Database Users

Thinking about starting a Fire

I'm thinking about getting a Kindle Fire. I really don't know what I'd quite do with a tablet, but I imagine I could find some uses for it. I don't really read books very often, so I wouldn't use the Fire as an e-reader.
The main thing I think I'd use it for is web browsing and IRC, and thus begs one my main questions: how is browsing on a 1024x600 display? Is it able to display full websites well?
Next, I don't really like the default Fire UI. It seems like too much of a novelty. How easy is it to root the tablet and install a custom ROM? How stable are any of the ICS ROMs right now?
Last, I just don't know if I really need it. If I do get a Fire, I'd get it at Walmart. With their $50 gift card offer and my 10% associate discount, I figure I can grab one for about ~$130. At that price point, it seems like too good of a deal to pass up, but I don't know if I should just save my money on something else or just bite the bullet and buy one. I'm still kicking myself on not jumping on the $99 TouchPad deal last year. LOL.
Thanks.

I bought my KF for 200$ a week ago & Im still amazed with what this thing can put up. You should have no problem browsing webs or playing games at all, & I even love the default browser better than dolphin or opera xD (really love the side-touch menu )
And the stable roms would be those CM7 with ICS theme, rooting can be a bit hard at first but after 2 days you should get everything on the track
After buying this, I thought to myself how fool I was to pay 700$ for my old japanese 3d smartphone

I use my KF to read and web browsing and it's perfect for it. I'm using a Ics rom and is almost perfect. It has just few bugs, nothing important, at least for me.
The root is really easy, just use the KFU, you can find it in the developer thread.
For me was a great purchase, I highly recommend it.

beanboy89 said:
Next, I don't really like the default Fire UI. It seems like too much of a novelty. How easy is it to root the tablet and install a custom ROM? How stable are any of the ICS ROMs right now?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Short of rooting and installing a new ROM, you can simply download and install the "GoLauncher EX" from the market (free). No rooting necessary. It's a fantastic replacement for the Fire UI and it gives the tablet the look and feel of "Gingerbread." Neall

Thanks for the replies thus far! I've just been looking into alternative launchers for the Fire instead of doing a full-out root/custom ROM. Some of the third-party launchers look pretty nice and really look to give the Fire a proper tablet appearance. I assume Google Apps (Gmail, Maps, Market) are available for non-rooted devices? Those are a must for me.

Browsing is fine. Definitely capable of running almost every site. Rooting is easy. Haven't tried ICS ROMs yet, only messing with my themes for now.
::google apps are not available for nonRooted devices (to my knowledge) -- yes it sucks, but rooting is made easy for that reason :>

You would need to root your KF to install the Android Market and get those apps, but with the information on the forums it is very easy. The first handful of threads in the development forums have all the information you need.

Picked it up tonight. It's got some nice hardware. For now, I've installed ADW.Launcher EX to give it more of a Gingerbread feel, but something just feels a bit off compared to a proper Android 2.x experience. I can't quite put my finger on it.

Root and install CM7 and that feeling will go away.
Sent from my Kindle Fire using xda premium

hrbib21 said:
Root and install CM7 and that feeling will go away.
Sent from my Kindle Fire using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 btw rooting is easy as ****. The tough part is installing a recovery. At least I had a few scares
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA App

if you want a tablet i would suggest aganst the fire. its a great device that is primarily for reading books. here at xda it has been transformed into a tablet but i truely believe a native tablet is the way to go in terms of video and web consumption.
yes the kindle can handle it but a native tablet can do it better. also please consider the smaller ram, processor and non expandable memory

tokyostomp said:
if you want a tablet i would suggest aganst the fire. its a great device that is primarily for reading books. here at xda it has been transformed into a tablet but i truely believe a native tablet is the way to go in terms of video and web consumption.
yes the kindle can handle it but a native tablet can do it better. also please consider the smaller ram, processor and non expandable memory
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
YMMV. I had been debating on weather to buy a KF or an ASUS Transformer. I know, huge difference in price and specs. My co-worker has had an ASUS for a couple of months now and he loves it. But I ask him what he does with it and he plays a few games, checks email, facebook, internet...maybe watch a few videos and listen to music.
Well I bought the KF this week from WM and promptly rooted and flashed CM7 (barebones). I couldn't be happier. It does all of the things I just mentioned. It may not play Tegra games....but that's not a big deal. We have at home an Xbox 360, PS3, a laptop and PC, plus two iPod touches and my EVO 3D. So we are covered for gaming purposes.
Last night I watched video over my sling box Dish DVR and it worked very well. Then I watched a video over Hulu Plus and it was fantastic. Haven't tried Netflix yet (we quit a few months ago).
So for $150 (Walmart this week) vs. at least double that for the Asus or more. The KF meets my needs and probably most everyone else's too.

Swapped out ADW.Launcher EX for GO Launcher EX. GO seems to be a bit more stable than ADW and seems to be a lot more customizable. It's becoming a bit more usable. I'll probably not bother rooting and installing any ROMs until ICS becomes a bit more stable and mature.

usnret04 said:
YMMV. I had been debating on weather to buy a KF or an ASUS Transformer. I know, huge difference in price and specs. My co-worker has had an ASUS for a couple of months now and he loves it. But I ask him what he does with it and he plays a few games, checks email, facebook, internet...maybe watch a few videos and listen to music.
Well I bought the KF this week from WM and promptly rooted and flashed CM7 (barebones). I couldn't be happier. It does all of the things I just mentioned. It may not play Tegra games....but that's not a big deal. We have at home an Xbox 360, PS3, a laptop and PC, plus two iPod touches and my EVO 3D. So we are covered for gaming purposes.
Last night I watched video over my sling box Dish DVR and it worked very well. Then I watched a video over Hulu Plus and it was fantastic. Haven't tried Netflix yet (we quit a few months ago).
So for $150 (Walmart this week) vs. at least double that for the Asus or more. The KF meets my needs and probably most everyone else's too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i bought mine from craigslist and am pretty happy with the fire. lol i actually paid for half of it with giftcards. haha. i mostly screw around on the "tablet" but miss the hdmi and usb of the thrive sometimes. for about 100 buxs i can live without it though

RevosFTS said:
+1 btw rooting is easy as ****. The tough part is installing a recovery. At least I had a few scares
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rooting and installing bootloader/recovery are all quite easy thanks to the Kindle Fire Utility (latest version 0.9.3 works well with latest 6.2.2 kindle firmware), but i think the hardest part for most users is getting the correct ADB drivers installed so your PC can actually speak the same language as the Kindle (there are great guides for all of this though). Once that part is done, the rest is a breeze with KFU. I just installed barebones CM7 last night and am VERY impressed. Only FC I have gotten so far is when using the XDA app. Ironic?? Happy rooting!
---------- Post added at 03:09 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:06 PM ----------
beanboy89 said:
Swapped out ADW.Launcher EX for GO Launcher EX. GO seems to be a bit more stable than ADW and seems to be a lot more customizable. It's becoming a bit more usable. I'll probably not bother rooting and installing any ROMs until ICS becomes a bit more stable and mature.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you found a way with GoLauncherEX to disable the status bar that's always showing? I know that some apps disable it natively, but it bugs me that the status bar is always showing as well as the GoLauncher dock. Seems repetitive. But maybe there's a way in the settings and I just couldn't find. However, I did install CM7 last night which uses ADW by default and I'm pretty impressed with how swiping down will hide the status bar/notification area and give you a totally full screen experience. Very nice for screen-gazers such as myself!

I started with root and the Go launcher which ran well but I decided to try out the beta cm9 build and it is amazing. Its still very much a work in progress but so much more suited for a tablet. Runs like a dream and most apps install with no problems. Even video is working pretty well (just no Netflix)

You could expand the kindle's memory with few wires, male/female adaptor, and a hardrive/smartphone/w.e

Noob advice: The current state of Kindle fire custom ROMs

Hi,
(I already have experience with rooting and installing custom roms on my HTC desire.)
A colleague of mine will travel to the US in a few days, and we where thinking of having him buy and bring back two Kindle Fires from there.
I have a few questions about the feasibility of this, and would be very grateful for some info, to avoid spending .
The infos in this forum are very extensive, and it is very difficult to keep the overview (especially since things change so rapidly).
1. How well are the custom roms working at the moment? Are they ready to be used in actual work environments, or are they still too experimental for this?
2. I want a very minimalist rom, the vanilla Google experience (my favourite on the HTC was Oxygen ROM). Any recommendations? ICS would be great, but Gingerbread would be okay, too. Most important is stability.
3. When I will try rooting and flashing the devices that will take place in Europe. Could this cause problems? E.g., the Amazon Marketplace is inaccessible from here (blocks non-US IPs). I assume that wont matter, just wanted to make sure.
Thanks for your help in advance!
rhhd

1:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1533001
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1556910
2:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1475054
3:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1519456
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1547252
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1393862
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1288862
maybe this one is also interesting for you:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1382360

CM7 is nice. Completely stable. You'd probably like Barebones CM7. I was using Standing on the Shoulders of Giants CM7 ROM and loved it.
But...I really wanted ICS, so I flashed CM9. It's beautiful, and very stable, however due to no hardware acceleration (yet) you won't have flash and some games seem to not work.
With all that said, stick to flashing a CM7 Rom and you'll be happy, IMO.

Thanks for the responses.
ChicagoGOBLUE said:
due to no hardware acceleration (yet) you won't have flash and some games seem to not work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And this also means no hi-res video support, right?
Or do is just need to have the right app for that?

right - allthrough you can do hi res video with software like mx player does
but this will result in low framerates (stuttering depending on the source) and high battery usage

Thanks again!
One more question: I just noticed the Kindle Fire has only one physical button (power). The Nook Color has at least a few more (Power, Home, Vol+, Vol-).
Is that an annoyance in everyday life on the Kindle? On my HTC I am kind of glad about the Home, Back, Menu and Volume buttons...
(We haven't yet made a final decision between Kindle and Nook.)

there are softbuttons for all this functions and i learned to live with it
in the meantime it is a bit strange for me when i take the gtab from my wife with the hardbuttons
no problem at all ...

rhhd said:
Thanks again!
One more question: I just noticed the Kindle Fire has only one physical button (power). The Nook Color has at least a few more (Power, Home, Vol+, Vol-).
Is that an annoyance in everyday life on the Kindle? On my HTC I am kind of glad about the Home, Back, Menu and Volume buttons...
(We haven't yet made a final decision between Kindle and Nook.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not gonna lie, the lack of physical volume buttons drives me crazy. Livable now that I have CM9, but if using CM7 the 'volume control' app/widget/whatever, is a good option.

The lack of physical buttons on the kindle fire is a lucky break for developers as ICS is built with soft buttons in mind for the major functions of the OS so the one button isn't really a big problem. If google decides to go back to relying on physical buttons in jelly bean then the kindles custom rom future will be up in the air. For now if I were you i'd stick with CM7 until the developers have a chance to perfect the new kernel they're working on that will allow for better graphics among many other improvements.

I bought and registered my Kindle while I was in the states and I haven't had any problems with it here in Europe. I used the stock ROM for a few months and was only able to access the US Amazon, though I'm American so I don't know how that will effect you.
As for the soft buttons, I didn't have any problems with it. I thought the KF's stock ROM organized it pretty well; it was really easy to access the volume and brightness controls. The only thing I didn't like was that the bottom task bar was really big and, although it shrinks when you have full screen on, I was still annoyed by it. CM7 doesn't have that problem, though as someone else mentioned, apps are necessary to comfortably access volume control.
To sumarize, I think it was worth getting. I'm happy with it.

Rooted Stock vs ICS

I've been playing around with several of the great ICS Roms for the Kindle Fire, especially once the 3.0 kernel really got rolling. Since this is the only device I currently have that can run any type of ICS, it's still fairly new to me. I was wondering what advantages people saw to ICS on the KF vs. using a rooted version of stock (like MoDaCo), and vice versa.
Please note, this isn't in any way meant to disparage the great work all the devs are doing with the kernel and different ICS Roms.
Here's my initial take (and please note, these are just my opinions), but would love more opinions.
Rooted stock
1. Stock reader: To me, the reader on the stock (or rooter stock) rom is much better than the Kindle for Android app
2. Kindle Fire apps: If you bought any, like I did before I started changing roms around, than you can still use these. Haven't been able to do so (yet) with any of the ICS roms
3. Market: Because it's rooted, I still have access to Google Play as well (limited to Gingerbread apps I'm sure) (don't know if this is really an advantage per se, but I thought it was a worthwhile point)
4. Battery: I had better battery life with the stock rom than with any of the ICS roms (*Note*: I know this item is likely temporary, since a lot of work is going into the 3.0 kernel)
5. Stability: Obviously, the ICS/3.0 items are still being worked on, so for now, the stock is likely going to experience fewer things like FCs and dropped WiFi (*Note*: Again, i'm sure this is temporary)
ICS
1. Interface: Likely a big reason many people switch over, the ICS interface is (to me) much cleaner and more user-friendly. Also, more customizable
1a. Tablet specific: Since ICS was created for for phones and tablets, the interface also works really well for a tablet, instead of just being a port of a phone interface.
2. USB OTG: I know this is a big point for a lot of people with the 3.0 kernel development, but having this even working a little is definitely a bonus
Thanks all.

The modaco rooted stock also has kindle owners lending library and amazon instant video. The ics doesn't.
Sent from my Kindle Fire using xda premium

ICS is faster and more customizable. I think that's reason enough for me.

Dropped wifi is damn annoying but I'll live with it until something can be done.
Battery life for me has been about the same for me with stock and ICS though.

In the end, it's all about the apps for me so stock wins out over ICS. But the interface is so much smoother on ICS, and because hardware acceleration works it's now a much tougher choice to make.

Aesrys said:
I've been playing around with several of the great ICS Roms for the Kindle Fire, especially once the 3.0 kernel really got rolling. Since this is the only device I currently have that can run any type of ICS, it's still fairly new to me. I was wondering what advantages people saw to ICS on the KF vs. using a rooted version of stock (like MoDaCo), and vice versa.
Please note, this isn't in any way meant to disparage the great work all the devs are doing with the kernel and different ICS Roms.
Here's my initial take (and please note, these are just my opinions), but would love more opinions.
Rooted stock
1. Stock reader: To me, the reader on the stock (or rooter stock) rom is much better than the Kindle for Android app
2. Kindle Fire apps: If you bought any, like I did before I started changing roms around, than you can still use these. Haven't been able to do so (yet) with any of the ICS roms
3. Market: Because it's rooted, I still have access to Google Play as well (limited to Gingerbread apps I'm sure) (don't know if this is really an advantage per se, but I thought it was a worthwhile point)
4. Battery: I had better battery life with the stock rom than with any of the ICS roms (*Note*: I know this item is likely temporary, since a lot of work is going into the 3.0 kernel)
5. Stability: Obviously, the ICS/3.0 items are still being worked on, so for now, the stock is likely going to experience fewer things like FCs and dropped WiFi (*Note*: Again, i'm sure this is temporary)
ICS
1. Interface: Likely a big reason many people switch over, the ICS interface is (to me) much cleaner and more user-friendly. Also, more customizable
1a. Tablet specific: Since ICS was created for for phones and tablets, the interface also works really well for a tablet, instead of just being a port of a phone interface.
2. USB OTG: I know this is a big point for a lot of people with the 3.0 kernel development, but having this even working a little is definitely a bonus
Thanks all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rooted stock.
1. It's actually the same all behind the scenes.. could be placebo that makes stock feel nicer.
2. Just download the amazon app store and any app you bought on amazon will be available on an device or os.
3. Google play is google play. Not sure about it being limited to anything though. I think it uses galaxy tab 10.1 build.prop.
4. Seems about the same to mee. Unles you are pre 4/28 kernel and your unit wad not deep sleeping right.
5. On energy ics with 4/28 kernel I have not yet dropped WiFi or had a single FC. But.on previous builds it was pretty unstable.
ICS.
1. It is nice, but not having the full screen for icons sucks. Is like an asop build at some point. Still better than stock 6.3 with go launcher.
2.USB host is kick ass..
Bottom line.
If you need book borrowing or amazon streaming then stock non rooted is really the best way to go. Of you could care leas about borrowing or streaming (srsly, netflix and hulu have twice the content and its not a dollar f-ing 99 PER episode!! wtf amazon.. 80 bucks a year for prime and that's how you do me? 1.99 per episode of New Girl? Die in a fire amazon...)
Ics on kindle is amazing I like to bring it to best buy and WoW the retarded pc sales guys.. lol.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using XDA

Serinety said:
Rooted stock.
1. It's actually the same all behind the scenes.. could be placebo that makes stock feel nicer.
2. Just download the amazon app store and any app you bought on amazon will be available on an device or os.
3. Google play is google play. Not sure about it being limited to anything though. I think it uses galaxy tab 10.1 build.prop.
4. Seems about the same to mee. Unles you are pre 4/28 kernel and your unit wad not deep sleeping right.
5. On energy ics with 4/28 kernel I have not yet dropped WiFi or had a single FC. But.on previous builds it was pretty unstable.
ICS.
1. It is nice, but not having the full screen for icons sucks. Is like an asop build at some point. Still better than stock 6.3 with go launcher.
2.USB host is kick ass..
Bottom line.
If you need book borrowing or amazon streaming then stock non rooted is really the best way to go. Of you could care leas about borrowing or streaming (srsly, netflix and hulu have twice the content and its not a dollar f-ing 99 PER episode!! wtf amazon.. 80 bucks a year for prime and that's how you do me? 1.99 per episode of New Girl? Die in a fire amazon...)
Ics on kindle is amazing I like to bring it to best buy and WoW the retarded pc sales guys.. lol.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply. A couple of counter-points to yours:
1. The stock reader is actually a bit different from the Kindle App. The stock reader handles things like margins and line spacing better than the android app. I tested this out with the same book on both. I think the ICS android app still needs some work, as the Gingerbread/CM7 version also looks better than than ICS one (my opinion).
2. Actually, even installing the Amazon App store will typically not let you install games/apps with the Kindle Fire Edition moniker. Most apps will work just fine, you're correct, but any of those specific ones (I think mostly games, but could be others) won't even show up, much less install. Folks have even tried the full titanium backup/restore with mixed results. So, if you don't have any of these kinds of apps, this is really a non-issue.
Thanks.

I was staying away from ICS due to lack of hw accel, but I switched over recently.
However, I saw that Wired magazine app doesn't work on ICS so I had to return back to stock.
Now, I'm considering dualbooting ICS with stock. It seems to be the most viable option.

Aesrys said:
1. Stock reader: To me, the reader on the stock (or rooter stock) rom is much better than the Kindle for Android app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you checked out an app called FBReader? Personally, I prefer it over the Kindle Reader app, and it could negate one of stock's "good points"...

Dasanko said:
Have you checked out an app called FBReader? Personally, I prefer it over the Kindle Reader app, and it could negate one of stock's "good points"...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, I haven't heard of it, but I'll give it a look, thanks.

I've tried both and found ICS slower on calling up web pages.
I really don't see what it adds to the party over and above Modaco.
I would describe ICS as more like tossed salad as in it's all over the place.
Also Amazon Appstore wouldn't install or me on ICS. Maybe because I am outside the US

Any app that is designated as [Kindle Fire Edition] will only work on the stock KF. So that's something to think about when buying apps from Amazon Appstore. I really hate the KF UI and much prefer ICS. The home page carousel is the worst.

Android Cowboy said:
Any app that is designated as [Kindle Fire Edition] will only work on the stock KF. So that's something to think about when buying apps from Amazon Appstore. I really hate the KF UI and much prefer ICS. The home page carousel is the worst.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was actually able to get one Kindle Fire Edition app to work on ICS, Dead Space. Had to to a backup using Titanium Backup from MoDaCo and then restore to ICS. Of course, I likely won't get any updates. Funny thing is, this same process wouldn't work for 2 Gameloft games (DH2 and Asphalt 6).

CM 10 and customizing the phone

Just installed Quarx remarkable cm10 rom and am shocked at how stable and useable it is. However i have a few questions and so if you know the answers help me out please.
is there a better default launcher (basically i had cm7 set up with custom icons on the apps on the home screen and also was able to fit 5 or 6 apps across the width and am wondering is there anyway i can do this now in jelly bean)?
is there anyway i can get the app drawer to scroll down instead of sideways?
how the heck do i get rid of that annoying google search bar at the top of my home screen?
why is there no dsp audio settings for bluetooth? is this a bug or something that hasnt yet been implemeted?
EDIT: Oh yes and what has happened to the ability to long press the buttons like search that will launch a custom action?
and rather than start a new thread... just in case i decide to bail back to cm7 kang will i need to install the froyo kernal first in recovery? for info purposes i am using a red lense defy and the gingerbread kernal i flashed before installing cm10 is the first time i have ever flashed a kernal.

Launcher
Use Apex Launcher..much better than the stock launcher...u can also remove the search bar in this one

Siben Nayak said:
Use Apex Launcher..much better than the stock launcher...u can also remove the search bar in this one
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks for that will give it a bash
anybody else know the answers to the other stuff.
edit:
ok wow i have just installed apex launcher and i have to say it is gonna take a good evening of sorting out there are that many options. i like it. so cheers buddy.
however i am getting this horrible lag when using the phone. sometimes it is taking upwards of five seconds for the phone to acknowledge a touch. it is extremely frustrating especially coming from c7 kang when everything and i mean everything was virtually instant. not sure if this is sort of normal expected behaviour considering cm10 is only a few weeks old but if it carries on and despite the fact i love it i will be forced to return to cm7.

you can use nova launcher it is very beautiful.
dsp setting can be reached from the music player app or from google play music app
for other tweaks, you should wait for the new nightly ROMs to bring

rabe3ab said:
you can use nova launcher it is very beautiful.
dsp setting can be reached from the music player app or from google play music app
for other tweaks, you should wait for the new nightly ROMs to bring
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i can reach the dsp settings but there is no bluetooth settings or am i missing something? does the rom lag on your phone?

rockmonkey1973 said:
i can reach the dsp settings but there is no bluetooth settings or am i missing something? does the rom lag on your phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
for Bluetooth settings flash this http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1728391 that modification sounds better than the integrated dsp.
Jelly powered.Defy

I've tried both. The latest quarx rom and now i'm on epys lates rom.
I'm use the holo launcher hd - it's optimized for jb and works perfect.
In both roms is the dsp manager present. For bluetooth settings you have to scroll right.
The ability for the buttons can be found in epys last build. I didn't found them on quarxs 08/04 build.
Sent from my GT-P7500 using XDA Premium HD app

marco.michel said:
I've tried both. The latest quarx rom and now i'm on epys lates rom.
I'm use the holo launcher hd - it's optimized for jb and works perfect.
In both roms is the dsp manager present. For bluetooth settings you have to scroll right.
The ability for the buttons can be found in epys last build. I didn't found them on quarxs 08/04 build.
Sent from my GT-P7500 using XDA Premium HD app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
in your experience would you say epys is more stable than quarx.
i think part of my problem is that i used titanium back up to install a fair few apps with there data and maybe if i hadnt i wouldnt be encountering so many slow downs and lag but i hasten to add that i was already seeing it on the rom before i restored the apps so i dont want to blame it totally.
by the way i have found the bluetooth settings so thanks mate. i simply opened the app and it was there so i aint sure how i missed them first time off!!!
no you are right quarx build doesnt have the buttons set up as yet.
i may do a wipe and start again and may even try epys build but epy seems to be busy with other things and i dont want to be using a rom that is no longer supported. if i do i will give holo launcher a bash although i am mighty impressed with apex. already i have been able to set up the homescreen as before and the app drawer is back to one long vertical scrolling list. so we are getting there.
what i dont seem to notice is any sort of hwa going on in fact my experience is the phone runs a lot choppier and slower than when i was using cm7.
another alternative is to go back to cm7 and use one of the ics themes which in all honesty doesnt seem like a bad option to me. i will decide over the weekend when i have some time to play around. thankfully thanks to the recovery it is pretty painles to switch between builds once you have set them up.

AnTerNoZ said:
for Bluetooth settings flash this http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1728391 that modification sounds better than the integrated dsp.
Jelly powered.Defy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hmm that looks great cheers mate. i will give that a try some time very soon. dont know how i missed that... thats what happens when you stop keeping up to date with development for a few months. once i had skanks cm7 installed and the phone just ran so so so well i just ceased to pay any attention to what was happening.
not read past the initial post but there it says it is for ics but i am taking it is also compatible with jelly bean?

rockmonkey1973 said:
...thats what happens when you stop keeping up to date with development for a few months.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
we've now had an stock recovery that's flash all zip include custom ROM. have a method to flash custom ROM with rsd light. and all bl can be rooted now.
[sarcasm]no 'big' change [/sarcasm]
rockmonkey1973 said:
not read past the initial post but there it says it is for ics but i am taking it is also compatible with jelly bean?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm running Epsylons 06.08 build and it worked :thumbup:
Jelly powered.Defy

ok i can only imagine i have screwed something up using titanium back up because the lag is actually making the phone unuseable. i simply havent had time to fix it but i will have tomrrow and the first thing i am gonna do is a full wipe. i think i am also going to try running both epys and quarx and also use both the froyo and gingerbread kernals and see which combination works best. i am also going to remove titanium back up. if it cant handle restoring user apps and the data between platforms then it is of no use to me because google will reinstall all the apps on its own.
so i must have simply screwed it up because nobody would use the rom if it was as bad as it is on my phone. i also dont like the no wifi tethering deal. that is something that is extremely handy and if it doesnt work then even if i can get cm10 running smooth as silk then i will most likely not use it as a daily. another bug bear is the lack of flash support. i use the iplayer a lot and the fact that one needs flash to use it means jelly bean may be a step too far. i guess i want to get it running properly because it annoys me when things dont work right and by my very nature i am forced to try to fix it (it is almost a genetic defect of mine). however as i say if i cant use wifi tethering and flash then i probably wont run it as the rom i use daily.
does anyone know if ics is the same? is wifi tethering also broke with cm9?

rockmonkey1973 said:
....does anyone know if ics is the same? is wifi tethering also broke with cm9?
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in CM10 u can use some tehter-app from PlayStore, someone in dev thread say it worked. CM9 is the same as CM10 for me with tethering, but I really don't use it more than twice in three month.
titanium backup is bad if u restore more than the apk on CM10 nightlys, it totally ruins the system if u came from other ROM, had the same issue. I use it for apps that not from PlayStore, it's ok for that.
Jelly powered.Defy

right installed the froyo kernal today with the latest 08/08/2012 nightly for the mb525 and i have to say there is a world of differnce. it is now running pretty damn silky and although it is lacking one or two things it is quite amazing for a build only 3-4 weeks in development. tomorrow (was super busy today) i am gonna give the ics builds a crack and also the gingerbread kernal cm10. i will then decide which one to keep.
obviously i didnt use titanium for squat diddly which i think helped.
i did try barnacle wifi tethering before and it didnt work but then again so many of my apps didnt work after the restore that it may have been that. i will give it another bash tomorrow.
really like the defy recovery app. not used this before and it makes managing roms and backups pretty sweet eh. have to say i am impressed with the level of development still going into this phone despite it being quite long in the tooth. i would have changed it months ago but there isnt anything out there built quite like it. if only moto would upgrade it make it slightly thinner, give us a better camera, a dual core snapdragon 1.5 cpu and a 4 inch screen but keep the same thin profile bezel and superb build quality and i would buy it tomorrow! i did for a week trade it for an atrix which at the time was the flagship but i sold it and bought another defy because the build quality was just totally second rate compared to the defy.
come on moto i can live with your locked bootloader and non existent support (assuming the same old same old lot of devs also came along for the ride). just give us a decent updated version sit back and watch the coin roll in.

ok i can confirm that barnacle does work and that is me sold on this rom and will now use it as my daily.
decided against trying ics because it isnt gonna get an official cm release for the defy (i dont think) and even if it does all the work is now taking place on cm10 so it doesnt make sense to drop down a release.
have to say i used the defy rom updater for the first time today. talk about being spoilt. man that app is just so damn good. i was able to back up my phone and update to the latest nightly and i didnt have to do anything in recovery... it even rebooted the phone for me!!! super stuff.

Is anyone with wifi problem?

steop said:
Is anyone with wifi problem?
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need a bit more info mate. what is the wifi problem? in general i have no wifi issues it connects to my network and reconnects when the phone is turned on and stays connected when i am using it. so i dont.
i have decided to stay with the side swipe for the app drawer instead of going back to one long list. it makes a refreshing change.
i have also been discovering that on many apps there is a side swipe to get quick access to the next bit. the classic mistakes i have made are with the dsp manager and es file explorer. i was touching the tabs at the top instead of just swiping the screen left and right. the more i try this the more i see many apps have implemented the same useability.
another real palm job is the alarm. i have for years been tapping the plus and minus sign to set the right hour and minutes in the alarm. recently i discovered that i could simply swipe it down or up. quite mad really that i have wasted so much time without realising it.
cm10 is now running well with next to no issues. what a difference a wipe and totally clean install make.

Removing Google Search Bar
You can remove the persistent google search bar by going to Settings>Launcher>Homescreen and deselecting the Search bar option.

Hello.
I've been testing JB during this week, and I would like to know a way to remove the config button from the notifications screen, because sometimes the clear all notifications button is not visible or accesible. Is there a way to do that?
Thanks :cyclops:

Is stock good enough for you?

I've been playing with this tablet for about a day now and I must say, I don't think I've ever had the feeling that I didn't need to Root for any reason, but this tablet just works so well out of the box that I'm not missing anything in terms of performance or applications.
I was just wondering if anyone decided to forgo the flashing/rooting/roming process because the tablet just works.

Amen brother. So good out of the box... Just tasted Google Play Music as well... Wow! Almost don't even need Nova Launcher with stock JB 4.3 haha I might not bother rooting this time round unless something really uber comes along

Well I do think it is very nice out the box. Smooth and snappy. So, yes stock is good enough for me right now. I have root and recovery, so if some custom rom comes along and it looks interesting, I may try it out. However, until that image is released, everybody is going to be pretty close to stock. The only thing I don't like is the toggles/tiles don't work like they should. I tap the wifi tile and it opens the settings for wifi, not turn it on. Not a big deal tho...

Nope. I need the custom re-boot menu and quiet hours and I can no longer live without Pie.
THe stock worked perfectly tho. I had no issues at all.

Gotta have root for the six axis app so I can game it up with my ps3 c controller
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4

Grievance said:
Amen brother. So good out of the box... Just tasted Google Play Music as well... Wow! Almost don't even need Nova Launcher with stock JB 4.3 haha I might not bother rooting this time round unless something really uber comes along
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I ended up installing Action Launcher just to have those shutters and widgets

DaemonAshra said:
I ended up installing Action Launcher just to have those shutters and widgets
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Action Launcher doesn't count in this discussion, personally. It's basically good enough to kick the tar out of launchers on just about any framework you'll ever find (although it does look a tad out of place on my otherwise Sense-running HTC One).
Mostly yes, but I still root because I enjoy using Greenify and there are some other behaviors that require more permissions than stock Android will give us. The inclusion of the app permission manager though is quite wonderful.

mssam said:
The only thing I don't like is the toggles/tiles don't work like they should. I tap the wifi tile and it opens the settings for wifi, not turn it on. Not a big deal tho...
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Long hold. They reversed the behavior from 4.2. Short tap = settings, Long tap = toggle on/off. Quite honestly, I prefer it in the 4.3 way better. I really don't turn off WiFi or Bluetooth, and having to go settings -> wireless -> bluetooth to get to the bluetooth settings was a bit much.

I root for the couple of apps that need it, but I run stock otherwise. Did on my original N7 as well.

No stuck sucks..... waste...

aka420 said:
No stuck sucks..... waste...
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Thank you for that brilliantly enlightening post.

I am happy with my stock setup right now. I am unlocked and rooted though. I also tried a couple of kernels but I am back to stock kernel. Same with ROMs. I will continue trying new ROMs but will keep using stock for now. My ultimate ROM will be a stable/clean ROM with Tablet UI.

aka420 said:
No stuck sucks..... waste...
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Thanks. You are a shining example of conversational excellence.

Stock rom will be good enough until all if not all issues are resolved with the CM. Till then, ijust have my N7 rooted for titanium back up and other misc apps that require root.

Stock is good enough for my needs, but I installed CM anyway just to get that little extra
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

Running stock + Root + Extra Power Menu
At least right now that is good enough since its so quick. I'd like to try out other roms or have a good kernel but going to wait til more testing is done with what is out there and get some of the bugs worked out as I've tried them but get mixed results for performance and stability. Right now stability is key and performance is very good as is stock, but more is always better, in due time

I find I miss the little things CM had. For example when downloading. In stock the arrow stays there constantly lit, it doesn't do the animation.

Thing is, it might look and feel smooth, but it can always get better. Rooting and custom ROMS just simply allow the further enhancements, customization, smoothness, and potential to save battery life. I really don't see any reason not to Root/use custom ROMS for any case as long as your comfortable with the process. Maybe if the device was used for business i could understand that maybe, but for personal usage why not take advantage of whats out there instead of settling for less? It's not like it voids your warranty anyways when you can always restore it to stock before turning it in.

To be honest I cant see how anyone can live without some of the great things that require root
Linaro/03 optimized kernels
Overclocking
PER APP DPI
Trickstermod
Rom Toolbox
Lux autobrightnes (If you read books on this puppy it's a must)
Fully featured equalizer - seriously this needs to be universal on all devices
SD Maid
Titanium backup
Custom toggles, and AOKP ribbon controls
Custom boot animations
...Stickmount (don't you need root for this?)
And thats just off the top of my head stuff that I personally use all the time. So I guess most of that stuff could be run on a "stock" setup, but where is the fun in that. What is the point in investing in suck an awesome dev device, and not loading up on the fantastic tools that have been made possible through the hard work of XDA's members?
McKay91 said:
I find I miss the little things CM had. For example when downloading. In stock the arrow stays there constantly lit, it doesn't do the animation.
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Try a different browser, dolphin is awesome, and shows you tons of details when you download files. The notification icon itself is very unobtrusive.

Except that recent versions of dolphin have made it horribad. I found it so slow as to be unusable and have moved to chrome. Dolphin also force quits on my phone all the time for no apparent reason. Used to love it.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda