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Hi people,
I am a noob as far as Android goes, but I am pretty good at PC stuff. I run a 3D CAD department and I've been the "unofficial" tech guy at every job I've had in the last 10 years.
That being said, I just got the HTC Hero from Sprint last weekend, Android 2.1, update 1. I have always wanted to play with Linux but have never really had the time. So, this is my first encounter with Android or Linux.
So ..... , as much as I'd love to root the phone, I'm afraid to brick it. Is there any way to get rid of all the bloatware without rooting my phone? Also, what are the chances of bricking the phone? I've read a couple "how to root" articles on the net and it doesn't seem like it would be that hard, but I LOVE this phone so far (other than battery life) and I honestly can't afford to go buy a new one at full price if I end up killing my phone.
Another question; I've seen a few people in other posts who have the HTC Hero and say they're running 2.2. How is this done? Is this something else that I would need to root the phone to accomplish?
Also, I just ordered an 8GB microSD card. My laptop has a card slot, so I'm figuring I can put the new card in the slot, connect my phone via USB, and copy everything on the phone to the new 8GB card, then just swapping the cards.
Am I correct thinking this should be as simple as it sounds, or is there more involved?
I appreciate you taking the time to read my post, and I look forward to reading/posting here on a regular basis.
Thanks,
Eric Mortenson
Hey, welcome to XDA!
It is VERY HARD to brick this phone, so don't worry....about the only way we've seen that is by flashing a GSM radio to it, so just don't do that and you'll be fine trying anything else.
There are a couple rooting methods here, and there won't be any problems at all as long as you follow the instructions. It's not as daunting as it may first seem. You do have to root to get rid of bloatware, it can't be done without rooting. I recommend this guide: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=694572 although there are 'one-click' and 'universal' methods out there too.
The ones running Android 2.2 are doing it through a custom ROM called Cyanogenmod. Check out the Development section to find it. It doesn't have the HTC Sense UI though, so it will look and feel different than your stock 2.1. But lots of people here are using it and loving it. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=755795
And yes, you should just be able to swap out the SD cards with no problems.
chromiumleaf
Thanks for the quick and helpful reply. It is greatly appreciated.
I think I am going to try to root my phone. Pre-installed "bloatware" on PCs is one of my biggest pet peeves. So, the biggest reason I have right now for rooting my phone is to get rid of the stuff I don't want/need/use.
I will probably leave the 2.1 on the phone because I love the phone so far and if as you say, it will look and feel different. Maybe I'll keep digging through the site and change my mind later. Thanks for the "heads up".
Please do me one favor, and I hate to sound ignorant (I did say earlier I was new at this), but what does "flashing a GSM radio to it" mean, and is it something I could do my mistake?
Sorry, tried doing a search so I wouldn't have to bother you but I'm just not sure.
Thanks again.
Eric
Eric_1966_FXE said:
...what does "flashing a GSM radio to it" mean, and is it something I could do my mistake?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To "flash" some code means to burn it into your phone's read-only memory. A number of things can be flashed to your phone's memory, including the radio operating code, high-level operating system code, and "kernel" (system "core") code.
What the poster meant by "flashing a GSM radio" is "downloading the code that operates the phone's radio". Our Sprint Hero phones have what is called CDMA radio hardware, while European Hero phones have GSM radio hardware. The two different radios are not compatible with each other's operating code. So if you ever download ("flash") the wrong radio code (GSM code) into your CDMA phone, that will render your radio inoperative, which will effectively brick your phone.
With that in mind, just read carefully any information relating to any system code you're considering flashing to your phone, and make SURE it's for a CDMA phone, and you'll be fine.
I loved sense and was all against even trying an aosp rom( vanilla/ stock android), but once I flashed CM6 and found beautiful widgets and launcher pro plus and dialer one I haven't looked back. The speed of my phone and the overall appearance is far better than Sense UI. Rooting the 2.1 is far easier than it was when I got mine. You had to download and type in a whole bunch of crap, now its as easy as installing an app and running it.
Thanks
Thank you to all three of you for your quick (and more importantly useful) answers.
You guys are awesome.
Go for it
I have 4 Hero's here at my home on a family plan,and mine is the only one running CM6-RC1 and they are all jealous. Every one that has a Hero at work or a different Android running 2.1 that has seen mine including a few Evo users loves the way mine looks and how fast it is. I thought in the beginning I wouldn't want to loose Sense and feared I would brick my phone as well,but these guys here are great and are a very supportive Hero community and walked me through the process. It is a lot easier now with the universal 1 click method than before,so that was what I did. The nice thing is if you do everything correctly,you can revert right back to you stock phone if you ever have to take it in for service.
Taking your time and researching all of this pretty good before deciding what to do is a good thing,but I can honestly say, there is so much more you can do once you unlock your phone than just downloading apps and bloat ware...you can actually make it work and do what you want it to do.
The chiefs here at XDA are working hard to bring us stable working Roms for everyday use,and I tip my hat to all of them and I certainly am loving how my Hero is now compared to what it was when it was stock.The RC-1 build I am running is awesome and (knock wood) haven't crashed 1x with it where I needed to do anything nor have I had any shutdowns or unexpected forced closed programs that were installed correctly.
So I say... Don't be afraid and just go for it.. you can still have it similar to what it is now,or you can see what aosp is all about like many here have and try it.That's the beauty of Rooting...YOU have the choice of what is on your phone..not someone else.
Good Luck
Mac
Thanks Mac
And Thank you to all who responded.
Like I said in my intro, I am a tech geek when it comes to PCs but this is my first venture into this kind of forum.
You have all been extremely helpful and have made me feel welcome.
I only hope that I can return the favor at some point to others on XDA.
I hope you all have a wonderful holiday weekend.
Thanks again,
Eric
I’ve currently got a HTC Touch Pro and I’m thinking about maybe buying a HD2 which I can get on eBay for about £170 - £200 and that’s quite a lot of money so I want to be sure before I buy it. What has mainly gotten me interested in this phone is the fact it can run Windows Phone 7 which looks lovely. A few things I’m unsure about is the size and the fact this phone doesn’t have a hardware keyboard, I’ve used a friend’s HD2 before but only for a few minutes. Anybody here upgrade to the HD2 from a phone with a hardware QWERTY keyboard how did you find getting use to the onscreen one, was it better?
Thanks
It can run WP7, but it's a bit of a hack, you basically can't "activate" it to get apps from the marketplace or other xbox live services without calling Microsoft and getting a gullible representative on the line, which are hard to come by because by now they've mostly been briefed on this.
Also, who knows when nodo comes out in March if the old ROMs will still function indefinitely, nodo itself will have to be hacked in order for it to accept sideloading which Microsoft has stated they'd close. Also half the reason why the closed-source WP7 works so well on the HD2 is because it was prototyped on the HD2, the ROMs available now are based on those prototypes, after nodo, that also won't be the case, necessitating the making of drivers for a closed-source OS with no native SDK.
I don't want to sound negative, but my experience with WP7 is that it's not a "daily driver" on the HD2, and unlike Android on the HD2 is very much an unfinished work with an uncertain future due to Microsoft locking up the platform. It is fun to play with though, and I think you'd enjoy the HD2 in general, but if what you want is a WP7 phone, you probably should buy a WP7 phone.
I bought the HD2 for use as a student/scientist to be able to communicate with work effectively through email along with mobile office and all the great features it has. The lack of qwerty keyboard is made up for by the large screen. It gives a touch screen keyboard a lot of real estate to work with. But I just recently decided to install android on it instead of upgrading to WM7. That has made me love this phone. You can keep WM6.5 on the phone as well as install android for all the fun quirkiness you need. It has made this phone perfect for me. This phone is like a mullet: Business in the front (windows), party in the back (android, and by back I mean SD card).
I had a Desire and moved on to the HD2 about a month ago - the larger screen makes using the touch keyboard easier.
A side effect of booting Android off an SD card (as I do) is that a *full* backup of the installation can be made by simply copying the contents of the relevant directories on the SD card. Also, the data.img file (equivalent to the data partition on a phone where the O/S is installed in EEPROM) can be resized (with some care) to a larger size if needed.
Should you buy an HD2?
YES.
Firstly WP7 works properly and is EASY to activate via MS helpline.(1 phone call approx. 2 mins). There is a ton of support for you and any questions or problems you have, right here on this site.
A bit of a hack?... Yes, well this is XDA and I'm pretty sure you know that and are comfortable with it already.
WP7 on the HD2 works better (faster) than on the HD7!!!!
Secondly if you don't like WP7 as an everyday OS (are you ill?) then you can have WM6.5, Android, Ubuntu, Meego and even Win 95/98 or I think I read somewhere XP????
Why would you even ask if you should buy one?
£200 is cheap (£400+ rrp) compared to anything else on the market especially when you look at the specs and performance of those devices compared with the HD2.
I've had to upgrade my SD Card for £30, but I didn't have to fork out £300 for HD7, and I was going to upgrade anyway to fit more music on.
As for the soft keyboard...what can I say? It's bigger than the hard keys you've got at the minute and the Touch Screen works great.
The only question you should be asking is;
Why hasn't everyone got an HD2?
No matter what you prefer as an OS, the HD2 has got you covered thanks to the hard work of some great people on XDA, Cotulla and Bepe @ DFT and lots of others, too many to name here.
Essentially the HD2 will do what you want it to do when you want it to do it. And if what you want to do is sell it, for a new iPhone or HD7 (seriously, you may want to book some time with your GP), then plenty of people on here will want to buy it.
BUY... BUY... BUY....
Negativity
PloniAlmoni said:
It can run WP7, but it's a bit of a hack, you basically can't "activate" it to get apps from the marketplace or other xbox live services without calling Microsoft and getting a gullible representative on the line, which are hard to come by because by now they've mostly been briefed on this.
Also, who knows when nodo comes out in March if the old ROMs will still function indefinitely, nodo itself will have to be hacked in order for it to accept sideloading which Microsoft has stated they'd close. Also half the reason why the closed-source WP7 works so well on the HD2 is because it was prototyped on the HD2, the ROMs available now are based on those prototypes, after nodo, that also won't be the case, necessitating the making of drivers for a closed-source OS with no native SDK.
I don't want to sound negative, but my experience with WP7 is that it's not a "daily driver" on the HD2, and unlike Android on the HD2 is very much an unfinished work with an uncertain future due to Microsoft locking up the platform. It is fun to play with though, and I think you'd enjoy the HD2 in general, but if what you want is a WP7 phone, you probably should buy a WP7 phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WP7 on HD2 is a hack, yes, but this is the XDA site, and if you're here, you're probably already comfortable with that fact.
WP7 works properly and is EASY to activate via MS helpline.(1 phone call approx. 2 mins). There is a ton of support for you and any questions or problems you have, right here on this site.
HD2 was the test bed for WP7 on HTC devices, and HD7 is a slightly worse re-worked version of the HD2, so any future HD7 updates will be portable to HD2 which, if experience is an indicator, will run them better than HD7.
The Chevron7 unlock guys have been talking with MS about their sideload app, and although MS are going to close the loophole, Windows is Windows...infinitely hackable.
You may not be trying to sound negative, but you're not doing a very good job.
Definitely buy a HD2 and run Android (NAND) and you'll never look back.
Hi! I'd like to buy an hd2 too. My questions (in part you have already answered) are the following: i would buy an used hd2 to run above all android (and maybe occasionally i could try wp7 or the original wm6.5). But worth buying an hd2 for an unofficial rom? and android on hd2 is stable as the official one? has it problems (maybe it freezes...)? thank you very much!!!
jackal992 said:
Hi! I'd like to buy an hd2 too. My questions (in part you have already answered) are the following: i would buy an used hd2 to run above all android (and maybe occasionally i could try wp7 or the original wm6.5). But worth buying an hd2 for an unofficial rom? and android on hd2 is stable as the official one? has it problems (maybe it freezes...)? thank you very much!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Running WM6.5 I stuck with HTC ROMs, but WP7 means Custom is the new Standard. I don't know about Android, there is a seperate forum, I've never used it, too happy with WP7 (WM6.5 is also very good functionally), which works perfectly if you do it properly. See the posts on this forum about SD Cards.
In short, if you've thought about buying an HD2 you've made a mistake. JUST DO IT, you (probably) wont regret it.
I offer no guarantees on your experience when you decide to purchase. My experience has been awesome.
I am not paid by HTC to advertise their product, however if they offered to pay me, I would gladly advertise the HD2.
I have a Touch Pro & bought the HD2 about a month ago. It is a good device. In my opinion Android is not that special & WM7 is not worth the hassle.
I find Energy WM6.5.x build ROMs superb, rock solid with great GUI of sense & CHT.
The only thing better in Android is available games, Android platform itself is far from ground breaking & graphically dull as dull can get.
On screen keyboard options are good with WM although I still prefer a hard keyboard but the HD2 is good becuase of the huge screen & of course the SnapDragon.
Viewing websites is also far easier with the large screen & Opera 10 or 9.7.
You won't go far wrong with a HD2 if you are up to speed on modding WM, W7 & Android will leave you with problems (W7) or dull OS (Android).
Everyone is different but at least with the HD2 you can have many platforms in one device if you so wish.
ok. thanks a lot!! last question: i already tried to change bootloaders and roms in previuos winmo phones, luckily always all was ok. But in the hd2 is enough simple change bootloader/radio? i know that there are always risks but i've seen a lot of threads about "bricked" and "dead"/no more usable hd2. My question then is: if you follow carefully instructions of cookers is enough improbable that you brick your phone?? is this true? sorry for my bad english!
ps: can i trust buying used hd2 that already have android or however unofficial roms? This doesn't mean that these phones are "bricked", is this correct? even better then i may not have to change radio, correct? thank you very much!!
First Time
I only found out about Custom ROMs, flashing and Bootloaders 3 weeks ago, the first time I flashed everything worked. The HD2 is very stable, the ROMs on this site can be very stable.
Read the instructions carefully, make sure you have everything you need and a few hours spare to do the work. If you do this everything will be fine.
The Radio, MAGLDR and HSPL are as easy to install as a stock ROM, once you've read the instructions available.
NOW GO BUY YOUR HD2!!!!
NOW INSTALL WP7!!!
Thank you all for the replies and your be happy to know that I brought a HD2 yesterday on eBay for £177 I can't wait to get my hands on it =-D
jackal992 said:
ok. thanks a lot!! last question: i already tried to change bootloaders and roms in previuos winmo phones, luckily always all was ok. But in the hd2 is enough simple change bootloader/radio? i know that there are always risks but i've seen a lot of threads about "bricked" and "dead"/no more usable hd2. My question then is: if you follow carefully instructions of cookers is enough improbable that you brick your phone?? is this true? sorry for my bad english!
ps: can i trust buying used hd2 that already have android or however unofficial roms? This doesn't mean that these phones are "bricked", is this correct? even better then i may not have to change radio, correct? thank you very much!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would prefer to buy a stock device rather than one that could of been subject to a lot of flashing ect.
Also try to buy the revision model identified by having yellow reset button rather than red.
These are reported to have better motherboards & screen assemblies (HTC revised model due to large amount of motherboard & screen fault warranty returns)
If buying used don't buy anything that sounds a bit iffy, HD2 is not a cheap or simple device to fix.
Hi. So i've been thinking about buying and HTC HD2 for a while, and finally decided that i will buy one.
I'm looking on Amazon at the moment and after looking at the reviews, the only problem seems to be that they are shipping T-Mobile USA versions of the phone instead of International. Which i'm completely fine with since i live in the USA and T-Mobile USA is my carrier.
The price is $299.99. I"m wondering if this device is worth that price considering that it came out like 1-2 years ago.
Would this be a good purchase? or would it be better to just look around more on ebay or something like that.
Thanks for the help .
i love this phone. i live and breathe it (for good or bad) but paying 300 bucks just might be worth it. i mean it is great. but you are paying for a WM phone to put wm7 or android (assuming you don't want WM). seems like you could get a lot of phone for that kind of cash. now the fun factor is worth it, but i see a lot of android native phones and happy people. personally, i would look around, check out native devices and the tweaks available here and go from there. now, it isn't a bad choice for a phone, but it ain't no spring chicken.
I already have an Android device. I was gonna get the HD2 back when i upgrade in November. I don't know why i didn't lol.
I figured $300 might be worth it. I've never used a Windows Mobile device before. I know it isn't exactly an amazing operating system. But if i don't like it i could stick Android or Windows Phone 7 on it. Which is another reason I kinda want to get this because I was thinking my next device would be a Windows Phone 7 device anyway. And it's not like i'm wasting an upgrade with T-Mobile anyway so I could still upgrade to a newer device later down the road.
I might just do it. According to Amazon i can return cell phones within the first 30 days of purchase. So i could probably just get a refund if I have problems with it or something.
I bought one for 380 about 3 or 4 months ago, and I definitely thought it was worth it.
There's so much you can do with this phone. Take off wm6.5 and put android on there. And at least 6 different really good versions of android. And it's so easy to switch from one android rom to another.
And after you've found the one you really like, then you can customize the hell out of it.
I'm a student in graduate school and this phone is the primary way I study. I installed studydroid, and this is 90% of what I do to study for an exam. If I had known how helpful this phone would be in my day to day activities, I would have bought it a year early for twice as much.
It has a calender, note taking, syncing contacts with google, very decent camera, mp3 player, and you can make the phone look very pretty.
If my HD2 broke right now, I would probably buy another for 300 usd immediately.
zackdroid said:
Hi. So i've been thinking about buying and HTC HD2 for a while, and finally decided that i will buy one.
I'm looking on Amazon at the moment and after looking at the reviews, the only problem seems to be that they are shipping T-Mobile USA versions of the phone instead of International. Which i'm completely fine with since i live in the USA and T-Mobile USA is my carrier.
The price is $299.99. I"m wondering if this device is worth that price considering that it came out like 1-2 years ago.
Would this be a good purchase? or would it be better to just look around more on ebay or something like that.
Thanks for the help .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
to be really Honest..once you start using Windows Mobile after using Android there is a 99% chance you wont like it. Its just lack of support thats all. I however still use WM cos it fulfills my basic needs.
1) SMS
2) Internet(Opera Mini)
3) Watching Movies
4) Making Calls
5) Battery Life (its amazing...I have 3G off and use automatic brightness and at the end of the day after nominal use my battery meter is around 70%)
So I am sure you will feel like putting Android/WP7 on it but since you already have an android phone you would go for Wp7
if thats the case
i would advice you to rather go buy the HD7 cos no matter how much of tweaking they do to the WP7 on HD2 it wont be as good as native Wp7 on HD7 ( is what I feel...battery issues...driver issues...magldr issues)
so yeah...go for a HD7..its an amazing phone...sleek and better display than HD2 (more colors) !! and i think an Android port will be soon there for the HD7 tooo !!!
Thanks everyone for the input. I just ordered it, it will be here friday .
Zackdroid,
Congratulations on your purchase! Just my 2 cents: while it's fashionable around these parts to knock the Windows Mobile 6.5 OS and for (well-meaning) people to advise you: "just take that off and install Android", let me just say that:
If we're talking about stock WinMo + stock Sense as the phone comes out of the box, then yes-- it's crappy. Considering that Microsoft is very good at building things with potential, but ultimately releasing them half-assed and half-brained, it's no wonder. But thanks to the incredibly smart, dedicated, creative, and inventive folks here on XDA, you can skin, stabilize, and mod WinMo into an entirely different beast (or install a custom ROM that does it for you). I started off like most people, whining about Windows on the HD2 and wanting to do something about it. However, unlike many others, I had to keep WinMo because I have need for several apps that have no Android equivalent (including a few that I wrote myself). So for me it started as necessity. But now, I'll say to anyone who'll listen, that a custom WinMo6.5 running the new Cookie's Home Tab Suite (with Editor, GUI, and Loco) is an entirely different experience. It's like the OS that Microsoft should have built, but didn't. In reality, it's not really even a mod but a bona fide re-write of the operating system (and it certainly blows the newer Windows Phone 7 out of the water). Truthfully, I love WinMo + CHT so much that when I'm in Android I can sometimes feel guilty that I'm not using CHT (and btw, I LOVE Android). So before you dismiss WinMo out of hand, give that some thought.
I cant say I really understand a lot of the advice here like "when you get your phone wipe Windows and install Android". This is NOT because of my previous statement defending WinMo, but rather because:
if its strictly Android you're after, there are newer (and cheaper) phones that have Android already installed, or that you can root and install your own custom flavor, but most importantly...
one of the most beautiful things about the HD2 is its unique status as a powerful, versatile, multi-OS phone. This thing is just not meant to run one OS!
NOTHING beats somebody asking me,
"Hey, what kind of phone is that?"
It's an HD2, I say.
"Oh, what is that, Android?"
Well...yes...I run Android. And a custom version of Windows Mobile. Oh, and Ubuntu as well. Yep. 'Matter of fact, if I wanted to I could run MeeGo, Win 95, and a few others I can't think of.
And then I can watch their jaw drop. I have had hardcore geeks practically foaming at the mouth in envy after I give them a quick multi-boot custom ROM demo and tally off all the relentless hacking I've done to this phone. It's awesome.
The bottom line is most of us here installed other stuff on our phone because we weren't satisfied with the stock phone, and could do something about it, because of the people and tools present here on XDA. But we already owned an HD2. I'm not sure I would go out and buy an HD2 if I was just going to turn it into a run of the mill phone like all the rest... get me?
RDionysus said:
Zackdroid,
Congratulations on your purchase! Just my 2 cents: while it's fashionable around these parts to knock the Windows Mobile 6.5 OS and for (well-meaning) people to advise you: "just take that off and install Android", let me just say that:
If we're talking about stock WinMo + stock Sense as the phone comes out of the box, then yes-- it's crappy. Considering that Microsoft is very good at building things with potential, but ultimately releasing them half-assed and half-brained, it's no wonder. But thanks to the incredibly smart, dedicated, creative, and inventive folks here on XDA, you can skin, stabilize, and mod WinMo into an entirely different beast (or install a custom ROM that does it for you). I started off like most people, whining about Windows on the HD2 and wanting to do something about it. However, unlike many others, I had to keep WinMo because I have need for several apps that have no Android equivalent (including a few that I wrote myself). So for me it started as necessity. But now, I'll say to anyone who'll listen, that a custom WinMo6.5 running the new Cookie's Home Tab Suite (with Editor, GUI, and Loco) is an entirely different experience. It's like the OS that Microsoft should have built, but didn't. In reality, it's not really even a mod but a bona fide re-write of the operating system (and it certainly blows the newer Windows Phone 7 out of the water). Truthfully, I love WinMo + CHT so much that when I'm in Android I can sometimes feel guilty that I'm not using CHT (and btw, I LOVE Android). So before you dismiss WinMo out of hand, give that some thought.
I cant say I really understand a lot of the advice here like "when you get your phone wipe Windows and install Android". This is NOT because of my previous statement defending WinMo, but rather because:
if its strictly Android you're after, there are newer (and cheaper) phones that have Android already installed, or that you can root and install your own custom flavor, but most importantly...
one of the most beautiful things about the HD2 is its unique status as a powerful, versatile, multi-OS phone. This thing is just not meant to run one OS!
NOTHING beats somebody asking me,
"Hey, what kind of phone is that?"
It's an HD2, I say.
"Oh, what is that, Android?"
Well...yes...I run Android. And a custom version of Windows Mobile. Oh, and Ubuntu as well. Yep. 'Matter of fact, if I wanted to I could run MeeGo, Win 95, and a few others I can't think of.
And then I can watch their jaw drop. I have had hardcore geeks practically foaming at the mouth in envy after I give them a quick multi-boot custom ROM demo and tally off all the relentless hacking I've done to this phone. It's awesome.
The bottom line is most of us here installed other stuff on our phone because we weren't satisfied with the stock phone, and could do something about it, because of the people and tools present here on XDA. But we already owned an HD2. I'm not sure I would go out and buy an HD2 if I was just going to turn it into a run of the mill phone like all the rest... get me?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pretty much the main reason I wanted to buy this phone is because of all of the OS's. I've heard people say that Windows Mobile is a horrible OS but honestly it doesn't look as bad as people say. I'm deffinantly not just buying this just to put Android on it considering I already have a rooted Android phone lol. I've always wanted to mess around and use Windows Mobile. And it's a device that could probably last me a while. I really can't wait until it gets here . lol.
EDIT: I also forgot to put on here that I think some of the Windows Mobile ROMs are pretty cool and nice looking.
I had my share of WM devices over the years and find HD2 simply amazing. When presented with a choice, I went for HD2 due to various OS ports available and options/customisations presented. In fact, I am in the process of parting with every other phone in my collection, bar HTC Universal, but I am keeping that one for sentimental reasons.
So yeah, i'd part with $300 if I had to replace mine. I am looking for a main board to stick into another HD2 I have, just so that I can have 1 set up and operational for daily use and another for flashing and playing around. Anyone wants to part with their broken, yet still alive HD2 - give me a PM.
As a matter of fact, I might have to shell out for a new HD2 myself. After a year and a half my phone has developed some reception/antenna problems, which if I cant figure out how to resolve it (like, by cracking open the phone and seeing if there's something "obvious" I can fix) I will have to retire the phone.
At that point, it will be tempting to grab something from the new crop of sweet Android-only phones, but I know for sure I'd be jonesin' for some multi-platform action and my HD2.
I'm starting to look now; I just hope I can find one for the right price.
RDionysus said:
As a matter of fact, I might have to shell out for a new HD2 myself. After a year and a half my phone has developed some reception/antenna problems, which if I cant figure out how to resolve it (like, by cracking open the phone and seeing if there's something "obvious" I can fix) I will have to retire the phone.
At that point, it will be tempting to grab something from the new crop of sweet Android-only phones, but I know for sure I'd be jonesin' for some multi-platform action and my HD2.
I'm starting to look now; I just hope I can find one for the right price.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That sucks :/. When I was looking around ebay i saw some for cheap prices. I figured i should play it safe by buying off of amazon though so that's what i did. I paid $299US for it.
Meanwhile, if you are looking at newer Android devices, and you're on T-Mobile USA, and don't mind keyboards, I would wait untill the myTouch 4G Slide is released. And HTC is supposed to be unlocking the bootloader on the Sensation 4G so that's another choice .
enigma1nz said:
I had my share of WM devices over the years and find HD2 simply amazing. When presented with a choice, I went for HD2 due to various OS ports available and options/customisations presented. In fact, I am in the process of parting with every other phone in my collection, bar HTC Universal, but I am keeping that one for sentimental reasons.
So yeah, i'd part with $300 if I had to replace mine. I am looking for a main board to stick into another HD2 I have, just so that I can have 1 set up and operational for daily use and another for flashing and playing around. Anyone wants to part with their broken, yet still alive HD2 - give me a PM.
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That's why I went for the HD2. My other choice was gonna be the Touch Pro2 since it was cheaper and you can put Android on it. But i think the extra money will be worth it.
zackdroid said:
That sucks :/. When I was looking around ebay i saw some for cheap prices. I figured i should play it safe by buying off of amazon though so that's what i did. I paid $299US for it.
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Yeah, there's a lot of phones on Ebay, but many are of questionable quality. You'll pay more on Amazon, but I'm assuming you got a warranty, so that's piece of mind.
Meanwhile, if you are looking at newer Android devices, and you're on T-Mobile USA, and don't mind keyboards, I would wait untill the myTouch 4G Slide is released. And HTC is supposed to be unlocking the bootloader on the Sensation 4G so that's another choice .
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Thanks, I hadn't given any thought to the myTouch. And obviously the Sensation is the new "it" phone, but honestly, apart from the excitement factor, it's served me well not to jump on the latest stuff, preferring to let the real early-adopters see what kinds of flaws and bugs are present and whether they can be fixed. I've avoided quite a few lemons this way (although you can't always avoid them all ) There are some grumblings RE the Sensation which I'm keeping my eye on: possible "deathgrip" flaw (which may turn out to be a red herring), wide swings in reception-quality on the TMOUS network (which the HD2 also suffered from!), so we'll see....
In the meantime, a few of my friends are taking any opportunity to rave (which can get a bit annoying) about their T-Mo G2X's, so that's a prospect if I go the non-HD2 route....
RDionysus said:
Yeah, there's a lot of phones on Ebay, but many are of questionable quality. You'll pay more on Amazon, but I'm assuming you got a warranty, so that's piece of mind.
Thanks, I hadn't given any thought to the myTouch. And obviously the Sensation is the new "it" phone, but honestly, apart from the excitement factor, it's served me well not to jump on the latest stuff, preferring to let the real early-adopters see what kinds of flaws and bugs are present and whether they can be fixed. I've avoided quite a few lemons this way (although you can't always avoid them all ) There are some grumblings RE the Sensation which I'm keeping my eye on: possible "deathgrip" flaw (which may turn out to be a red herring), wide swings in reception-quality on the TMOUS network (which the HD2 also suffered from!), so we'll see....
In the meantime, a few of my friends are taking any opportunity to rave (which can get a bit annoying) about their T-Mo G2X's, so that's a prospect if I go the non-HD2 route....
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you sir, are a fountain of wisdom
Thanks DPMAce, I have my moments
But really, any wisdom comes from listening to and learning from all the folks around here who are smarter than me
RDionysus said:
Yeah, there's a lot of phones on Ebay, but many are of questionable quality. You'll pay more on Amazon, but I'm assuming you got a warranty, so that's piece of mind.
Thanks, I hadn't given any thought to the myTouch. And obviously the Sensation is the new "it" phone, but honestly, apart from the excitement factor, it's served me well not to jump on the latest stuff, preferring to let the real early-adopters see what kinds of flaws and bugs are present and whether they can be fixed. I've avoided quite a few lemons this way (although you can't always avoid them all ) There are some grumblings RE the Sensation which I'm keeping my eye on: possible "deathgrip" flaw (which may turn out to be a red herring), wide swings in reception-quality on the TMOUS network (which the HD2 also suffered from!), so we'll see....
In the meantime, a few of my friends are taking any opportunity to rave (which can get a bit annoying) about their T-Mo G2X's, so that's a prospect if I go the non-HD2 route....
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Yeah. It's not always the best to jump in to new devices. I'm trying to force my self to wait to get the Galaxy S2 whenever it gets launched in the US. lol. I got really lucky getting the myTouch 4G almost right after it launched. A lot of devices were shipped with bad screens and bad emmc chips. The G2X looks nice although i've heard it has rebooting problems and stuff like that. But considering it's currently out of stock on T-Mobile's website, they're probably working on fixing it.
UPDATE
UPDATE: It came in the mail today . Everything seems to be fine. It's the T-Mobile USA version. The only odd thing was that it came in a myTouch 4G box...lol. But I got the device and that's all that really matters.
zackdroid said:
UPDATE: It came in the mail today . Everything seems to be fine. It's the T-Mobile USA version. The only odd thing was that it came in a myTouch 4G box...lol. But I got the device and that's all that really matters.
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lol that's funny.
First thing is flash HSPL2.08 and get Android/WP7 on that bad boy!!!
orangekid said:
lol that's funny.
First thing is flash HSPL2.08 and get Android/WP7 on that bad boy!!!
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I'm gonna do some reading first. I want to try the Android on SD Card thing first. It only came with a 512MB SD Card though and my other SD card is being used for my other phone. So i'll have to go out and buy one.
zackdroid said:
I'm gonna do some reading first. I want to try the Android on SD Card thing first. It only came with a 512MB SD Card though and my other SD card is being used for my other phone. So i'll have to go out and buy one.
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That's pretty weak.
This is hands down the best ROM you can use on your SD card.
once you get your card just download the ROM, extract it, move it to your SD card (the Android subfolder).
then you just click CLRCD and then Haret and you're running Android!
http://www.multiupload.com/M92WB5L9V3
I am such a noob to this phone that I don't even have it yet! I have been looking to find one to play with but I have a couple of questions because even after digging about the forums and searching, some of the info seems like it could be outdated and since there are multiple OS options, it is hard for me to find anything coherent.
I do, however, have lot of experience with Android phones (rooting, installing CWM, ROMS etc).
My main question is how difficult is it for switch between ROMs and OS versions? If I put Android 2.3 on it for instance, which looks like just running an executable and maybe installing a radio and spl, is it difficult to run WP7 on the phone? I guess what I am asking is it difficult to return the phone to stock after installing Android or WP7? I am used to rooted android phones where once you have the recovery installed, flashing roms is a piece of cake. I am going to want to switch it up a lot.
I saw a posting on Craigslist for a rooted HD2 that can use t-mobile's 4G network but I don't see any posts in the forums. Is that possible or is it just craigslist noise?
Is it possible to use the WP7 marketplace on this phone? I saw an old post that said it was not possible but it may have just been old information.
Thanks!
Rich
richdaley said:
I am such a noob to this phone that I don't even have it yet! I have been looking to find one to play with but I have a couple of questions because even after digging about the forums and searching, some of the info seems like it could be outdated and since there are multiple OS options, it is hard for me to find anything coherent.
I do, however, have lot of experience with Android phones (rooting, installing CWM, ROMS etc).
My main question is how difficult is it for switch between ROMs and OS versions? If I put Android 2.3 on it for instance, which looks like just running an executable and maybe installing a radio and spl, is it difficult to run WP7 on the phone? I guess what I am asking is it difficult to return the phone to stock after installing Android or WP7? I am used to rooted android phones where once you have the recovery installed, flashing roms is a piece of cake. I am going to want to switch it up a lot.
I saw a posting on Craigslist for a rooted HD2 that can use t-mobile's 4G network but I don't see any posts in the forums. Is that possible or is it just craigslist noise?
Is it possible to use the WP7 marketplace on this phone? I saw an old post that said it was not possible but it may have just been old information.
Thanks!
Rich
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Click to collapse
I've learned a lot in the past 6 weeks, since I bought this device.
It's very easy to root and to run Android: Flash SPL, Radio, Magldr, and then Android ROM. You can also dual boot from stock Windows Mobile 6.5
If you want to run WP7 Mango, you're options for Android become very limited. WP7 requires that it be installed on NAND. So Android would only be able to be used on SD card. The SD builds aren't necessarily as stable as the NAND builds, but are really good anyway. WP7 is also extremely picky about what SD cards it will work with. Cards may appear to be working well, but can pose massive battery drain. Trial and error is the only way to find the right card. I've got a PNY 16GB c4 and it works really well. Over 2x the battery life of my Kingston 8GB c2.
If you want to go back to stock ROM, it's easy to reflash from the bootloader and it wipes everything else out of the picture.
I'm currently dual booting WP7 and AmeriCan Android's 11/07 build w/o issue. It's easy to go back and forth. Installing WP7 and setting up for dual boot requires jumping through a few hoops, but I think it's totally worth it. I love the UI of WP7.
Yes, you can use marketplace. You'll need to connect your Windows Live ID to the phone and you'll get an error about activation. This is where you find the thread here about using the Windows Support chat function and they happily give you the activation code. You should keep this safe, as you'll need it each time you hard reset or reflash the ROM. Once Live services are active, the Marketplace works just fine.
The T-Mobile HD2 works on TMO's HSPA bands, but will only work on the 2G bands for AT&T. I had the TMO version for a few weeks, but decided I wanted to tether through Android, so I sold it and bought a Telstra HD2 from Australia and it works on AT&T HSPA.
Thank you so much for the response! Do you think it is worth trading my Samsung Galaxy S 4G for this phone? I am an HTC guy so the samsung isn't really working for me because there are not many ROMs for it.
That I can't answer, as I don't have an educated opinion. I just got the HD2 so I could play with WP7 and skirt around AT&T's data plan requirements.
richdaley said:
Thank you so much for the response! Do you think it is worth trading my Samsung Galaxy S 4G for this phone? I am an HTC guy so the samsung isn't really working for me because there are not many ROMs for it.
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Honestly,don't trade your Samsung Galaxy s 4g for this phone, but if you want to experience different types of Roms like meego,ubuntu,win7,etc and to experience htc sense then only trade your old mobi. And for your information only Android froyo runs perfectly on this phone while all other versions of android are in beta! Battery life is Bad!
My point of view is that its really easy to install roms.
I have installed Tytung 3.2a the best one^^
Thank you everybody for the information. I think I may just try to pay cash for one rather than trade my Galaxy S and then maybe sell both to upgrade my phone next year.
I like WP7 but I am pretty well indoctrinated into the Android ecosystem and I worry that I might end up with a handset that has battery issues. As an early adopter of Android, I know how frustrating it can be to have a phone battery that won't last more than a few hours.
Concerning battery, my hd2 last all the day from 7am to 10pm running Android.
So, to me, no real battery problem.
sent from my HD2 using XDA App
Hello guys!
I recently bought a new Samsung Focus and I have to say: good job Samsung. A couple of weeks ago, I heard about a "hack" from XDA devs that lets you dual boot android and wm7 on it. So I was wondering if I could get some help from our beloved forums to get more information or links in order to dual boot...
P.S: sorry for my bad English
Thank you very much everyone! Alpha8768
Sent from IE9 for Samsung i917.
wondering
I heard the rumors too but could not find the sources or tutorials, please post if any have anything too share
I think they were all rumours
Freak, because we got clear information about it :/ Maybe the team who created the exploit (supposed to be the same exploit than on the HTC HD2) decided to not release their work? I'll try to search more when I'll be on my computer...
Well over in the main WP7 forum they managed to get money rounded up to buy a Focus for cotulla/DFT. He has since posted a picture of a focus with MAGLDR on it. This would be the first step to custom ROM's but there was never any release info on MAGLDR or anything else.
Any new info on this would be greatly appriciated
rebweiser29 said:
Any new info on this would be greatly appriciated
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Seconding this request. Much as I like my Windows Phone, I'd really like the flexibility of an Android and don't have any money to buy anything.
arghblah said:
Seconding this request. Much as I like my Windows Phone, I'd really like the flexibility of an Android and don't have any money to buy anything.
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Try bartering your phone on ebay
Also drooling in wait of this feature...
I will say I do love my unlocked samsung focus via the DFT and I know that the magldr is how one would dual boot this phone, I just don't know where to get the gingerbread rom for this model (v1.3). I'm dying to find the answer because I use my other phone which is an android to allow me a completely free phone via sip and google voice. I can't find an app for wp7 that allows this so I am basically just wanting to do this just for that feature because lets face it... not paying for a phone and having one over wifi is a big plus. WP7 just lacks in this area. All the apps that supposedly allow you to do it for free are just a bunch of proprietary crap. So lets see it guys... android on the wp7!!! (can we just use the htc hd2 android rom for this since the dft enabled an htc hd thing in the rom that does work for this phone?). Any and all help/comments/questions are greatly appreciated in this area.. even just pointing out a lil documentation to help get me the know-how to figure it out for myself would be nice. Thx.
I dont think its that simple, the MAGLDR that was put on our Focus's while its still MAGLDR its a cut down version, and Cotula's twitter he explains it a bit better.
I'm with you on getting the Focus to run Android, I think everyone with a Focus would like that
Theres the HaRET thread which was first used to get windows mobile to boot into Android, which is making great progress.
Personally I think the Samsung Captivate would be a good canidate for the rom, but the major difference in their is
Captivate Processor: Cortex A8 Hummingbird Processor(Samsung)
Captivate Internal Memory: 2GB
Focus Processor: QSD8250, Qualcomm's processor, same as HD2
Focus Internal Memory: 8GB
The processors will be the hardest to get to work unless someone can break down how both of them work, it probably highly unlikely though
Theres the Vibrant(just like Captivate, but on T-mobile)
And even the Nexus S, but still that darn processor :'(
No news? Really would be nice if we had a dual boot
Someone would have to convince DFT to add 'Boot from SD Android" to MAGLDR like the HD2 has.... and then someone would have to cook an SD Android build... so while possible it's not probable.
Just checking to see if anyone has any update
Would be soooooo nice! I dont use DTF, im happy with my OS like as, but, a dual bot is a plus that cant pass!