I've been looking through the forums, searching my butt off, etc but I'm still unable to get where I want to go - so time to ask around. Hopefully it won't turn out I'm just a crappy searcher....
So! I really enjoy SPB Mobile Shell, especially after you slap a TouchFlo/Sense-like skin on it. It's faster and more customizable than Sense itself and looks great.
I'd also like to have a fresh WinMo 6.5 as a foundation for it.
Furthermore, I'd like for that WinMo to have the actual HTC controls - volume, dialer, preferrably even alarm settings and the proper Blackstone communications setup apps. I would not, however, want it to be polluted with lots of other crap like useless MS apps or PDF readers or whatever.
So, is there such a ROM? If there is not, but there is a super clean 6.5 ROM - has anyone extracted the HTC control apps (the actual ones for Blackstone, not some crappy HTC-like **** apps from 2008 which was all I could find) into cab form, and can they be found anywhere?
Thanks.
lorcro2000 said:
I've been looking through the forums, searching my butt off, etc but I'm still unable to get where I want to go - so time to ask around. Hopefully it won't turn out I'm just a crappy searcher....
So! I really enjoy SPB Mobile Shell, especially after you slap a TouchFlo/Sense-like skin on it. It's faster and more customizable than Sense itself and looks great.
I'd also like to have a fresh WinMo 6.5 as a foundation for it.
Furthermore, I'd like for that WinMo to have the actual HTC controls - volume, dialer, preferrably even alarm settings and the proper Blackstone communications setup apps. I would not, however, want it to be polluted with lots of other crap like useless MS apps or PDF readers or whatever.
So, is there such a ROM? If there is not, but there is a super clean 6.5 ROM - has anyone extracted the HTC control apps (the actual ones for Blackstone, not some crappy HTC-like **** apps from 2008 which was all I could find) into cab form, and can they be found anywhere?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Blackstone Henge Hyper 2.5 version 7 i think it is...pretty basic, stripped down version of windows 6.5. (not sure what ur referring to with actual htc control apps?) But, I'm using this RoMU now..running CHT to skin it, looks great, runs smooth. Only one possible issue--battery life seems to be rather poor compared to others Ive used equipped w/ far more application that required more performance from the OS. I'm looking for the prob/ solution. Perhaps too many cabs, as opposed to running a RoM with several of them already built into it...Anyway, could be what ur looking for.
Well, I was referring to having a "HTC Sense" looking dialer and volume controls etc as opposed to the exceedingly ugly ones that come with stock Windows Mobile. If you get a full-featured ROM you get the HTC communication manager, HTC dialer etc that look really nice compared to the stock. Those bits are the only ones I'd personally like in addition to the stock stuff though (and not even all of the stock stuff).
In the end I went for a very light ROM that did have Manila as well, then turned Manila off in the Today settings. It's not ideal, but it works pretty well and I have a fair amount of memory to play with still to install the apps I really want and none of the dreck I don't need.
It's a shame there's no ROM that is both very light, has the HTC apps like the dialer and comms manager and volume control etc and is built on a really fresh WinMo release... but this works I guess.
lorcro2000 said:
Well, I was referring to having a "HTC Sense" looking dialer and volume controls etc as opposed to the exceedingly ugly ones that come with stock Windows Mobile. If you get a full-featured ROM you get the HTC communication manager, HTC dialer etc that look really nice compared to the stock. Those bits are the only ones I'd personally like in addition to the stock stuff though (and not even all of the stock stuff).
In the end I went for a very light ROM that did have Manila as well, then turned Manila off in the Today settings. It's not ideal, but it works pretty well and I have a fair amount of memory to play with still to install the apps I really want and none of the dreck I don't need.
It's a shame there's no ROM that is both very light, has the HTC apps like the dialer and comms manager and volume control etc and is built on a really fresh WinMo release... but this works I guess.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
-Hey mate, yea I see what ur saying. Still check out the Blackstone Henge RoM, it sounds like what ur looking for. Very stripped down, but still utilizing the finger friendly volume control, slider, dialer, and communication manager. But the RoM build has removed alot of useless, ram draining applications. Give it a go mate if ur up to it..may just suit ur needs. Good luck.
Related
Hello all,
I have receintly upgraded to an Xperia X1 on Vodafone UK, coming from a very old out of date phone, it is quite a leap, though i am use to Windows mobile.
I have been reading some of the topics here and have come across some questions, which i hope some kind sole does not mind answering for me.
1) A lot of talk is about flashing ROMS, i assume this is some kind of upgrade to the firmware or OS. Would somebody mind just explaining what it is and why its of benifit.
2)Another thing that has generated a lot of talk is hard SPL, again what is this?
3) I am a keen gamer and want to get some good games up and running on my phone. Though a lot of what i try does not work, i have seen suggestion on other forums that a bit of software can help a lot of compatible games run. Does anybody know what it is i may require? I have seen a video on youtube of somebody running some FPS games is this fake or is it possible?
4) As a new Xperia owner i would also like some suggestions of anything that people think to be essential, to get the best out of my phone. Be these software, firmware upgrades ect. I have installed Batti and Xperia Tweak both of which have been extremely usefull.
Cheers in advance for any help.
1) Have you ever formatted your PC because it's full of junk and it's the only way to remove the crap and start a fresh? Bit like that with some ROM's. Others start from nothing and install programs for you. I find it best to use a clean ROM (Jacks) then install what I want on top.
2) Hard_SPL allows you to flash a new ROM onto the device.
3) FPS is possible but remember it is a phone at the end of the day. Alot of games run fine and the rest just need the VGA fix as it's a different resolution.
Hope that helps
Thanks for the swift and helpfull responce.
So if i was to flash a new rom would it speed up my phone any or stop/reduce all the random errors i get?
I have heard that i may need to install .net framework 3.5 onto my phone to get some of the games working. How easy and safe is this to do? I assume it is just like adding anyother software to my phone.
Yes I would (and have) installed 3.5 framework. It is easy to install and maintain as it's just a cab installer.
I use the Jacks 1.4 Lite ROM. It's much quicker than stock and is as stable as you make it really. I highly reccomend at least reading up about it.
The Mole said:
4) As a new Xperia owner i would also like some suggestions of anything that people think to be essential, to get the best out of my phone. Be these software, firmware upgrades ect. I have installed Batti and Xperia Tweak both of which have been extremely usefull.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well so far I've installed SPB Backup, which does pretty much what it says on the tin. Useful if you plan on doing any modding, I guess. I also stuck SPB time on there coz I needed a decent stopwatch. There's a neat little program called Touch Response that basically makes the phone vibrate slightly when you press the touchscreen. The strength of the vibrate can be configured. It's not essential but it gives a nice physical feedback which touch screens often lack. Flash 3.1 is available for download and works with the Opera 9.5 browser. Oh yeah, coreplayer's a good one too. I can't remember where I got all of these but there should be some links on here. You could also try www.xperia-x1.com or www.inexperia.com or www.modaco.com
My current software setup includes:
Resco Explorer - Nice touch-friendly file explorer with many options
Mini Stumbler - Helps you find wifi hotspots
Call Firewall - Nice people ditcher
Coreplayer - for playing videos with assorted codecs
G-Alarm - Cool alarm replacement, you have to solve a puzzle before being able to snooze it
Missed call reminder - beep reminder for missed calls
Newsbreak - RSS reader
Pocket Tunes - iTunes playlist sync for winmo
Resco Audio Recorder - lets you record voice notes and your own phone conversations
Spb Wireless Monitor - lets you run reports on internet usage
Stopwatch - standard stop watch
hTorch - turns your camera flash into a flashlight
This is why i sold my iphone to come back to windows mobile, it's sooo much flexible, I missed being able to mod my phone.
Thanks once again for the great responces and help, they have been of great use i will be getting a good 80% of what has been suggested, it sounds right up my street.
Every new rom seems to come with manilla 2d, and i admit it looks fance when ur used to htc home, but like the home plugin, i usually disable them cuz i think it too slow to use, and with the right shortcuts everything is more accessible without home plugin and manilla. am i the only one who thinks its boring to use?
i wish every rom came in 2 versions, 1 with and 1 without manilla.
iam wid u too
its meant mainly for higher storage models & powerful processors
i also wish if rom comes with option u mentioned above
in fairness most ROM's do have a 'lite' version where they dont install m2d, i prefer winterface or rltoday, smaller footprints.
I like it. I see it as HTC Home matured. I actually prefer it over TouchFlo3D in the sense it uses less resources, accomplishes the same thing, and is easier to customize. It makes it more non-nerd friendly while giving them the power of WinMo without having to know where everything is (START, PROGRAMS, etc) or having to leave the homescreen.
Runs great on my Wizard as well as my Kaiser. That says something considering the Wizard is 1/2 as powerful.
-Mc
It might be a stupid thread and stupid question and I believe the ANSWER of it might be …… it will never happen.
BUT
Is it possible? Can it be?
I am not a good fan of Android as I had a lot of problem with Nexus one,
I have been using windows mobile since ages, my first was the IPAQ, Imate PDA2K, HTC cruse, Diamond, HD (BlackStone) and Nexus one < --- just to test Android
I might be wrong judging the Android but here are my notes:
- No X button to close the applications so they just keep running in the background
- No file browser
- It was hard to make it run the WMV and still not good
- I understand in the WM 6.5 no Transcriber and block recognizer, but I think it can be managed
- No today desktop to be customized as I like to see my task and calendar
- Office is not there the way you want
And many manay other issues
Well sorry for the (too much writing) but maybe I could get some help here or people might enlighten me
THX
Honestly I have no idea how to install Wm on that phone...and I would never want to if I were yu...but ur issues don't seem to lye with android...yu just need to do some market browsing because there is a program called advanced task killer that kills apps in the background..it also has a nifty little home widget...yu can also download astro file explorer to search files on ur phone...just like in wm ...there are apps and Widgets for all the issues yu stated...the best advice I can give tho is that if yu want a wm phone...then buy one...hold out for the hd7 and see if someone might trade yu for ur desire HD...hope I've helped..
Sent from my HTC HD2 using XDA App
Thanks for the answer and as I said I already knew it will not be possible, HD with WM7 is close to android, no today screen and it is almost Iphone, I might sound old fashion but I believe it is hard to change things you got used to
I am a Linux user too (Ubuntu Lucid) is what I am using, I believe I will give Desire HD a try and see, maybe I might be able to find a way to install WM on it maybe I give Android a better look and see what it has.
jmohik said:
I might be wrong judging the Android but here are my notes:
- No X button to close the applications so they just keep running in the background
- No file browser
- It was hard to make it run the WMV and still not good
- I understand in the WM 6.5 no Transcriber and block recognizer, but I think it can be managed
- No today desktop to be customized as I like to see my task and calendar
- Office is not there the way you want
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. No, there is no "X" button, but Android's memory management is clever enough that you don't need one.
2. There are plenty of file browsers available on the Marketplace
3. I assume you mean .wmv videos? Not sure on this one.
4. Not sure about this
5. You can get all manner of widgets for Android that show calendars and you can get task managers etc.
6. No, office isn't perfect, but it's getting better.
If all of this is really a concern for you - why not just get an HD2? It's the same screen size and most of the same features (give or take megapixels, DLNA and a couple of bits and pieces here and there). At least then you can run WM6.5 as default and toy with the Android port which is developing really well in the meantime.
Don't want you to hate me guys BUT i did use the HD2, and here are my notes:
-Battery runs out fast
-don't like the new start menu
-no pen comes with it (i understand that all new HTC don't) i am OK with it, BUT it is not smooth the way you want in HD2.
well i am sorry to cause you headache guys i am really lost here and i do like HTC phones it is just cannot find the one that do serves me as my HD (blackstone) do
The only thing i would spare the HD (BlackStone) is its slowness.
I might consider desire HD and give it a try.
Here is what I am talking about
Type http: before //
//uploadpic.org/storage/originals/fr3f9jnn42ff39n2fre8d84ejj.jpg
@jmohik : So you wanna step back in time to WM6.1 ... if you dont like HD2 now... all the new phones (anytime soon now) are start gonna ship with WM7 .... as per your feedback and requirements, I believe you will ditch WM smartphones altogether
Btw...dont know what more do you want from a HD2 which is able to run a WM6.1, WM6.5, WM6.5.5, All Android Builds, and soon WM7 !
As far as battery, I get 1.5 days out of it .... dont expect more from such beasts...if you do, switch to Nokia
as i said ... i don't want you to hate me guys, and i said it is not easy to change things you got used to ....
well .... i will get the desire HD and i guess i will start on using it.
and BTW i also have a NOKIA E75
Thats the spirit !
It'd be far more interesting to know whether its possible to hack a WM7 rom onto the phone, seeing as the hardware looks identical to the HD7 that HTC are releasing.
Don't get me wrong, I'm Android all the way but theres no harm in experimenting!
I think you just need to spend 2-4 weeks with an Android phone running HTC Sense. I used to use a WM6.1 device, then WM6.5 and then moved to the HTC Hero which was on Android 1.5, and now 2.1. Since the first day I got the Hero, I have not looked back at WM. There really is no question about it.
I understand it all comes down to personal preference, but a Linux user like yourself should find Android easier to work with than those who don't use Linux.
As one of the other guys mentioned above, there are plenty of apps on the market you can get for free which do pretty much everything you say you want. The reason HTC don't provide a stylus these days is the screens are now capacitive not resistive, and better suited to fingers and thumbs. You can still get a stylus, but it would cost more.
P.S. I don't really have much love for the stock Android experience, as on the Nexus One... HTC Sense over the top of it is just amazing... in my opinion, but like I said, everyone has their own personal preference..!
i had an HD2 running wm6.53 and Android from the SD card. Dual booting serves no purpose BUT ITS GREAT!!!
I will get this device when its out as my HD2 died. I would love to be able to dual boot to WM7 just to give it a go.
ekerbuddyeker said:
i had an HD2 running wm6.53 and Android from the SD card. Dual booting serves no purpose BUT ITS GREAT!!!
I will get this device when its out as my HD2 died. I would love to be able to dual boot to WM7 just to give it a go.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Surely your HD2 is still within its 12 month warranty! I've had mine since it came out, that isn't even a year yet!
No one will put the time and effort in to port WP7 to an Android device, it just won't really be feasible given the amount of people who will actually want it.
Also, I can imagine it being a lot harder to go, given that WP7 is closed source, and Android is open source.
Hi can you tell me which is the fastest ROM for our HDs .Doesn't matter 6.1 or 6.5. I just want fast ROM with weather on the homescreen. Of course I prefer 6.5 with sense but I don't know does it fast as 6.1. If there is WinMo 6.1 with interface Sense 2.5 and it's fast like touch flo for example will be great.
Thank you!
this question has been asked and answered dozens of times.
the fastest rom is the stock rom wm6.1 with touchflo 3d 1.3
this touchflo version only has a weather tab, no weather on home screen. also not all sense 2.1 versions have home screen weather.
if there were such a thing as a perfect blackstone rom, no other chef could be bothered building own versions, the blackstone classically is a device on the line. it has a high display resolution, yet not the powerful processor, most new devices with that resolution have.
so, you have to pick, either speed OR a lot of features.
you can try cloudy 0.7 for instance. while on the one hand, it has not been updated in almost a year (also, as in most roms, the twitter tab does not work anymore). but it combines wm6.1 with sense 2.5 and it is relatively fast.
but if you are actually all about the speed of the rom, you might want to try a stock rom, and simply move the weather tab to the 2nd position, right next to the home screen. it isnt't too much work to swipe over the display once to check the weather. just think of iphone users, who with one swipe only just unlocked their phone and are hardly ready to access all kinds of information without launching 267 apps
Fast rom and ram
Chef_Tony,
First of all sorry for going off topic i just have a few questions
1. Does more free Ram makes a rom faster. i mean if a rom have 100 MB free ram on start is faster then a ROM having 60 mb free ram.
2. I dont use manila, sense, titanium or any today screen, just resco today items, i use to have xperia x1 b4 my hd n there was this rom by laurenti, which have 160mb free ram.( x1 have 32 less ram then HD) and on my hd its only 100 mb(blackstonehedge v6.5) with sense, manila turn off, only resco today items, is there any ultra light rom like laurentis for hd(6.5 or 6.5.x bottom start button, X button closes app.)
3. if is there isnt any rom( i have searched, but might have missed) , can you please cook such a rom.
PS.
was using - Build 23134 - Laurenti v2 (new AKU 5309). from this thread on my x1
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=676383
1. not necessarily. less ram usage extends your battery life and has more potential for running apps.
it does affect the speed, when the operating system, for the sake of the example, let's say wm6.5.5 with CHT 2.0, hogs all the ram and cpu power, trying to run a 3d game or watch hi-def video might get annoyingly slow.
but the general speed of the GUI cannot be read from ram or cpu usage alone. when picking a rom you should have a look, where certain packages come from. when a rom mostly consists of leo packages, you will see that it is quite slow, because the leo with 1ghz has much better resources. generally, packs from devices closer to the blackstone, like the rhodium, run slightly faster.
2. so much for the theory. if you don't use any of the built-in home screen extensions, you can pick practically any rom around here. either you go with wm6.1 for more speed, or you pick something newer for more finger-friendliness. in contrast to most other users, you don't need to choose your rom for the manila version. just have a look at the integrated apps, because that can really save you time, setting up the device.
3. there are several ultra-light roms:
- one would be a stock rom, it comes with almost no integrated apps and you'd only need to disable touchflo and you're good to go.
- there is also raving rom wm6.1, which comes without manila or sense, just a custom home screen and a very little ram footprint.
- in the energy roms thread, at the very bottom, you'll find a titanium rom, which is meant for users of own GUI solutions, like spb mobile shell or you resco home. but i wouldn't exactly call it ultra-light, because it comes with a lot of integrated apps.
p.s. despite my user name and avatar, i am not a rom chef, or any chef for that matter, it is just a parody of one of the most annoying persons in late night infomercials
so unfortunately i can't cook you a custom rom.
Thank you very much for a quick reply,
look like i black stonehendge is best option for me know, really appreciated your detailed answers.
thanks again
Nicely answered Chef_Tony
Thread moved to General forum (where all queries should be asked )
Ive been using my hd2 for a long while now on android and its been superb. But I still look over at WM7 forums am im very tempted to give it ago.
Is everything working now on the newer releases?? Whats the battery life like?
Some one sell me WP7
Thanks for your help
Cheers
Baker0
i have my htc hd2 long time i test more then 150 roms on 6.5 version , and andorid , i admit android is a nice room , i start using wm7 nodo version ,its realy amazing rom , very fast rom ( similar iphone) no bugs . this room was made for internet and entretainment users.
1-the battery life is ok almost 40h using like a normal mobilephone, but need a ]trick ,]bcs wm7 on hd2 have a drivers problm in camera its make drain battery more then normal but with the trick u resolve that , the other problem is no aplication to use wifi router on wm7 .
2-in wm7 we cant type the number and show the name like in 6.5 rom , u need go to your phone list to search the name you want to call.~~
3-wm7 not suported outlook to sync the contacts , u need have a Key FROM microsoft to conect ur windows live acount and from there u can pass all your contacts
since hd2 official not suported wm7 , and wm7 is so good on hd2 , try using that u will never go back to others roms
i hope this information is helpful for u change....
Baker0 said:
Ive been using my hd2 for a long while now on android and its been superb. But I still look over at WM7 forums am im very tempted to give it ago.
Is everything working now on the newer releases?? Whats the battery life like?
Some one sell me WP7
Thanks for your help
Cheers
Baker0
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have tried WP7 and it is truely a smooth operating system on the HD2. For me, there are two fundamental problems with WP7 which ruin the experience. The camera driver is still terrible - never use flash and no auto focus. Also the multitouch only works if you place your two fingers down at exactly the same time.
If you don't use the camera, and you can live with the dodgy multitouch - it is a great ROM.
there is a software camera .006 it correct the problem about the auto focus . with that, the pic show nice.
Lynehammike said:
I have tried WP7 and it is truely a smooth operating system on the HD2. For me, there are two fundamental problems with WP7 which ruin the experience. The camera driver is still terrible - never use flash and no auto focus. Also the multitouch only works if you place your two fingers down at exactly the same time.
If you don't use the camera, and you can live with the dodgy multitouch - it is a great ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On top of these what kills it for me is that there is not a good navigation program. Other than that it is pretty damn awesome.
The current non-Sense Android ROMs are actually working perfectly on our HD2s, the biggest problem (for me) is the battery life. WP7 however has some issues on the HD2.
First of all you have to have an SD card that works (correctly) with WP7. Then, if you move to WP7 you will find yourself in a less open environment: less apps, no usb drive option, less control of your phone. You will also lose some Google functionalities you had in Android (Navigation app, sync multiple calendars, maps). You will lose flash support. You will have to call Microsoft for an activation code if you want the live services (access to market apps). This brings a lot of pain in the a$s...
BUT! If your installation is successful you will have a very smooth OS with a great integration of facebook and google contacts synchronization. With Zune software you can synchronize your phone with your movies and music. You will get a pretty good battery life and a fully functioning phone. I flashed a WP7 ROM last week and i think I'll stick with it for a while.
Hope this helps
Thank you for your help, camera is a big one for me.... Does USB tethering work?
I'll chime in not to necessarily "sell it" but coming from a strictly WinMo background. I have Android on SD, but I've refused to have it as a main OS simply because WM has been everything I needed for years. I'm not an "app"er, could care less about market saturation, as long as I can find, somehow, the tools I need for day to day.
Coming from that background, I decided to give WP7 a go about 2 weeks ago when finally nodo was available to us on HD2. So far its been a double edged sword to me. I miss my openness already. That's my first thoughts. I miss being able to transfer files on the fly and even as simply as move files internally to deep level private folders. In WM6.5 I was to the point of using my phone as a boot-able agent for PC repairs. I would have said I miss syncing directly to Outlook, because for almost 10 years that's where all of my contacts have been stored and backed up, but MS forced me to make an exchange server with Office 2010. I think I'd be damned if I had to move my info online to an external server. Though I did activate my phone to Live, the only cloud service I use is the marketplace. Another thing I miss a lot is Sense, lol I know silly but I absolutely loved that interface.
And what I'm liking about WP7 so far, is one of the main pushes for the phone, that it is a nice neat little interface (though I really wish someone would hack sense into it). Its fast, very fast, and easy to use (which isn't really that big a deal to me because I thrive on difficult and complicated, and used to love having a phone I knew not many people could just pick up and get into), but it is very easy none the less. The marketplace has so far had a ton of apps that I do use almost daily now (which is making it harder for me to think about re-flashing 6.5). Actually the apps are the only things that's keeping me from going back at the moment. I kind of feel like I want to wait for Mango and more hacks so I can have my control back, but damned if I won't miss some of the apps.
Battery life is a bit spotty for me, because I live in a rural area at the moment and if I don't turn on airplane mode when I get home, drain down to nothing in a matter of a hours. I did a test the other day while I was out and had full H and staring from almost 100% went through about 45 min of a 93 min movie from netflix and battery was almost dead. I've learned though, the way I use my phone no matter what OS, I have to charge it all the time anyways.
That's my report, hope it helps ;-)
edit: there is a workaround for tethering with DFrouter but its sort of like the USB Storage workaround.
Long time WinMo user that made the switch with NoDo. I haven't shot any photos that required flash, but the photos I have taken with the camera were fine. I got an activation code via chat in 5 minutes or so, so that wasn't and issue. I went through the hassle of formatting my card to allow me to load Android, so when I do need to tether, I have that option.
My biggest complaint so far is the sound is overdriven, which seems to be fixable via registry tweak. In spite of loading Tom's xap, I haven't been able to successfully side-load an app that will let me work the registry a bit. But that's operator error, at some point I'll figure out what I'm doing wrong.
I just checked into NRG's 6.5 thread to see if there was anything new, a habit that will take me a long time to break. At this point, I don't see myself going backwards. I much prefer WP7 over Android, and though there is one app I really miss from WinMo (SplashID), I've found workarounds for the rest. I much prefer the e-mail and calendar interfaces on WP7, and it I'll admit it is kind of nice to have some cool, high graphics games on my day-to-day OS. Having been a smart phone user forever, I'm used to having chargers and battery spares, so battery life isn't much of a consideration for me.
I highly recommend you give it a try. Worst case, you just flash back. Good Luck!
I was in the same boat you are in right now, but there was no way to move away from Android. My love for Android and my loyalty are true to the core. What did I do? I got both. I have 16GB MicroSD Card Class 10 and with sick video guide from 96edwy I now have Dual Boot HTC HD2 running XBmod v1.10 NODO and American Android 2.3.2 !!!
Like everyone else I had my period of "Flash Madness" where I flashed about 5 times a day but it slowed down few months ago with new job and all. My ultimate solution: I have best of both worlds!!! Nirvana state of mind....
I love my Android, but I also love WP7 and right now mobile device gods are smiling on me
What OS to use...
Hi all, I tried them all on HD2 WM 6.5, 6.5.X,Froyo on SD,WP7 and finally stuck on Ginger in ROM. What is best for you depends on what kind of user you are. For example - I'm not into gaming on my phone, I don't have a facebook or twitter acc and couldnt care less about social networking,I use email extensively, care about outlook integration, office docs, use a lot of browsing, watch a lot of youtube and news aps...
WM 6.5(.X)
GOOD
- Looks great (the weather animations are so cool, the tabs are functional and fun way to use the phone)
- Has USB storage mode
- Has USB and WiFi tethering capability
- Can sync with outlook mail and contacts or any other mail with such ease that flashing and putting it back to running state takes less than 5 minutes
- Has a ton of GREAT GPS apps like iGo etc
- Best battery life of HD2 is of course on a original 6.5 ROM, nothing you flash will top that
- Skype works, although a very old version that you have to install yourself
- Can be used until the battery is dead and then recharged without a problem (not like android or wp7 ports)
- You can customize the home screen with addons like cookies home tab etc, lo limited customization is available (no widget support like in android etc)
- From just a month ago you can enjoy high res YouTube videos
BAD
- Sometimes laggy
- Browsing experience is ages behind Android and WP7, no flash support etc
- Camera is bad compared to the one on Andoird for example
- Live wallpapers are not as good as the ones on android and theres so few to choose from
- No universal search option (like on Android or BB devices)
- Gaming suck
- Development is dying or almost dead
WP7
GOOD
- Soooooo cool looking, fastest interface ever, extra intuitive and modern
- Mail app is great, very well thought trough and nice looking
- The best social networking integration, deeply into contacts
- Great gaming experience with xbox live
BAD
- Camera is only usable trough an external app, the built in is ****ty
- No direct outlook sync
- Has to be activated with MS
- No usb or wifi tethering
- No usb flash mode
- No GPS apps whatsoever, not even Google maps
- Live tiles are cool but third party apps cant really use their full potential (solved in upcoming Mango release but you'll have to wait for like a year to get it)
- No skype
- No universal search option (like on Android or BB devices), the search button is reserved for Bing search (maybe I'm wrong on this one, but as I recall you cant get to contacts so easly)
- A very long and thus very hard to use app drawer
- Cant use your own mp3 ringtones (might be wrong on this one correct me if I'm way off here)
- No real multitasking
- multitouch is implemented poorly
Android
GOOD
- Great looking interface, live wallpapers etc
- A lot of apps and games (best YouTube app ever, Skype is working fine etc.
- I just cant live without the universal search option I use all the time, so where ever you might be in the interface you are one button click away from your contacts or google search
- Has available GPS navigation software from Google maps to iGo etc.
- Great social networking apps but those options are not so deeply built in to the OS like in wp7
- USB and wifi tethering is working (not in my build for some reason but I can live without this option)
- USB flash mode working
- Multitasking
- The best camera on HD2 (a lot better than the one on the original rom)
- multitouch wirks just fine
BAD
- Battery life is bad even on phones designed for Android, let alone on ported ones
- No direct outlook sync ( a big minus for me, but not necessarily for everyone)
So, if you look at the pros and cons, the result is - your HD2 is the most functional with Android, then with good old WM 6.5 and at the end with WP7. WP7 needs to be polished, regardless of the quality of the HD2 port which is very close to the real thing. Mango update is coming this fall, but a lot of things are not addressed in it and MS need in my humble opinion another year to fix all missing bits...
Well i think everyone has said pretty much everything there is to say, i think all the bad points have been mentioned
all i would say is this,
WP7 is a different OS, its nothing like previous OS platforms on the HD2, you cant compare them as they are for different markets.
I was/am a heavy WM user, WM is a beast of an OS and there is nothing it cant do except games, had Microsoft not been completely shafted by OEMs, QC and the networks, WM would have been a modern day contender, as it is however it may be a beast of an OS but it isnt pretty and its laggy.
I tried Android for quite a while and i just found it fragmented, apart from games which isnt something i use there is little to know benifit over WM, yeah it looks good and is smoother but i just got board with it to be honest. its less functional than WM but is smoother, the UI is not much of an improvment in my opinion.
So i tried WP7, to start with i thought it was crap, very little functionality to the other two, very smooth, but then something odd happened, the UI just grew on me, the intigration of the OS became somthing i thought was great, it took about 2-4 weeks before i suddenly realised i absolutely love the thing, so i tried dropping back to Android for a while and i hated it.
in short, WP7 changes the way in which you use the device, the best and most accurate way of looking at it is, Windows Mobile is the best pocketPC platform out there (not including games) Windows Phone is the best SMARTPHONE out there, there is a difference, i have a second device which runs WM now, im longing for the day someone can port WM to an SD card
Yep, couldnt agree more with dazza. WP7 is all about PHONE experience! Most of us are not app freaks and use our PHONE primarily as a communication device, not a gaming platform or a replacement for a compass or a GPS device... All those devices do a better job on their own than any hybrid will so bottom line, WP7 takes me where I wanna be - focused on communicating with people - I can quickly get to my contacts, check what they've been up to, read and send emails and texts, send them a pic or two, surf the web a bit... And no other OS right now does that better, faster and cooler than WP7. Period.
superpeca said:
Yep, couldnt agree more with dazza. WP7 is all about PHONE experience! Most of us are not app freaks and use our PHONE primarily as a communication device, not a gaming platform or a replacement for a compass or a GPS device... All those devices do a better job on their own than any hybrid will so bottom line, WP7 takes me where I wanna be - focused on communicating with people - I can quickly get to my contacts, check what they've been up to, read and send emails and texts, send them a pic or two, surf the web a bit... And no other OS right now does that better, faster and cooler than WP7. Period.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Only if the battery life is better Its only 6 hours from the last full charge and the battery is already down by half
Roxxx
Yeahhh..
I think WP7 on HD2 is awesome!
I also at first thought, that its missing functionality, like file managers, copying files to device and back etc.. The GPS and so on.
But i must say, WP7 is awesome, the integration into Facebook, the browser, the mail client is fantastic. It was not made to be like WM 6.5 etc, this is something on its own....
And it is really growing on all of us
Looking forward to the updates, and more software to be added.
We just have to live with the short battery life!
Windows Phone Device Manager
Also....
I am not sure if some of you guys have checked this out?
http://www.touchxperience.com/
This is a beta project, and its awesome! Allows custom ringtones, copy files to device and back. This is going to be great.
Try it out!