OS burnout?

[ajdroidx]

Sorry, another one of my random spout-off thinking out loud post

I have started to wonder if perhaps I am getting burned out from android. I know. Crazy talk.

No doubt android is moving fast, very fast and perhaps this is part of the reason. Perhaps it is moving too fast for me to stay caught up. I keep slipping in and out of developer mode where I flash roms, unlock bootloaders root and so on. Being out of the loop for a while can put me seriously behind. Or I miss crucial steps because a new method of doing something is achieved or what not. Perhaps this is what happened with my Note II (which seems to be behaving better, but I am now gun shy about doing anything to ANY samsung device for fear of bricking it. Or erasing the nandroid or have the nandroid not even take and I wipe out the factory image).

Perhaps I just need to step back and take a break from android. I am not sure.

The HTC one was just announced and its like, Meh. There seems to be no excitement. Not that Apple is doing any better. The same song and dance on every device is... Meh.

I root, unlock my bootloaders, add custom recovery then every so often, through a rom on a device. But other then that, things are still pretty stock. To get back to stock, I need to flash (usually via Odin or ADB for example) factory images, mostly with the use of PC. Windows, I grew sick of, and most development needs a windows machine. With drivers. And often comes a headache for some reason.

I don't know. I wonder if I really am burned out from Android? Perhaps its the constant need for updates on the roms, the care and feeding of open devices that have been modified, kind of puts a different spin on things after a while, where as a stock device may be better the next time around, but then comes the temptation of tinkering with things.

Perhaps I have gotten what I wanted out of android and now looking for a new experience? Maybe I just need to be the "average consumer" for a bit

Maybe get a device and leave it stock, out of the box experience. An actual device instead of just a toy to tinker with, like a few of my devices have been.

 

[XplosiV]

Just get your phone to do what you want / need it to, and be happy. Then just try out new apps and features and stuff as and when they behind available.

 

[ajdroidx]

I managed to get photos from my Sony RX100 onto my Nexus 7 with a little tinkering. It is not as elegant as the iPad method, but it worked good

Really snapped things around and put a smile on my face

 

[breadnatty08]

AJ, I'm often burned out on Android.
I love the OS, but I just need it to do a few things and do it intuitively and quickly.
It's always fun to tinker, root, ROM, but at the end of the day (for me), if it can't quickly pull up my dialer, send a text, check travel times or get on Tapatalk, then I want nothing to do with it.

 

[9to5cynic]

It's odd, when I had my Evo, I was always flashing new roms and trying out new things. When I had my gnex, the rom I flashed was excellent and I never flashed again.

Shoot, I'm still on stock with my GS3. You just find what works and that's enough (for me).

 

[Speed Daemon]

I remember when I religiously tracked the latest Linux kernel releases, made sure I had the latest one, and configured and compiled my kernel and modules to be just so for each of my systems. After a while I lost my enthusiasm for it, and settled for the stock kernel. You know what? It doesn't bother me any more staying stock! I'm completely happy running my apps.

 

[Gmash]

I'm at the point of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". Most ROMs have some little bugs, and just when they are almost perfect, the dev will abandon it or move on to a new phone. Granted, some phones have a crap stock ROM, and make flashing a custom ROM almost a necessity, but I haven't felt the need to do anything to my S3 besides ditch the terrible Touchwiz launcher. Hell, I'm still on ICS, and honestly don't really even care about updating to JB. Maybe I'm just getting old lol.

 

[SiempreTuna]

Have to agree - I don't see the point in messing around with ROMs. I stick with stock. Then again, I don't really use my phone for anything terribly clever.

 

[NYCHitman1]

I'm at the point of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". Most ROMs have some little bugs, and just when they are almost perfect, the dev will abandon it or move on to a new phone. Granted, some phones have a crap stock ROM, and make flashing a custom ROM almost a necessity, but I haven't felt the need to do anything to my S3 besides ditch the terrible Touchwiz launcher. Hell, I'm still on ICS, and honestly don't really even care about updating to JB. Maybe I'm just getting old lol.

The dreaded TW! <3 Sense, even though I have an SGS3 now. In any event, I haven't gotten to that stage yet. Each new (heavy hitter) device that hits the market, I tend to get my hands on and it refreshes how I feel about technology (and Android) as a whole.

 

[!on]

I remember when I religiously tracked the latest Linux kernel releases, made sure I had the latest one, and configured and compiled my kernel and modules to be just so for each of my systems. After a while I lost my enthusiasm for it, and settled for the stock kernel. You know what? It doesn't bother me any more staying stock! I'm completely happy running my apps.

I'm glad to be a rookie concerning this stuff! That said, the urge was there to root, update etc. I just took my time until finally caving in. My view is if you want the best CM9 (for example), then wait for the last one (before they move onto CM10). My phone is old now, but I do still want updates. Why not?

I used to obsess over the homescreens. Constantly moving apps & widgets. The best thing to do probably is keep it simple. Put apps in folders, move to dock. Have the bare minimum of widgets. Only three screens. Until I get bored & change it again .

 

[ajdroidx]

You know, I wonder if Windows is actually the cause of many of my issues. Seems like any time I try to do something with an android device, a driver issue pops up.

I installed ADB on my sisters wind 7 (64bit) laptop last night, plugged in the one X, downloaded the drivers, copied my TWRP and DCIM directories, decided to give a go to get S-OFF on the device and made NO progress. There was no bricking or anything, but S-ON remains.

First couple times I was just stock rooted, so I downloaded Viper XL and tried again, this time when I plugged the device in, windows decided it needed to install drivers again. What ever.

I figured as long as ADB could read the phone, it did not matter so I kept going. And same thing, made it all the way through and still have S-ON. At this point, I gave up. It is not a HUGE issue, but its bugging me. I was hoping to add a new Kernel or something for better battery life and doing some other cool tweaks, but can't because I can't turn S-OFF.

I am running 1.09 with a firmware of 1.85.

Perhaps I missed something? I am not sure, but it is annoying that windows needs drivers for everything, even after I installed them.

ADB knew the device was there because I issued: "adb devices" before starting to make sure.

I am nervous to try my windows 8 machine because of the windows 7 issues.

Meh.

At least I don't have a brick.

I am starting to suspect it may be Windows is the root of many of my problems and some cause of burnout.

Perhaps I just need a dedicated Windows dev machine. I do have a full version of windows 8 pro 64bit for system builders but I don't know...

 

[Stuntman]

Firefox is coming out with a phone OS.

 

[breadnatty08]

Firefox is coming out with a phone OS.

Will be interested to see it, but what manufacturer will jump on it? Or, are they making it in house?

 

[mikedt]

Will be interested to see it, but what manufacturer will jump on it? Or, are they making it in house?

Chinese manufacturers probably. From what I've read about it so far, I get the idea that Firefox OS phones are intended to be low cost(unlike iOS*, WinPhone* and BB10*) and primarily for emerging markets. It will go head to head with Android.

* Most of the world's population can't afford >$600 smart-phones.

 

[Frisco]

The Op sounds like my thinking about my new car last year. I kept my (bought new in 1990) car and end up driving it more often sometimes during the course of a week or so than the nice new one.

No real reason.. well, it does get better fuel mileage, but it's mainly just because it fits me like a glove so to speak.

This OS, Android, is highly configurable. I can make it look and act like an iPhone if I want to.. so I do once in a while. But no, I'm not going to purchase an iPhone.

 

[brad1601]

I do kinda know what your saying and I think the best solution is for your next phone, get a Nexus device.

You'll never feel like your 'behind' and need to constantly update to the latest custom rom, as you know you've always got the very latest version of android instantly OTA.

I went from my GS3 to a Nexus 4 and couldn't be happier with it. I can't see me needing a custom rom for it, which is a real change from my last 4 android phones.

 

[jmar]

You know, I wonder if Windows is actually the cause of many of my issues. Seems like any time I try to do something with an android device, a driver issue pops up.

I installed ADB on my sisters wind 7 (64bit) laptop last night, plugged in the one X, downloaded the drivers, copied my TWRP and DCIM directories, decided to give a go to get S-OFF on the device and made NO progress. There was no bricking or anything, but S-ON remains.

First couple times I was just stock rooted, so I downloaded Viper XL and tried again, this time when I plugged the device in, windows decided it needed to install drivers again. What ever.

I figured as long as ADB could read the phone, it did not matter so I kept going. And same thing, made it all the way through and still have S-ON. At this point, I gave up. It is not a HUGE issue, but its bugging me. I was hoping to add a new Kernel or something for better battery life and doing some other cool tweaks, but can't because I can't turn S-OFF.

I am running 1.09 with a firmware of 1.85.

Perhaps I missed something? I am not sure, but it is annoying that windows needs drivers for everything, even after I installed them.

ADB knew the device was there because I issued: "adb devices" before starting to make sure.

I am nervous to try my windows 8 machine because of the windows 7 issues.

Meh.

At least I don't have a brick.

I am starting to suspect it may be Windows is the root of many of my problems and some cause of burnout.

Perhaps I just need a dedicated Windows dev machine. I do have a full version of windows 8 pro 64bit for system builders but I don't know...

Hey AJ,

Many people have no problems using Windows to mod/talk to their phones via adb. I had problems on and off myself with Windows.

Since I switched to Ubuntu Linux I haven't had a single adb issue. I have had no driver issues on Ubuntu Linux, specific to Nexus devices, ever.

So yes, maybe it is Windows. Personally, I can't stand Windows. I won't go back. But that doesn't mean you can't find a solution in Windows. My solution was to leave and I couldn't be happier.

jmar