Root Rooting/Modded firmware worth it?

[JimmiG]

I'm running a non-branded Desire (bought without contract) with the official 2.2 update and I must say I'm very happy with it.

Supposedly, rooting and especially, switching to a modded firmware like the CyanogenMOD would bring new features and improvements to my device. Would those really be worth the hassle and risk?

What exactly am I missing by sticking with the official HTC firmware? Would performance and/or battery life improve, or are the improvements only cosmetic? If so, how is it different from switching to e.g. LauncherPro, which can be installed on a completely unmodded Desire? That really changes the phone completely, and you could also replace things like the SMS app and browser with alternatives, without resorting to mods or rooting. However I'm finding the Sense apps are excellent for the most part.

Also, I've been reading about modded firmwares introducing new problems, such has WiFi connectivity problems, headphones not being recognized etc. I have no such issues with the official firmware.

I'm sure it will be worth it in the future, with new versions of Android possibly not being backported to the Desire, but what about right now?

 

[PureLoneWolf]

I think you have already answered your own question regarding custom roms..

I love HTC Sense, but wanted a different experience (I dislike the integration forced upon you for syncing etc for example)..I also was curious to see how I could change the user experience.

I would say that if you are happy with your current setup, changing over is by no means necessary.

Rooting, on the other hand, I felt was necessary for me. Initially, I just wanted to take a full backup of the entire system and it's configuration (Nandroid)...as I said before, I moved to a custom rom when I discovered that I wasn't entirely happy with some of the Sense integrations and features.

I do miss some of the sense widgets and the HTC Email client, but I have found alternatives for almost everything and, for me, the experience is better now.

YMMV...if you want to see what is out there without rooting and installing a custom rom, you should definitely install a replacement launcher to get a feel for how it would change for you.

You can do so much without rooting, I would recommend following that route first, until you discover something that only a custom rom can give you.

For the record, I moved to CyanogenMod myself and have no issues with Battery, Wifi, headphones or anything else.

 

[EddyOS]

Good advice there, I went custom and have now gone back to stock as everything I want is available on a stock ROM...

 

[ajanu]

LoneWolf, what are you using for email? im running defrost and hate the stock email app.

JimmiG: If your happy with sense, there is no major reason to change. I like that I'm not running stock, as 2.2 is not released OTA here in Canada. I need to get A2SD+ running, I'm getting low on space. I think you can do this with the sense rom, but need a script and may need root anyway. It's as simple as formatting the card for me. DeFrost has an app to download additions to the rom, and now ships with all app deleated, they canbe added after though the app. You can also flash notification icon mods, OCd kernals, adblock and other stuff easily with the app. I have a black notification bar with coloured icons on it, and few if any apps I don't actually want on my phone. Im considering getting S-off to purge the last few I don't want. DSP manager lets me set 3 different eqs for phone speaker, headphones and bluetooth, so now all 3 sound as good as I can make them.

Rooting and installing a custom rom is asking for problems. Something somewhere will probably not go as planned. In the process however you learn something about how your phone works. Part of my drive to get an android phone was to get as much control as possible over how the phone works. A friend was complaining about how his sms is frustrating and he can't use mp3s as ringtones on his new samsung dumbphone. I have none of these problems and the issues I do have are slowly being worked out as I find apps that work for me. Being rooted and on a custom ROM only further this, they certainly don't enable it

 

[SUroot]

Ajanu, if you don't want the hassle of S-off, just go to your sd card, Defrostsetup and located the latest rom there, open the zip and go to system/app. You can delete them and then just reflash it over using clockwork or defrost set up.

That's what I do when I find I have missed an app.

 

[teppic74]

If you want stock I think a rooted stock ROM is a good idea. You get all the stability of stock but you get extra options, like installing system app updates to the system instead of data, extending battery life (without harming performance), and so on.

 

[PureLoneWolf]

LoneWolf, what are you using for email? im running defrost and hate the stock email app.

I am using the stock client, which would be perfectly adequate if it had the same scheduling capabilities as the HTC Client. With the HTC client you have the ability to schedule sync times for peak and off-peak.

I set peak as Mon-Fri 0800-1800, sync every 30 minutes and off peak as the rest, sync manually.

I can't find a single other client that allows this unfortunately, and I can't find a way to install the HTC client.

Ah well....

 

[SUroot]

You can't have anything HTC on aosp I afraid

 

[PureLoneWolf]

Yeah, I know...but my mum always said that if you wish hard enough...sometimes Santa brings you nice things

 

[Jammy]

You could try rewriting the HTC apps

 

[PureLoneWolf]

lol - That would involve a lot of patience...oh yeah, and me finding some kind of programming talent from somewhere...

 

[Jammy]

Try down the side of your couch, you can find anything there O_O

 

[PureLoneWolf]

I did find a couple of euros, oh..and half a pack of smokes I thought I had lost.

As with everything though, life is bitter sweet..stabbed myself with a needle.

No discernible talent down there though unfortunately...