Database Users

Touch-IT worth it?

Just like the title implies I'm trying to figure out if the what seems like a rigorous process is worth it in the end? I had the spb mobile shell 2.0 for the trial time and I'm infatuated with it. I want something that changes my screen and options to look different just like it did, and touch-it seems like the best way to go. I've tried that iPhone look alike thing and that didn't appeal to me very much. My only grief with this is that Touch-IT looks like it requires alot of work in order to have it set up and I go through this kind of process enough with my psp if you know what I mean. I just want to know if it worth it basically, I dont know how to back up everything I have on my phone at the moment so that is also a big factor in keeping me from doing it. Any other applications out there that change the phone as much as spb mobile or the Touch-IT? If not some opinions on how great the program is please. Thanks and sorry for the long post. Btw I have a T-mobile wing if that matters.

Yes, totally worth it.
I've always been a huge fan of ITJE's work.
I don't know what you mean by it takes so long to set up. From flashing, to having a working phone takes 10-15 min...

It seemed long to me while I tried it because there was another program I needed that said would erase everything on my phone and I spent forever trying to find a way to back up my calendar, msgs and a bunch of other stuff on my phone. I still have yet to know how to safely back everything up too. It just really felt like alot because there seems to be some other application that's the bases of all this and I dont even know much about it.

The WM6.1 Touch roms are worth it. The Touch part of the ROM seems like a waste of space IMO so I disabled it.
As Dave said above, it doesn't take long to install the new rom.

I have never personally used the Touch It roms but have used Open Touch. I am extremely happy with it and would reccomend it to anyone looking to improve their performance and looks.

I broke down and deleted everything and got the touch, i do like it but so many things weird me out about it... Do you have a link for the open touch please? I'd like to see what its like.

Just Got My Mogul!

UPS just dropped off my new phone...and i'm excited!
However, i don't know wtf i'm doing So, I turn to you for help. I'd like to get this thing up and rockin' like today so hopefully all this goes smoothly.
1. How do i get Touchflo 2D installed(or any programs/mods for that matter?)
2. Necessary updates? What do i need?
3. WM 6.1(or current version)? Where do i get it and how do i install it?
4. Any tips? Ideas? "You should know's..."?
We'll start with that. I'm pretty sure i'll be a regular 'round these here pert's
Thanks in advance!

alright...so after enough research to figure things out i've gotten this far...
1. Done
2. got all v18 Manilla updates, anything else I need/shoudl get?
3. I noticed the default ROM is a bit sluggish, and have read a bit about thsi one -> "nueROM 3 6152-3pre3"...thoughts? where do i get it?
4. refer to #4 above
My NEW question is...Is there a way i can write up my contacts list from my old phone on my computer(faster typing) and import it?
oh yeah, and im having a hell of a time trying to change a manilla skin...how is that done? It says to place the contents of the folder in the windows directory, but that doesn't work.

Nuerom 3 is available at Nuerom.com
Nuerom 3 is available at Nuerom.com. You need to donate to get an account, just donate a buck.

also, being new to this...
what is "cooked ROM" ?

"cooked" refers to a ROM that has been assembled by people other than the original providers of the phone. I think 'hacked' is probably a more technically accurate term, but cooked sounds better.
The nueROM is a cooked ROM. DCD is another common ROM type as well.
Here: http://ppc.stoleyour.net/xv6800/ is a great tutorial on how to flash the latest DCD rom. This is the one I'm using. Very stable. I've heard promising things from the nueROM 3, but I'm not quite prepared to change over to that... mostly because I'm not looking forward to having re-install/configure my device.

I do have a question though, Did you get this phone in mind for SPRINT?, Because it was an offly awful time to get it, because the HTC Touch Pro is coming out on the 18th of this month (October)
And even if you werent seeking this phone for sprint, im pretty confident that some ROM Chef out there would be willing to make roms and carrie CABS for specified CDMA Networks.
Well goodluck with ur mogul, as im not having much with mine, im terribly regretting the fact i got it only because of its incredibly crippled RAM. Well have a good day

I think the latest DCD ROM is more stable and more free RAM available after the install. Also the kitchen is available and plenty of OEMs to put in the kitchen to cook into the ROM. There is a WiKi link in the sticky notes and how to upgrade your phone to the latest. I have been using the Titan (Verizon VX6800) for almost a year and love it. I don't think that the HTC Touch Pro is going to give you anything more than what you get with a Titan except maybe more memory to run apps. They have already got the interface working on the Titan (Manilla 2d) and are working on the Manilla 3d as well. I prefer the SPB Mobile Shell myself. More info on the Now screen for me to see email and calendar, plus the contacts screen is much better for either calling or texting.
Keep looking through this forum and the Titan Upgrading forum for all kinds of info and apps.

To be completely honest. I'm a little pissed at the moment about this phone. Keep in mind im a noob.
1. My texts' don't say the contacts name on them even after saving the name, just the number shows up. I failed math 3 times in a row in college so i don't do numbers (and im a flash developer...go figure)
2. SLLLOOOOOWWWWWW...this thing CRAWLS, at least with the original ROM. Whats the latest and greatest ROM out there?
3. Half of my SH*T isn't working right, granted i'm using all of this modded stuff, but even still...no internet, phone buttons are dumb, landscape isn't working right...
4. i apologize, i know there are more people out there that like this phone than don't like it...i'm just venting over the frustration of learning a new piece of software/hardware...

and also...i'd like to get some of this taken care of before i get too far into saving names, etc. in thsi thing and have them magically erase cause of a crash lol

Wrong but right.
jambrose said:
I think the latest DCD ROM is more stable and more free RAM available after the install. Also the kitchen is available and plenty of OEMs to put in the kitchen to cook into the ROM. There is a WiKi link in the sticky notes and how to upgrade your phone to the latest. I have been using the Titan (Verizon VX6800) for almost a year and love it. I don't think that the HTC Touch Pro is going to give you anything more than what you get with a Titan except maybe more memory to run apps. They have already got the interface working on the Titan (Manilla 2d) and are working on the Manilla 3d as well. I prefer the SPB Mobile Shell myself. More info on the Now screen for me to see email and calendar, plus the contacts screen is much better for either calling or texting.
Keep looking through this forum and the Titan Upgrading forum for all kinds of info and apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are quite wrong.... The Nue-rom 3 has MUCH more free mem upon boot. Nearly 27 megs. I find Nuerom MUCH faster.

Why would I install custom ROM

I hope this is ok here, I have searched a lot and my question is not directly answered (or I can not find it)
I have just had a new HD turn up, had one when they first came out but liked iPhone so much, could not stop using it, so Touch HD went back.
Just been through lots of different phones again, as at last I am finding iPhone limiting in the things I want to do. Just rejected a TP2 as it has no 3.3mm socket, and is a bit heavy, quite happy with soft keyboard now from iPhone use, so I think Touch HD will suit me fine.
OK, I really liked the TP2 feel, and software, but I also liked using SPB Mobileshell 3 on it, so I plan to use this on my HD.
Now, finally my question
I have never understood why I might want to put a custom ROM on my device. I have read all the guides, and the dummies guide, but although that helps me understand HOW to do it, not sure why I would WANT to do it?
I can understand for those people that have a horrible Orange branded one or something, but mine is standard 1.56.405.1 from HTC, unbranded.
So, I see that Custom ROM can have programs already in them, and they add features like the new TF3D on the TP2, which I liked, but since I am gonna use SPB MS3 is there any point?
Sorry if I sound like a total noob, I really am not (just flashed an Orange Samsung i8910 from and to Orange 4 times so I can follow these things), but in the case of the i8910, I could see why I would flash new ROM, to get rid of Orange crap, but here, just really confused.
Thanks in advance for any insight, if I have posted in wrong place, please point me to correct place.
Kev

I also use MS3 and have been wondering if it's worth upgrading to a new ROM as most are TFL3D.
I guess after upgrading to a new ROM that the provider details will need to be reset - but that's not a bigee as the OS looks up the details right ?
<draws up a chair>

A small list of pro's & con's below:
Pros:
- New features - A lot of new features first arrive on cooked roms like new touch flow interface from the new rhodium and topaz htc phones. Obviously most stock roms now have this, but originally they didn't. Without flashing, this wouldnt have been available.
- New manila which makes customization easier
- You can install new OSs such as windows mobile 6.5
- Various types of roms available, i.e. "lite" ROMs which have very little features and as a result are faster or "heavier" ROMs which tend to be a bit slower though gap in speed has dramatically decreased with newer versions.
- Have many features/apps already "cooked" into the ROM to save you installing them yourself after a hard reset
- Some have new drivers which improve performance.
- Some have custom interfaces
- Process isnt that hard once youve got hardspl/uspl sorted (and that gets easy after a short while too). its all run through an app on your computer with your HTC connected via activesync to your computer which is about as easy as installing a program (just click next, i agree etc.)
Con's
- Can take a bit of time to get used to the process. But once you have it becomes vry quick
- Need to use backup software as all your apps and contacts (everything on the main memory is wiped clean. Information on SD is left untouched). Recommend Sashimi, PIM Backup & SPB Backup.
If you use your HTC for more than just its basic features and want to get the most out of it, definately flash a new ROM. The performance increase is noticeable going from a stock ROM to a well cooked ROM. You'll have to use HSPL or USPL on your phone first. My mate cRaCKwHoRe has provided this excellent guide

new manila which makes customization easier, offers landscape all over, better speed all over, even under heavy stress....my absolute favourite, Start is no longer that ugly WinMo '90s look-a-like square drop down menu, it's a program launcher i can open from any tab, program, whatever, so it's oh so easy to open anything from anywhere in two very fast and smooth clicks
can't even remember does the stock have whole Facebook profile linking to Contacts profile, saving pic and birthday (which i then sync to Outlook, which syncs it to Calendar)....oh, manila calendar, the WinMo thing is just awful, i'd rather use pen and paper
the whole experience is much much prettier, more user friendly and faster at that....with every update there's less WM and more manila, which is what everyone probably wants (from HTC or generally) :/

OK, so Manila and TF3D are exactly the same thing?
So assuming this is true, all the stuff I could do on the TP2 I had would be doable on this Touch HD if I put a cooked ROM with Manila 2.5 on?
Kev

Fallen Spartan said:
A small list of pro's & con's below:
- Can take a bit of time to get used to the process. But once you have it becomes vry quick
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks so much for taking the time to do that. I think I am getting.
As I ask someone else, Manila and TF3D are the same thing right?
So, this HardSpl and softSpl, I have read the guide, but am still not clear why I would use one over the other?
At first glance, it would make sense to only use Hard? Why might someone not want to do that?
Kev

huh, i use USPL because it's a small program you run, it takes about 10sec to load and you're done, ready to flash....HSPL seemed like more hassle to begin with and USPL is really easy and simple :/ somehow even if i flashed 10 times a day, i wouldn't really see a problem with just running USPL :/
manila 2.5 is leaked, not officially out on any phone, 2.1 is out on TP2....and 2.5 is bugged, probably just a fun thing to try, not really use daily and seriously....2.0 and 2.1 are your every day options, and yes, probably everything on TP2 is in some of the ROMs cooked for Touch HD

Ah, OK so USPL would be good for me as I do not intend to flash new ROM very often?
It seems HardSPL would be for people that would be flashing all the time?
I read the bit where you say you would use USPL even if flashing lots, but surely if you were, HardSPL would be better?
Ok, so forget 2.5 Manila then, (just saw a Video and thought it was common), look for ROM with 2.1?
What version do we have on stock HD?
Thanks for answering.
Kev

kevwright said:
Thanks so much for taking the time to do that. I think I am getting.
As I ask someone else, Manila and TF3D are the same thing right?
So, this HardSpl and softSpl, I have read the guide, but am still not clear why I would use one over the other?
At first glance, it would make sense to only use Hard? Why might someone not want to do that?
Kev
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
HSPL is an user-modified SPL that you have to flash to your phone. It overwrites the existing SPL on your device with a "hacked" one so to say. It allows you to bypass the HTC certificate check and flash unsigned or CID-mismatching roms to your phone. You only have to flash it once and then you can flash roms anytime.
USPL is a temporary solution. It takes advantage of an exploit in the existing SPL and then loads a modified one to memory, effectively allowing the same thing as HSPL. However, since this is only memory-resident you have to do it each time you want to flash unsigned or CID-mismatching roms to your phone, because this exploited state is lost upon reboot. With USPL you must still have the right version of the HTC SPL that is compatible with the rom you want to use.
Basic difference is that HSPL is permanent and voids warranty and USPL is temporary and thus doesn't void warranty. However, once you use HSPL you can flash any radio & rom any time you want, but with USPL you need to reuse it before every flash to new radio or rom.
If you put HSPL on your device you can remove it by following procedure at bottom on first post in this thread.
There are 2 versions of HSPL, 1.14 & 1.56. Make sure you use the correct version for whatever rom you intend to flash to, i.e.
HSPL 1.56 is for roms based on 1.56+
HSPL 1.14 is for roms based on pre 1.56

kevwright said:
Ah, OK so USPL would be good for me as I do not intend to flash new ROM very often?
It seems HardSPL would be for people that would be flashing all the time?
I read the bit where you say you would use USPL even if flashing lots, but surely if you were, HardSPL would be better?
Ok, so forget 2.5 Manila then, (just saw a Video and thought it was common), look for ROM with 2.1?
What version do we have on stock HD?
Thanks for answering.
Kev
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, go to settings tab in TF3D and scroll down to 'About'. It should state something like TouchFLO 3D 2.1.38147.5. I highlighted the version in bold i.e. In this case its manila version 2.1

Ok, I think I need to flash a ROM, as I am finding the Touch HD a little less exciting than the TP2 I just sent back.
I liked the TP2 but it was heavy and had no 3.5mm jack, but it seemed quite a bit faster than this HD. Screen seemed much brighter as well, is that possible?
Anyway, now I have decided, I really don't have a clue what ROM to use. I have been reading this site for the last 4 hours, and am no further forward.
Kev

I'm hoping to get some answers out of this thread as well Kev - without hijacking though
If I want to keep all my current program settings and the like, is there a foolproof method by which I can restore programs from a backup on my Stock rom, onto a newly flashed cooked ROM.
I am looking for the newer features of the latest manilla but I don't want to lose any of my current data and go through the process of reinstalling the programs again.
I have pimbackup so know that will be a synch!

lol, well, Dutty 3.9XT is a huge hit, i love it and think it should be made stock, so you can go with that one....i also tried Laurentis26 latest one and it was lightning fast and smooth and is based on TP2 ROM so that's another option
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=537948
manila 2.1 can have an sms bug, not everyone has it, but even TP2 suffers from it and there's still no official HTC fix....some people can't send 2 sms in a row to a same person, i am one of them and that's why i stick to manila 2.0 :/

Wiggz said:
I'm hoping to get some answers out of this thread as well Kev - without hijacking though
I have pimbackup so know that will be a synch!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hijack all you want mate, we will get better answers!
I want to flash before I get it all setup, and I need to hide my iPhone away, the screen is so much brighter than this HD :-(
I keep thinking though, all my old WM devices were based on standard software and SPB Pocket Plus, and I do like the standard today screen. With this in mind, how much will I benefit from a new ROM since they all seem to be based around really good inplementation of TF3D.
Kev

kevwright said:
Hijack all you want mate, we will get better answers!
I want to flash before I get it all setup, and I need to hide my iPhone away, the screen is so much brighter than this HD :-(
I keep thinking though, all my old WM devices were based on standard software and SPB Pocket Plus, and I do like the standard today screen. With this in mind, how much will I benefit from a new ROM since they all seem to be based around really good inplementation of TF3D.
Kev
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Although a lot of roms are based around good implementation of TF3D, they are also cutomized for speed, performance & stability of phone overall. So a cooked rom should out perform a stock rom in almost all categories

Fallen Spartan said:
Although a lot of roms are based around good implementation of TF3D, they are also cutomized for speed, performance & stability of phone overall. So a cooked rom should out perform a stock rom in almost all categories
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
..and what about my particular question relating to restoration of stock rom backup (programs, not rom files obviously)

Just to add my own view to this as I have had the same dilemma in the past.
I stayed with stock....basically because I have quite a few apps installed on my device, and it seems that almost every other day updates are coming out to cooked ROMs to fix bugs, and it takes half a day to reinstall my apps and set them up. if ROM updates are coming out every few days I would spend half my life updating to the new one to fix a bug and then having to reinstall my apps.

Wiggz said:
..and what about my particular question relating to restoration of stock rom backup (programs, not rom files obviously)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
am afraid there's no way to restore programs, they have to be reinstalled since flashing is just like hard reset/clear storage, deletes everything on the device (not the storage card) :/
also, with flashing you're upgrading manila and most other programs to latest released built, so you don't wanna restore old files as they might not work with newer versions :/
i use Outlook to re-sync my contacts and calendar and Microsoft MyPhone to restore sms messages....also have opera6.adr file on my storage card which i just copy into /Windows/Opera folder to restore my bookmarks....RSS Hub i set to use Storage Card for data, then it says i already have some settings there and asks do i want to overwrite, select no and i have my old channels set
rest i do by hand, but post-flash set up takes 30min once you get used to it :/ many programs/icons/stuff require a restart after installation, one just remembers which and does them one after the other and then, after you installed taskbar, clock, icons, s2u2, such, you do one restart and it's all done in minutes
@twisted-pixel: yes, it can happen that you flash weekly to correct bugs....however i'm on the same ROM now for month and a half, did flash last week, 3 times in a day, but i was bored and wanted to try out stuff went back to the same ROM again at the end of the day

I have NRGZ28's ENERGY ROM, its worth flashing it, if for nothing else, the SPEED. My HD had all the 'Orange' crap on it and it was so slow compared to how it is now....go ahead....FLASH!! (your rom, that is)

suisen said:
am afraid there's no way to restore programs, they have to be reinstalled since flashing is just like hard reset/clear storage, deletes everything on the device (not the storage card) :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just to update you all on this.
Throy's latest roms have included an auto-install for apps when flashing. I've tried this and it works a charm. See quote below.
Autoinstall thanks to my Good friend Tom: [ FAST and Fantastic.]Create folder in Root of Storage Card called [ Autoinstall ]
Copy all your cabs in that folder
After Flash , and during customisations all your cab will be installed.
Also set your cabs to read only
So get Your Storage Card prepared with all your Cabs to install.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Only drawback on this is that all apps are installed onto main menu, so if you want any apps installed on your SD Card you will have to install them manually or alternatively use Sashimi backup which also auto-installs apps etc

Custom cooking a telstra rom...?

Hi I have just recieved my phone back from telstra from repair the vibe stopped working...
While they had it they placed the latest rom on it... with all the updates built in...
Before I sent it away I had duties on it... but put telstra rom on for warrenty..
now that I have it back I decided to use it for a couple of days to make sure everything was good...
and find that again I'm faced with weather I really wish to put a cooked rom on my phone?
while useing duties I was very happy with it but I missed someof the things built in the telstra rom.
so is the a way of extracting things from one rom and putting them into another like mixing the telstra rom with stuff from duties..
or vise versa?
and how to I go about it? or could someone help me with it... I'm sure that there would be a bunch of telstra customers that would like to keep parts of their rom yet include parts of others...
I guess first I nned to get my current rom off my phone and onto hard disk.. so... bettter go look for how!!

As I understand it, I don't believe you can extract stuff(apps) out of the rom while its loaded onto your device. It needs to be had as a file on a pc before you(the chef) can start pulling it apart & mod for a custom rom. I also think that the custom roms the chefs build are using the official ones provided by HTC or TELSTRA themselves
Anyways if anyone out there does know, I'd like the MyAccount app so I can check my data usage through telstra

Well I have it as a file so I can pull it apart as soon as I can work out how to do it...
I just want to get rid of the bloat ware.
not all things are used by me...
then there are things in other roms that I really like to have..
I also don't really like the new windows... the buttons on bottom of the phone are way to big and take up tooo much space.

exactly what other stuff are you wanting so much that's detering you from switching? The only thing I wish I still had from the telstra rom is the myaccount app. Its been a while since i made the switch (as long as I've pretty much had it) & as far as i can remember the main thing that gave me the ****s was the locked icons on the hometab & all the fixed bigpond crap
Have you thought about trying a kitchen yourself?
Might be worth reading up on how to...
Chucky's kitchen comes with videos
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=618787&highlight=dialer
hope it helps

well I would like to keep the feature like foxtel and my account plus the Apps Store, TV, news and sport, social web. just for a few. off the top of my head..

it might be a bit of a long shot but have considered trying to install extra stuff on your stock rom? for instance cookies homatab with editor, & other cabs of your liking?
i know that with some apps you'll get a warning about unsigned apps but you can still accept to install. i think...

Why a cooked ROM?

I am a MOD at a blackberry hybrid site where I used to build hybrid operating systems for blackberry devices. This winmo stuff is like "greek" to me. I don't see a point in a custom ROM here for anything more than looks and a few tweaks that I can do on my own.
Are there leaks with ROMs frequently like there is with blackberry?
Would you suggest a Droid ROM or winmo? and why?
Droid ROMs can be fully loaded to a winmo device correct? Why not if you wipe the device and reload it?
Lastly, I constantly am getting the user name and password pop up for my yahoo email, but I keep entering it and clicking save but it never does.Why?

I forgot to mention that I have switched and now have the HTC HD2 and love it!

Cant really beat the HD2 IMO
anyway,
People cook their own ROM's for there needs, jazz them up a bit make them look pretty, update to the latest versions of the software and apps, take apps out to save space so you can install on the sd card, cooked ROM's are more stable faster, look better, check out the ROM thread once you flash you'll never go back stock.
Droid or Winmo, lol you got no choice mate!! (on the hd2 anyway)
email, I set mine up with .co.uk instead of .com once and it for ever asked me for user-name and password till i twigged on.

Demon_man said:
Cant really beat the HD2 IMO
anyway,
People cook their own ROM's for there needs, jazz them up a bit make them look pretty, update to the latest versions of the software and apps, take apps out to save space so you can install on the sd card, cooked ROM's are more stable faster, look better, check out the ROM thread once you flash you'll never go back stock.
Droid or Winmo, lol you got no choice mate!! (on the hd2 anyway)
email, I set mine up with .co.uk instead of .com once and it for ever asked me for user-name and password till i twigged on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, so nothing like building a Blackberry OS. I meshed and played with 1300 files to make a faster smoother operating system. Looks had nothing to do with it. I see that I will stay stock. I can delete my own apps and tweak my own reg files.
Thanks

dubie76 said:
I meshed and played with 1300 files to make a faster smoother operating system.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats exactly what ROM-Cooking for WinMo is about as well (apart from the tweaking and optical stuff). And besides that, the cooks often have builds of SoftwareElements that havent been released yet.

Demon_man said:
People cook their own ROM's for there needs, jazz them up a bit make them look pretty, update to the latest versions of the software and apps, take apps out to save space so you can install on the sd card, cooked ROM's are more stable faster, look better, check out the ROM thread once you flash you'll never go back stock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Amen to that.

I've had my HD2 for about 6 months now and it is my first WM device, when I first got it I thought the same as you, couldnt see what all the fuss was about with custom roms.
I'm still on a stock rom just now but the more I read on here the more I'm getting the itch to flash a custom rom, I'm putting it off though because I know that once I try one I wont be able to stop myself.........
Trust me you'll get the itch sooner or later.........

I went custom about 2 months ago and I have to say I honestly have not had to reboot the phone at all whereas on the original stock ROM the phone would lockup and freeze almost daily!!!
ALL HAIL THE MASTERCHEFS!!!!!!

NOOB - T-Mobile UK HD2 unlocked - no O2 connection..
Mong, sorry really long day......

Hey dubie,
As a lot of other people have put it, cooked roms are generally of a better quality than the stock roms. However they are still winmo roms so dont expect them to be as stable as their less customisable rivals. But thats just the small price you pay for a far better overall operating system.
Going back to your some of your other questions.
Currently it is not possible to run Android on the HD2, however there is a group of people feverishly working to try and fix this situation, I would like to see this done, but I am quite sure I would stick with winmo as my main os.
Unfortunately due to the varied nature of the hardware within winmo phones there is no current android rom that just works on all winmo phones. Some phones have android ports but many others do.
You mentioned about "Droid ROMs can be fully loaded to a winmo device correct? Why not if you wipe the device and reload it?"
I think you are talking about the use of Haret to run android roms from windows?
Haret is generally used in the developing stages of a linux rom to avoid having to flash a possibly buggy os. I beleive it is possible to flash a working linux rom to a winmo phone but it is usually not done, it is far more accepted to use haret to boot linux roms.

Thanks for all the replies. As a blackberry hybrid builder I made many builds that were way better than stock and more advanced so I can understand what you all are saying. I just am not seeing it yet in the posts. The ROMs I see made by people all have the registry tweaks I have already done and visual changed from the stock look. That's it. Am I not seeing something?

Yes your not seeing the full picture. Most cooks will use newer build components then what you will find in a stock ROM. Yes some of these components can be loaded through cabs but some can not. It is usually better to cook main OS apps and app components into a rom then loading them later. This tends to make things unstable and buggy. Yes a lot of cooks make theirs ROMs full of eye candy but that is only the icing on the cake so to say. You are coming from a phone that had nothing in terms of eye candy and was solely built for for function/productivity a newer WinMo phone is built to have both productivity and a pretty wrapper to go with it.
Don't worry the more you dig into the more you will understand and the more the urge will hit you to try a custom ROM.

Ok, so what ROM do you all recommend and why? I would like to test one out. I'm not interested in eye candy, just performance. I do not care about many apps either. Only twitter and Opera basically. I don't face book or use gmail.
Let me know what you all think or suggest.
I do have another question. Why do I keep getting this email user name and password popup? I keep entering it and checking the save password box but it still randomly pops up frequently. I have already tried deleting the yahoo email and resetting it back up.

You can start looking through them. There are some stripped down versions here and there but most will have other apps on it simple because thats what the cook uses.

The best idea for finding a rom that is right for you is just to browse the roms forum, look at what is included/removed from each rom and find one that matches the applications/functions you need.
make sure you follow this guide(or the one this links too if you have the american 1024 hd2) for updating your rom:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=609477

most of the time the cooked rom is not faster than stock, but it got the latest updates on all applications, and thats nice =) bugs are fixed. Some cooked roms have a lot of bugs, so try a couple and find one you like

Ok, WTF now. I have read so many posts and searched my butt off here and all for nothing? Seems I have this SPL 2.10 whatever that is and cant load that HSPL program so I can flash a custom rom. WTF? how many darn steps do I have to go through to load a ROM on this phone? Why is this so complicated? If the phone is wiped, why can't whatever I want be loaded on it?
So what do I do now?
What is a hard and soft spl?
Why would I want to downgrade just to load this hspl?