything loading (I know there's a huge difference in the Flash content, but just an example). I've used skyfire on my Shadow (phone I had before the iPhone) and it was pretty good back in it's initial alpha/beta stages. The browsers just work. And, as it's built off of Webkit, I'm pretty familar with it (same browser backbone as the iPhone). So, in other words, flash is there, just don't count on it working on everything
So is there a stand alone YouTube player for this OS then? I kind of remembering seeing there is? if so is it any good? Funny you saying about the Alpha, Beta of skyfire, coz I thought the beta was better than the latest release.
chesh420 said:
I haven't looked at the Rogers ROM due to such an old build date (LOL, it's only a couple of weeks I know). But, as I've turned off everything that makes the Hero rom, Hero, I don't think it would hurt to switch. The only thing that I see would change is no flash support, which is mostly broken anyway (well, maybe not broken, just not as useful as everyone thought).
If I was to try out that Rodgers rom, would I just need to wipe and reflash as I'm coming from JACHero 2.7.2? I've already got my SD card all partitioned up with fat32, ext3, linux-swap.
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Click to collapse
If Hero is running good for you, then stick with it. Rogers is like Hero without the Widgets, Flash, Gallery, etc... it has the HTC (Hero) Dialer and Exchange and for the most part is like a cupcake build. If I'm not on Hero, I definitely prefer it.
As for wiping, I would say you probably have to wipe and format the ext3 partition, which is easy. But you'll have to reload all your apps.
Right now I'm on JACHero 2.7.3 and it's running really well for me, very responsive, but I was on Rogers for 2 months before that.
I never really liked Skyfire too much. It was just OK. I prefer the G1 web browsing, especially with the HTC Browser (Hero/Rogers) and multi-touch.
The flash is overrated, nothing special. It'll load things like flash banners and minor flash pieces just fine. Don't expect to stream flash video, games, or full blown flash websites.
Stand alone youtube player works great.
I have the Iphone 2G and the G1...For awhile i would switch back and forth...missing the last phone for a few hours then enjoying whichever i was using. The Iphone on TMobile service sucked as a phone but was quite the entertaining piece...the G1 lacks in 3D graphics and games but was excellent as a phone/web browser. If you find your self not minding the lack of service as a phone on the Iphone i would say wait and see what the next Android device is. Although from what i read it won't have a physical keyboard...but if you are enjoying the the iphone's VK then you shouldn;t mind not having the physical keyboard.
It all comes down to how well it works as a phone for me...I use the exchange sync but never sync my contacts...I have been a gmail user since the original beta in 2003, so i never had a problem with syncing contacts to the G1 but with the Iphone. I had to export from gmail to Outlook, then export to Itunes and sync to the Iphone.
I would say if you are happy with the Iphone on Tmobile's network return the G1 and get that $350...that's a lot to spend on it. Wait for the next greatest Android device.(MyTouch has double the storage but everything else is basically the same) I would save up some money then sell the Iphone on ebay and buy the unlocked Hero device when it comes out. Android is still an infant but is growing up very fast. Just think about 2-3 months ago we only had a few ROMs to choose from...now we have more then i care to count at the moment =)
I have always been a fan of cooked roms and cooking roms, but what is bad about the stock G1 rom? I could give a list of bad points that put me off the stock rom in WM5 so what is it on google? I did a search and saw that speed was an issue. or is it just buggy?
Jay
No exchange, no flash, no multi-touch by default. The rom itself is pretty fast, and the looks and feel aren't bad at all. Just a preference thing. But, just like in Apple world, as new updates come out to the main firmware, new features are added and old bugs fixed. I think that goes for any phone though.
how dare u say th i word in here =x lol jk.
I had an iphone on att before (and my wife currently is using it on tmobile) and wanted to put in my two cents.
iPhone Pros:
Iphones games are just as good as a psp, and pretty cheap from the itunes store and there are TONS of them.
Apps crash way less
GPhone Pros:
Alerts - iphone is still not up to par with this, any g1 app can alert you to new emails, etc
Util apps - out of the box the apps on the g1 can affect things like power, wifi, and even more system settings. This lets you have a much better range of util apps
If you plan to root/jailbreak your iphone/gphone:
iphone - Adds the above GPhone pros but slows down the phone a lot, it just wasnt ment to handle it
gphone - run linux easily -- way fun!
Thats what sums it up in just a few lines!
kmc127
One thing that I can say is getting awfully annoying on the G1 is my mail. When I read mail on my G1, it doesn't correctly update my account with which emails are read and which ones are still new. So, I have to login to the account and check them as read in order for them to stop saying they're new. Kind of a pain, but liveable.
On the iPhone on the other hand, you read an email, whether it be Yahoo, Exchange, Hotmail, etc., it updates to the online mail system. The G1 tries to do the update, but most of the time, it misses at least half of the emails.
In other words, if you want games- go with an iPhone. If you want a phone for communication purposes (and still lots of cool games) go with a G1.

Not been using my Hero and have a few Questions.

Well about 2 weeks ago I picked up a Palm Pre and moved over to it for my day to day use. Well I do miss a few things the Hero can do I am holding off on moving back. I have a busy summer and well if anything happens I would rather it happen to the Pre.
But I do have a few questions seeing that 2.1 is out and 2.2 is on the N1.
Now that we have a real 2.1 out for the Hero have is there anything we really were missing? (For those of us that rooted and had a 2.1 ROM)
Is there any real word on a 2.2 update? I know that 2.1 just dropped but from what I have read this could make our Heros fast!
How many of you have used a Pre for your day to day phone before?
What were your thoughts on it?
Well that I wanted to ask. I am sure a few searches would answer some if not all the questions but I would rather get full feed back.
I have had a palm pre as a daily user for about a total of 2 months., All it did you me was sit in my pocket and ring. every once in a while it saw the internet but it didnt seem as easy to surf vs the Hero.
As for Froyo i dont see that coming for quite a while, if at all since the evo is going to be the center of attraction for HTC and Sprint
the N1 has 2.2 already because HTC didnt have to "CUSTOMIZE IT" first with Sense UI
chaos67731 said:
Well about 2 weeks ago I picked up a Palm Pre and moved over to it for my day to day use. Well I do miss a few things the Hero can do I am holding off on moving back. I have a busy summer and well if anything happens I would rather it happen to the Pre.
But I do have a few questions seeing that 2.1 is out and 2.2 is on the N1.
Now that we have a real 2.1 out for the Hero have is there anything we really were missing? (For those of us that rooted and had a 2.1 ROM)
Is there any real word on a 2.2 update? I know that 2.1 just dropped but from what I have read this could make our Heros fast!
How many of you have used a Pre for your day to day phone before?
What were your thoughts on it?
Well that I wanted to ask. I am sure a few searches would answer some if not all the questions but I would rather get full feed back.
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Click to collapse
The 2.1 Rom works just fine, more solid, reliable and a all around stable rom.
The 2.2 will change the way you use your phone all together so expect major changes from a 2.1 and a 2.2 rom. I have everything i need from a 2.1 rom and the last time i used a palm pre I sat in my drawer waiting to be donated to someone who actually uses the crap. Listen im not bashing the beloved Palm Pre but compared to android you really cant compare Pre to Android simply because android is in a whole new class than a typical smart phone OS. The Palm Pre is only limited to what Palm puts on the OS. The android is only limited to the hardware its on. A Major difference my friend. Think about how powerful a Operating system is when its only limitation is hardware.. makes you think a little bit.
Hope you come back to the Android world buddy.
Yeah after spending a week with the Pre I miss a lot I can do with the Hero!
I will be back in no time at all. But I will give it to the Pre for holding its ground. If I were able to have just a normal phone I think the Pre should be the slandered.
Just got to play around with a friend N1 and yeah 2.2 is super fast!!
I might come back to my Hero just in time for the EVO.

[Q] Is Hero good for newbie

Hi Am switching to Sprint and want an android. I'm 55 years old and love to text. Is this a good choice to intro me to android world.(never had touch screen but I'm a fast learner) Text, internet and talk are the order of importance that I will use the phone for. I think the Evo would be too much to start with. Whats your expert opinion. Had a Nokia 6301 for last 2 years. Thanks in advance.
zoe1325 said:
Hi Am switching to Sprint and want an android. I'm 55 years old and love to text. Is this a good choice to intro me to android world.(never had touch screen but I'm a fast learner) Text, internet and talk are the order of importance that I will use the phone for. I think the Evo would be too much to start with. Whats your expert opinion. Had a Nokia 6301 for last 2 years. Thanks in advance.
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Click to collapse
I was a Motorola RAZR user before switching to the Hero, so in terms of phone usage, technology platform, and priority of functions the phone provides, it was a big difference. The touch screen is not difficult to get the hang of, the only thing is that may take some getting used to is the touchscreen keyboard (definitely some learning curve there, compared to a tangible one). Other than that, you shouldn't have a problem.
In truth, the EVO and the Hero will provide essentially the same functionality; EVO has 4G connection, the Hero doesn't, but in terms of OS configuration and general usage, they are very similar. They both run (stock, of course) on HTC Sense, HTC's shell over android that replaces a lot of the stock android programs with shiny and beautified new ones. The big difference between the two is the hardware. The reason the Hero has such a huge community of support on these forums is that it has very limited hardware, and most found that stock it ran very slowly. Hence, the need to mod and improve it, and if I may say so myself, they've done it quite well. The EVO actually has the hardware to properly run HTC Sense, but there is a large community for the EVO as well, and growing.
Either one will have essentially the same learning curve in terms of functionality. The Hero has one of the largest communities of support on these forums, so asking a question as you did will usually get a response (and one that is far more useful than any Sprint Rep could give you). The EVO has a good-size community as well, and has 2x the processing power, memory, and extra goodies like a front-facing camera for video chat and stuff. The Hero is $149.99 with a new contract, the EVO is $199.99 with a new contract (if they have it in stock; there has been a MASSIVE shortage).
This is just the background information; I recommend going to a Sprint store and playing with them yourself. A lot of people don't like the EVO because it is HUGE size-wise. A lot of people scoff at the Hero because to get it to run well, either serious work or rooting is pretty much mandatory. Either way, I say its a good choice. If you have any more questions, let me know, but good luck in your search!
If you go to the hero pm me with any questions u might have if I can help ill b glad to and I'm on here a lot warning its very addictive lol and IMO I'd go the hero first time around good luck
Root-Hack-Mod-Always™
zoe1325 said:
Hi Am switching to Sprint and want an android. I'm 55 years old and love to text. Is this a good choice to intro me to android world.(never had touch screen but I'm a fast learner) Text, internet and talk are the order of importance that I will use the phone for. I think the Evo would be too much to start with. Whats your expert opinion. Had a Nokia 6301 for last 2 years. Thanks in advance.
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Click to collapse
No expert on these things,but as one newbie 55 yo to another the Hero is a good phone to start out with. The Evo is too if you can get used to something that large coming from a smaller phone. Both have a ton of stuff on them to start out with..but as far as which one to get..you got 30 days from signing up with them to really decide which you prefer. You have more screen size with the Evo and a lot faster processor to start. Like what has been said..go try them both out and see which you prefer..I never thought I would get the hang of a touch screen keyboard and now I wouldn't go back to one..they just add way too much bulk to a phone for my taste and I can type and correct just as fast as using a real keyboard now.
Mac
thanks
Thanks for the insights. I'm going to get the Hero. (contract is up Sept 16th with Tmobile) I will be back in the next couple weeks to let you know how its going. I'm really interested in the process of making the Hero go faster. Its something I will probably persue after I have it for a while. Again, thanks for the replies.
zoe1325 said:
Thanks for the insights. I'm going to get the Hero. (contract is up Sept 16th with Tmobile) I will be back in the next couple weeks to let you know how its going. I'm really interested in the process of making the Hero go faster. Its something I will probably persue after I have it for a while. Again, thanks for the replies.
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Click to collapse
Ah, Grasshopper, you have chosen wisely!
I'm a couple years your senior, have had a Hero for about a year, have rooted and flashed my phone to the point where I'm very happy with it. Have also become something of a root-meister for the rest of the family
These phones are like computers: you always want them faster. Having said that, I use my phone mostly for (gasp) phone calls, texting, MMS, and casual browsing and Youtube viewing. The Hero - especially when modded, is quite up to the task.
My only complaint is the tiny tiny text within many of the apps. Obviously, the developers are all 20-somethings with the kind of eyesight I used to have when I was that age <GRIN>.
The EVO has a larger screen, but not having played with one, I don't know if that translates to larger type, or just more tiny type that can fit on a larger screen?
As someone else said, the Hero has a huge support base in the community, so you'll find lots of help as you learn and navigate your way around it. If you get a Hero, you'll be happy with for at least a year or two as you develop further insight as to what you want in one of these phones.
Before discovering how to root and mod my phone with some of the excellent ROMs available (I'm now using Cyanogenmod 6) I was ready to go back to my Katana. The stock ROM is cludgy and frustrating. With CM6, my Hero is now snappy and responsive and I can see living with it for another year...until the next upgrad.
Good luck!
zoe1325 said:
Thanks for the insights. I'm going to get the Hero. (contract is up Sept 16th with Tmobile) I will be back in the next couple weeks to let you know how its going. I'm really interested in the process of making the Hero go faster. Its something I will probably persue after I have it for a while. Again, thanks for the replies.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
coming from t mobile you can get the hero for 1 cent on amazon,just got two for my parents in their 60s and they love them.
Personally i think you should gget an evo...its practically an upgraded hero. The only reason why you should pick up a hero over an evo is if screen size is a problem. And cost.
Dont get me wrong, i love my hero. Ive had it since day one, but if i had known about the Evo before hand, then i wouldve opted for that. Especially since it works great out of the box (after a few updates, but the hero was that way too ). Its almost a neccessity to root the hero mostly because the processor is slow. But after you get it running at ~700mhz its great
But personally im going for the epic 4g on october 1st. Its like an Evo with a keyboard! Plus, it may be thicker than the Evo, but its just as thick as my hero, so thickness is a non-issue for me
Sent from my HERO200 using XDA App

How reliable is this phone?

I found one on Craig's List and my girlfriend desperately needs a new phone. I plan on sticking to stock OS and not rooting or customizing it because it's for her and I don't want to risk bricking her.
I just want to know, how reliable is this phone?
Personally, this is my last Samsung phone. So... I wouldn't recommend it.
Essenar said:
I found one on Craig's List and my girlfriend desperately needs a new phone. I plan on sticking to stock OS and not rooting or customizing it because it's for her and I don't want to risk bricking her.
I just want to know, how reliable is this phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got a Captivate for my gf and she loves it, but the stock OS pissed her off due to lagging and bloatware.
We installed Cognition 2.3b8 which was very easy and now she really loves it as her daily driver. All you do is put an update.zip for Clockwork on the root of SD. Reboot into oem recovery, reinstall packages twice to get to Clockwork, then wipe data and flash Cognition. Couldn't be easier.
Honestly, if you can find a Nexus One for AT&T (if you have AT&T the T-mobile version will be Edge only!! You need an AT&T Nexus One) I think that's your best bet, but with a little bit of modding and care the Captivate is a great phone. My gf LOVES the giant screen and beautiful display.
That said, the more I learn about it the more pissed off I am with Samsung. Different revisions, ODIN, Kies, Download Mode, etc. Rooting this thing is way more complicated than it needs to be. I'm running a MT4G and SOOOO glad I didn't buy the Vibrant. Shudder...
The only problem I've ever had with my cappy is the GPS, which, after reading the GPS fixes thread has been absolutely perfect.
To me this is the perfect phone. Fast, reliable, pretty. I don't even want anything faster anymore. If phones peaked in speed right now and started focusing strictly on battery life (I get about 1.5-2 days right now, I'd like to get 3-5), I'd be perfectly happy with that.
Craig's List? Buyer beware!
Here is where I am at:
This phone is probably not the best choice if you are planning on giving it to your wife without a custom ROM. If you plan on giving it to you wife with a ROM it is a good choice regardless of what ROM you choose however it is better if you use one that is as close to stock as possible: cognition, perception, or Andromeda (1.00).
cappysw10 said:
Craig's List? Buyer beware!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've got several great phones off CL. Do your due diligence as a buyer and you'll be just fine.
If you can get it for a decent price, then go for it.
Here's a simple pro & con list:
Pros
-Super AMOLED screen makes pictures and videos gorgeous
-1 GHz Processor that can be overclocked to 1.28GHz (stable) and undervolted to improve battery performance
-The xda devs are constantly providing the Captivate support that Samsung has failed to give us.
-Did i mention the Super AMOLED screen? Yes, yes I did.
-Swype makes texting a lot more fun to type on the phone once you get past the 1-minute learning curve
Cons
-Developed by Samsung and so the customer support for the phone is terrible
(see: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=913045)
-The stock AT&T Rom is filled with bloatware that takes up space and attempts to get you to spend more money on AT&T services.
-AT&T has disabled the ability to sideload apps (install apps from outside of the market) on the stock ROM, and so you won't be able to install third-party apps if/when you come across them.
-No official 2.2 froyo release from Samsung, despite promises from them as well as AT&T to have it released by the end of 2010 (this is when the store rep told me to expect the update when i bought my phone. derp).
-Some GPS Issues
Conclusion based on my personal opinion.
Overall, I love this phone and I'm glad I chose it over the iPhone 4 due to the ridiculous customization available. However, if not for the xda devs creating amazing custom ROMs, I would have probably returned it for the original Jesus phone.
My advice? Get the phone, pick out a launcher from the market (LauncherPro, ADW Launcher, or for the minimalist: Zeam) and grab handcent while you're at it. Then give her the phone and she should be happy with it.
More advice? Sure. Root the phone, flash Cog 3.02 onto it with the firebird 2/Glitterball kernel and JK4 modem.
Sorry if this post seems a bit jumbled and scattered. I'm currently doing about 4 different things at once and posting from my Computer Class at the local community college haha
Dont' buy it. GPS problems, shutdown issues, and, based on the general lack of reliability so far, probably more issues to come as the phone ages. If it weren't for the beautiful display and the custom ROMs here on xda I'd have little good to say about my phone. Since you don't plan on modifications the screen is really all you'd get. Does that screen outweigh the hardware problems I've noted?
Phateless said:
Rooting this thing is way more complicated than it needs to be.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
SuperOneClick -- The program is called "SuperOneClick". That is literally all it takes to gain root on a SGS phone. So, personally, I think rooting is not nearly as complicated as it could be!
yourname146 said:
SuperOneClick -- The program is called "SuperOneClick". That is literally all it takes to gain root on a SGS phone. So, personally, I think rooting is not nearly as complicated as it could be!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Let me rephrase that. Custom ROMs are more complicated than they need to be. I've used SOC on my MT3G, works well. It's ODIN, Kies and manually flashing modems and kernels that annoys me. I've flashed radios and roms on my mt3g and I'm comfortable with fastboot and adb so I'm not a total noob. HTC just seems simpler to me, but maybe that's because I'm used to it.
The only beef I have had with this phone is the GPS issue. otherwise it's a great phone. Beautiful screen, sleek design and fast with a good ROM such as Cognition.
I've decided I'm either going to get her a Nokia N900 or an iPhone (some variation). I can't put a phone in her hands with such a gamble on the GPS (There's no guarantee the fix works and no way to identify which Captivates will work and won't work). Especially since this phone is purchased used and won't have a warranty on it.
I wish her sister would make up her mind about AT&T. If she decided to stay with AT&T I could just buy her something new. If she decided to leave AT&T, I could buy her a new Android device with another carrier.
Essenar said:
I've decided I'm either going to get her a Nokia N900 or an iPhone (some variation). I can't put a phone in her hands with such a gamble on the GPS (There's no guarantee the fix works and no way to identify which Captivates will work and won't work). Especially since this phone is purchased used and won't have a warranty on it.
I wish her sister would make up her mind about AT&T. If she decided to stay with AT&T I could just buy her something new. If she decided to leave AT&T, I could buy her a new Android device with another carrier.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can tell you from experience, **** AT&T! T-mobile has buy one get one free for MT4G right now, I have no clue why on earth you would want to stay with AT&T.
Seriously, I have been with T-mobile for 5 years and I'm in love with their service. Every time I call I get an AMERICAN rep on the phone in 5 mins tops.
pizz0wn3d said:
If you can get it for a decent price, then go for it.
Here's a simple pro & con list:
Pros
-Super AMOLED screen makes pictures and videos gorgeous
-1 GHz Processor that can be overclocked to 1.28GHz (stable) and undervolted to improve battery performance
-The xda devs are constantly providing the Captivate support that Samsung has failed to give us.
-Did i mention the Super AMOLED screen? Yes, yes I did.
-Swype makes texting a lot more fun to type on the phone once you get past the 1-minute learning curve
Cons
-Developed by Samsung and so the customer support for the phone is terrible
(see: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=913045)
-The stock AT&T Rom is filled with bloatware that takes up space and attempts to get you to spend more money on AT&T services.
-AT&T has disabled the ability to sideload apps (install apps from outside of the market) on the stock ROM, and so you won't be able to install third-party apps if/when you come across them.
-No official 2.2 froyo release from Samsung, despite promises from them as well as AT&T to have it released by the end of 2010 (this is when the store rep told me to expect the update when i bought my phone. derp).
-Some GPS Issues
Conclusion based on my personal opinion.
Overall, I love this phone and I'm glad I chose it over the iPhone 4 due to the ridiculous customization available. However, if not for the xda devs creating amazing custom ROMs, I would have probably returned it for the original Jesus phone.
My advice? Get the phone, pick out a launcher from the market (LauncherPro, ADW Launcher, or for the minimalist: Zeam) and grab handcent while you're at it. Then give her the phone and she should be happy with it.
More advice? Sure. Root the phone, flash Cog 3.02 onto it with the firebird 2/Glitterball kernel and JK4 modem.
Sorry if this post seems a bit jumbled and scattered. I'm currently doing about 4 different things at once and posting from my Computer Class at the local community college haha
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is a very fair and accurate assessment.
Absolutely get this phone if you're comfortable rooting the phone and installing custom ROMs, launchers, etc. The phone will run markedly better than stock and will be a dream to use.
If you're not technically inclined, and need rely on $am$ung and AT$T for your firmware updates, get a different android phone. Updates are either never coming or will be over half a year behind and quite possibly bugged and broken even if you do get them.
kingtz said:
This is a very fair and accurate assessment.
Absolutely get this phone if you're comfortable rooting the phone and installing custom ROMs, launchers, etc. The phone will run markedly better than stock and will be a dream to use.
If you're not technically inclined, and need rely on $am$ung and AT$T for your firmware updates, get a different android phone. Updates are either never coming or will be over half a year behind and quite possibly bugged and broken even if you do get them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks
I feel like I should mention that I'm now using Exists Suckerpunch kernel and it's... Well... Amazing. OC/UV support with speedmod's battery battery tweaks is pretty much the best thing ever. And exists (pretty cool guy, eh made my favorite kernel ever and doesn't afraid of anything) updates so often I barely have time to find and complain about any bugs that happen to slip past.
This phone is quite captivating indeed.
Herp derp Captivate XDA App
Phateless said:
I've got several great phones off CL. Do your due diligence as a buyer and you'll be just fine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Me too. That said out of the box the Captivate is a very frustrating phone to use. The GPS is spotty and You won't have full access to it's super fast Gee Bees unless you install a custom ROM.
I ended up getting her an iPhone. I know guys, I know.
To be honest, I didn't feel comfortable giving her a phone with spotty GPS as this will be her primary GPS unit.
Reading the custom rod and GPS thread gave me no assurance that doing the fix and rooting with a custom rom would fix the issue.
I have enough problems dealing with my MyTouch 4g that you may see me on a Bionic or iPhone with Verizon anyway.
But thanks for the advice. I may root and mod her sisters Captivate to score points because I heard she has had for warranty replacements lol.
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA App
gunnyman said:
Me too. That said out of the box the Captivate is a very frustrating phone to use. The GPS is spotty and You won't have full access to it's super fast Gee Bees unless you install a custom ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Totally agree.
Essenar said:
I ended up getting her an iPhone. I know guys, I know.
To be honest, I didn't feel comfortable giving her a phone with spotty GPS as this will be her primary GPS unit.
Reading the custom rod and GPS thread gave me no assurance that doing the fix and rooting with a custom rom would fix the issue.
I have enough problems dealing with my MyTouch 4g that you may see me on a Bionic or iPhone with Verizon anyway.
But thanks for the advice. I may root and mod her sisters Captivate to score points because I heard she has had for warranty replacements lol.
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been keeping my eyes open for an iPhone4 for my gf as well for the same reasons you mentioned. There's also an AT&T iteration of the Evo coming soon. That might be a good device for her.
Phateless said:
I got a Captivate for my gf and she loves it, but the stock OS pissed her off due to lagging and bloatware.
We installed Cognition 2.3b8 which was very easy and now she really loves it as her daily driver. All you do is put an update.zip for Clockwork on the root of SD. Reboot into oem recovery, reinstall packages twice to get to Clockwork, then wipe data and flash Cognition. Couldn't be easier.
Honestly, if you can find a Nexus One for AT&T (if you have AT&T the T-mobile version will be Edge only!! You need an AT&T Nexus One) I think that's your best bet, but with a little bit of modding and care the Captivate is a great phone. My gf LOVES the giant screen and beautiful display.
That said, the more I learn about it the more pissed off I am with Samsung. Different revisions, ODIN, Kies, Download Mode, etc. Rooting this thing is way more complicated than it needs to be. I'm running a MT4G and SOOOO glad I didn't buy the Vibrant. Shudder...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really??? Rooting this is as easy as switching off your phone and rebooting. With all the easy stuff available right here in this forum and tons on the net... it is a breeze to root and flash a custom ROM.

Now I understand why people don't like android...

Hello all, I know this will sound like a rant against the phone but in reality I just want to know if others share my opinion or if I'm alone on this one thus making the "problem" me.
I recently bought an HTC sensation 4g and I have a problem called companies customizations!
My problem with sense is that it has tons of apps that I don't need: ereader, stock; or other that I need but are bloated: weather.
It's probably a seller to see big cloud on such a great screen, but on the long run I wished it opened up immediately with the hourly forecast and less fullscreen animation to drain battery.
I heard a lot of my friends that didn't like android (mostly hated samsung or htc) and I never understood why. My nexus one with stock android wasn't the prettiest phone to look at (compared to iphone) but with some customization it was quick, usable and provided more functions than pretty graphics. But now I know! With loads of extra useless apps and their contents or awkward design choices (like the not very friendly coverflow looking thing to choose backgrounds and such). Yesterday I heard from my friend that his girlfriend galaxy s came with avatar and they had a long struggle trying to remove it from the phone sd card because they didn't care about it. When I checked the phone the avatar icon was still there since they're not very tech-savvy.
Don't get me wrong I don't hate my phone, the hardware is great, the screen is better than I expected, I love android, but that extra stuff that I really don't need should have an easy way to come off, it should not be installed in a way that I can't remove it without rooting. No wonder why people hate android... it's because they mistake android for the extra load it comes with it that slows down the phone, uses their monthly data and drains their battery. Apple doesn't do that and there's a reason "normal" people tend to pick up an iphone so quickly.
I wish there was an official way to ask companies to make all this stuff optional! Please don't think that I have it with HTC or sense, I'm referencing sense because that's what I experienced this problem with. Let me know what you think maybe if others have this issue with companies, we could organize a petition or something?
That's not android its more of a service provider and hardware supplier way of getting a cut from development companies .my Samsung had a heap of unwanted bloatware and service provider crappy useless battery consuming memory hogging apps the best thing i ever did was root this phone no more random reboots battery improved by 50% and everything on the phone is what i want on it not something that the companies think or want you to have on it .So with all that said if you have patients and can do some searching on the xda forums you will find a solution to what you want to achieve on your device .Believe me if you like it now you will love it when you get it the way you want it.
Hope that help .
I moved from iphone 4 to the SGS2.
One thing i know whatever i do to this phone it can be fully restored back to stock and the warranty will still be there providing i don't brick the phone
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
Mustoura said:
That's not android its more of a service provider and hardware supplier way of getting a cut from development companies.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He said that himself
DBBGBA said:
I love android, but that extra stuff that I really don't need should have an easy way to come off, it should not be installed in a way that I can't remove it without rooting. No wonder why people hate android... it's because they mistake android for the extra load it comes with it that slows down the phone, uses their monthly data and drains their battery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I could not agree more with the OP. I used Nexus 1 builds on my HD2 for about 8 months and loved it. I've now got a Samsung Galaxy S2 (I just wanted a newer, faster phone, but with the same size screen), and despite being a great phone I found myself longing for that AOSP experience. I tried a couple of AOSP ROMs in the SGS2 forum and breathed a sigh of relief at how much difference they made, but they unfortunatly aren't currently stable enough to use day-in-day-out. So I've recently gone down a different route - MIUI. I've literally only done it today, and so far I'm loving it.
Anyway, I digress. There should be some manufacturers out there that recognise this gap in the market and sell basic Android phones, with no other crap on them. I know Google do that (obviously), but I wish more did the same. People shouldn't have to know how to flash a ROM or root and freeze apps, just to get the best possible basic Android experience available.
Rant over
Point taken and yes i agree.
I missed that bit as I'm half asleep
Wow i just had a read over again i apologies that i missed that whole section lol sorry for telling you how to suck eggs
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
Mustoura said:
Point taken and yes i agree.
I missed that bit as I'm half asleep
Wow i just had a read over again i apologies that i missed that whole section lol sorry for telling you how to suck eggs
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Heh. I have a sneaking suspicion that you're not the 1st person to comment on a post after not reading it correctly. I reckon in the history of the internet it's happened at least 3 times
Id like to see a major manufacturer do a little experiment on there next big handset.
Supply two different versions, one with there overlay and one aosp fresh from the oven, see which one sells.
I know they are only trying to add functionality to the device but they could at least write there apps properly so they dont cause wakelocks and hog resources, hell there's a whole forum full of very competent developers im sure would be happy to help
@johncmolyneux
off topic but have you tried the latest Cm7 for the SGS2? the latest nightly is pretty complete, the devs have done a stand up job. Keep it aosp baby
mynamesteve said:
@johncmolyneux
off topic but have you tried the latest Cm7 for the SGS2? the latest nightly is pretty complete, the devs have done a stand up job. Keep it aosp baby
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've not, but I've shied away from non-standard ROMs normally. After the very favourable MIUI experience I may well give CM7 a play. I did have a sort of CM ROM on my HD2 for a while, but it looked and played pretty much like AOSP, but was blue instead of green.
Thanks for the advice
johncmolyneux said:
I've not, but I've shied away from non-standard ROMs normally. After the very favourable MIUI experience I may well give CM7 a play. I did have a sort of CM ROM on my HD2 for a while, but it looked and played pretty much like AOSP, but was blue instead of green.
Thanks for the advice
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was the same meself tried a few out and stuck with Villain, been testing CM out occasionally to see how development is going and very impressed! if i'm not mistaken Miui is based on CM so if thats working for you its party time
the main thread with the download link is in the Q&A thread in Q&A, just so you know
Was rocking Hyperdroid Cm7 on my HD2 too so i know the feeling
I think I just officially hijacked this thread! sorry OP
That's why I have a g2x, pretty much vanilla android. But then again, just take all that crap off yourself or flash a custom rom.
Sent from my LG-P999 using xda premium
What would really be the difference in the phones if they were all AOSP? Sure they've got different hardware specs, but if all had the same hardware, it'd be nearly impossible to know the difference.
Overstew said:
What would really be the difference in the phones if they were all AOSP? Sure they've got different hardware specs, but if all had the same hardware, it'd be nearly impossible to know the difference.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, that is a very valid point. People would end up buying phones purely on colour and shape, if the hardware was close enough and they were all AOSP. I do like mynamesteve's suggestion of manufacturing 2 devices - 1 with their own software and 1 with basic Android, but I can't see anyone really doing that unfortunately. I guess there isn't really a practical solution to this. Not that I can think of, anyway.
Incidentally, I like your avatar. Homage to The King. He may be dead, but his burgers most certainly are not!
Overstew said:
What would really be the difference in the phones if they were all AOSP? Sure they've got different hardware specs, but if all had the same hardware, it'd be nearly impossible to know the difference.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure you get it Sir!
aosp = stock android = no bloatware
Standard and fast for you to add what YOU want, not have crappy coded apps forced on you that are difficult to remove.
Simples
I agree...
But I think this Operating System Fragmentation is a USA problem. Sure it happens elsewhere. The problem is the carriers use the bloatware and other specialty apps as a revenue stream. So far, Apple is changing that game and Google is doing what it can but with so many handsets and the open nature of Android it's really hard to control. I won't say anything about the closed ecosystem Apple has built vs the Android Market since both have redeeming qualities as well as flaws.
I have 3 phones on my account, all android. All were rooted on first day out of the box and had all that bloatware removed, including Inception which took up too much space on the memory card.
I wish the USA would take the approach found almost everywhere else. You pick your phone, then you pick your carrier. There's lots of great stuff going on elsewhere in the world like NFC, handsets that aren't gimped by the carrier... etc.
Just IMHO.
Cheers
johncmolyneux said:
Actually, that is a very valid point. People would end up buying phones purely on colour and shape, if the hardware was close enough and they were all AOSP. I do like mynamesteve's suggestion of manufacturing 2 devices - 1 with their own software and 1 with basic Android, but I can't see anyone really doing that unfortunately. I guess there isn't really a practical solution to this. Not that I can think of, anyway.
Incidentally, I like your avatar. Homage to The King. He may be dead, but his burgers most certainly are not!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But really deep down arn't they all just android?
I will admit the overlays draw customers, I was drawn in by sense bk in the winMO days (RIP) but other than some fancy widgets its really not much better than stock.
I understand they get paid for most of the note/ereader/Doc Dre beats headphone rubbish that gets shipped so things will most likely not change
but thank you for treasures like this website.
I know tings i.e. rooting can be daunting for the beginner but if ya follow the guides and read, ya never know you might even learn something (John this wasn't directed at you at all just peeps in general i know your a kick ass developer, i read it bk n thought wtf lol)
TLDR:read it
mynamesteve said:
But really deep down arn't they all just android?
I will admit the overlays draw customers, I was drawn in by sense bk in the winMO days (RIP) but other than some fancy widgets its really not much better than stock.
I understand they get paid for most of the note/ereader/Doc Dre beats headphone rubbish that gets shipped so things will most likely not change
but thank you for treasures like this website.
I know tings i.e. rooting can be daunting for the beginner but if ya follow the guides and read, ya never know you might even learn something (John this wasn't directed at you at all just peeps in general i know your a kick ass developer, i read it bk n thought wtf lol)
TLDR:read it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To a certain degree, yes, but the SGS2 doesn't even have the stock Android launcher available, never mind the cluster of Samsung apps that everyone seems to be freezing straight out of the box. Samsung have pretty much made it their own device, which is obviously fine, and it's still a very stock-looking experience, but just freezing apps doesn't make it AOSP unfortunately.
I think (italics because I'm not sure) that a lot of people would learn more about their device if it was a bog-standard stock Android experience from day 1. They'd try different apps and launchers etc.. I've got a friend with a Desire HD and he's never even opened the Market app. He's 0% techie, so fair enough he's not gonna undervolt and overclock the thing, but he didn't even realise he had a satnav device! I don't want to turn this into a xxx manufacturer against yyy manufacturer, but certain other devices on the market are popular because of what they can do. I think Android is being sold short by not making it obvious how far it can go. That, I believe, is partly down to having a device loaded with apps that obscure the possibilities.
Rant over
BTW, thanks for the compliment, but I'm simply a developer. This place has far more kick ass developers than me!
I have to say, if it wasn't for HTC I wouldn't have an android phone.
Tried a Nexus ROM on my HD2, really hated it. Tried the SGS2, really couldn't get on with it (nice screen though).
I can understand and respect that many people do like aosp, and I'm glad that we have the options available to us.
My stock sensation is fast and sense 3 is lovely and polished.
I really wish carriers (apparently mostly in the US) didn't take a fast phone and turn it into something reportedly sluggish though.
johncmolyneux said:
To a certain degree, yes, but the SGS2 doesn't even have the stock Android launcher available, never mind the cluster of Samsung apps that everyone seems to be freezing straight out of the box. Samsung have pretty much made it their own device, which is obviously fine, and it's still a very stock-looking experience, but just freezing apps doesn't make it AOSP unfortunately.
I think (italics because I'm not sure) that a lot of people would learn more about their device if it was a bog-standard stock Android experience from day 1. They'd try different apps and launchers etc.. I've got a friend with a Desire HD and he's never even opened the Market app. He's 0% techie, so fair enough he's not gonna undervolt and overclock the thing, but he didn't even realise he had a satnav device! I don't want to turn this into a xxx manufacturer against yyy manufacturer, but certain other devices on the market are popular because of what they can do. I think Android is being sold short by not making it obvious how far it can go. That, I believe, is partly down to having a device loaded with apps that obscure the possibilities.
Rant over
BTW, thanks for the compliment, but I'm simply a developer. This place has far more kick ass developers than me!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sadly no it doesnt make it aosp and as the user above pointed out theres a lot of fragmentation in android, manufactures are messing with the core of the system and not just building an overlay/launcher.
Sometimes this works sometimes this doesn't i do feel alot of the resources could be used to better the stock system, better all round compatibility, better drivers and make android better for all there users. but thats like asking for world peace, and im no CEO of a major corp so what do i know
But i know how it works in the real world, i gave my sister my HD2 and she doesnt care what Rom is on there as long as it looks nice and everything is there out the box. (cant believe i gave her the most versitile handset on the planet with that attitude but thats beside the point )
The OS ease is very important to people and i understand that for a non-tecky, i think that is also part of the reason why we cant have stock out the box, the 'mobile market' needs the icon on his device to begin with so the manufacturers try to supply that, but do it very badly.
Phew! sorry about that.
I also much prefer AOSP.
I loved sense on winmo but I absolutely detest the android equivalent.
Touchwiz is just plain vile and as jcm mentioned the SGS2 is lacking that really stable aosp experience....
Luckily though if your unhappy with your phone and need to make changes then your in the right place
No I haven't missed the op's point about wanting more customisation out of the box but I just wanted to make the point that every single resource you need to achieve whatever you want to do with your phone (within reason) is right here under your nose.
I now have a rom for my phone that is (nearly) exactly how I want it, no Touchwiz, less bloat, all the cool little tweaks that our talented devs have given us and all it took was one day of reading and a lot of trial and error...... it was fun too.
Sure I cheated and used a kitchen but hey, gotta start somewhere right.
Anyway I digress, my point is that we can all wish for HTC/samsung etc to start catering for our every need until we are blue in the face but they won't.
Sometimes you just have to roll up you're sleeves and do things for yourself.
Sent From My Fingers To Your Face.......
conantroutman said:
I now have a rom for my phone that is (nearly) exactly how I want it, no Touchwiz, less bloat, all the cool little tweaks that our talented devs have given us and all it took was one day of reading and a lot of trial and error...... it was fun too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And are you planning on releasing this? You've had my dev work. It's only fair I have yours
johncmolyneux said:
And are you planning on releasing this? You've had my dev work. It's only fair I have yours
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually I very nearly did but you know how many zip file heroes there are in that section. Do we really need another?
That and I'm too lazy to update it for each new firmware that trickles out.
I think I will release one though, probably with a very tongue in cheek OP....
And yes, I and a lot of others had many, many hours of enjoyment from your work so thanks for that
Sent From My Fingers To Your Face.......

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