Root Best ROM for a new Android User on stock 2.2?

[bigdaddydo]

Hey guys!

I just got my Samsung Captivate and I must say that I am loving it so far. It sucks because I am sooo spoiled by my previous iPhone. Jailbreaking was as simple as clicking the button!

I wanted to ask what is the best ROM out there to use? I am a new Android user so please keep that in mind. I hope you guys don't flame me, but I want to know aleast what ROM I will flash to so that I have a general path to follow. It seems as if serendipity is the best from what I have been reading. My phone is currently on stock 2.2 rooted with super one click.

Thanks guys!

 

[2manyPHONES]

serendipity is my top choice right now, i just rooted my captivate yesterday and have been reading about the different roms and that one seems to be a good one everyone seems to love it too.

(and yes i am forum stalking you)

 

[bigdaddydo]

serendipity is my top choice right now, i just rooted my captivate yesterday and have been reading about the different roms and that one seems to be a good one everyone seems to love it too.

(and yes i am forum stalking you)

Haha, don't even worry about it! I appreciate all the help you have been giving me, super useful!

 

[mttfrog13]

serendipity if you want the gingerbread theme, cognition if you're fine with the default touchwiz theme. There are some other good roms out there, but I can't really stand how intrusive and IMO ugly some of the themes are. I like a minimalistic looking theme. Some roms have small tweaks that others don't have but you can get most of them on serendipity easily with the tweak "kitchen".

 

[xThaNaturalx]

My two cents. I would recommend either Serendipity or Di11i's 7.1. Similar in features, completely different in style. They both do things like enhance voodoo sound, increase RAM, etc. Serendipity is a much more simplistic, formal looking ROM. Di11i's is more futuristic in my opinion. The nice thing about Serendipity is that it's probably the most popular ROM, so most people will have advice and tips on what to do if you're having problems. It also is nice to have a lot of different theme batches. I switched from Serendipity 5.12 to Di11i's yesterday, and I really enjoyed it today. But I'll probably eventually end up going back to Serendipity.

 

[Buddha64]

In that boat. Had the phone since September, thinking about diving into ROMs. A little daunting, all the stuff out there. Might just try Serendipity (6.3 is the latest it seems).

 

[chicknlil]

Recommended reading before ROMing: Risks and Benefits - CapFaq. And since it can't be emphasized enough...

YOU WILL 100% VOID YOUR PHONE'S WARRANTY. Once you do this you cannot take it back to AT&T or Samsung.

If after reading that you're still hellbent on installing a ROM, CapFaq also has a ROM table.

My personal suggestion if you're going from stock would be to go to Cognition first. It'll give you an experience close to what you're already used to with some added bonuses. If, after using that for a week or two (or more!) you feel like you want to adventure beyond that, go for it. If you don't appreciate that there's a learning curve with this stuff then you're begging to fall flat on your face.

 

[Buddha64]

^-- Of course, the obvious question is, why call this "Risks and Benefits" when he doesn't mention a single benefit.

 

[Jack45]

^-- Of course, the obvious question is, why call this "Risks and Benefits" when he doesn't mention a single benefit.

From the dawn of time sremick has not been a big fan of forum members flashing custom ROMs or utilizing lag fixes. Here's one (of quite a few) posts that reflect his mindset:

"Most people installing hacked ROMs and "lagfixes" have no real sense of what they're actually installing and what they're actually doing to their phones, or the potential consequences. They see these things peddled about and championed by other people (who also probably don't really know), and figure they're safe, endorsed silver-bullets to their desires/problems."

So, the section "Risks and Benefits" is more accurately "Benefit from Understanding the Risks."

 

[Buddha64]

From the dawn of time sremick has not been a big fan of forum members flashing custom ROMs or utilizing lag fixes. Here's one (of quite a few) posts that reflect his mindset:

"Most people installing hacked ROMs and "lagfixes" have no real sense of what they're actually installing and what they're actually doing to their phones, or the potential consequences. They see these things peddled about and championed by other people (who also probably don't really know), and figure they're safe, endorsed silver-bullets to their desires/problems."

So, the section "Risks and Benefits" is more accurately "Benefit from Understanding the Risks."

How has Serendipity worked for you? Any issues I should be cognizant of before (if) I proceed?

 

[Jack45]

How has Serendipity worked for you? Any issues I should be cognizant of before (if) I proceed?

I am very pleased with Serendipity (and I don't settle). The xda Serendipity forum is helpful for those needing it, and if any updates require tweaking, the tweaks are offered up quickly. Additionally, once you flash a major ROM version, e.g., 6.3, any minor updates may be flashed in an incremental fashion rather than requiring a new, full ROM flash. The incrementals take mere seconds to apply via recovery mode. There's also a Serendipity kitchen that offers up version-specific, tested customizations. Add-ons - Serendipity

Fast, no bloatware, stable. Highly recommended.

And did I mention freedom from Samsung?

 

[Buddha64]

I get the whole "freedom from Scamscum" thing. And since AT&T credited me for the price I paid and put me month to month (yea! no contract), I'm not overly concerned with bricking a "$500" phone, but I'm still just a little nervous with the idea of doing it.

Same could be said of my laptop... I'll run Ubuntu from a CD, but I'm not going that extra step to install it permanently. I guess it's the idea of it being "permanent."

 

[Jack45]

...but I'm still just a little nervous with the idea of doing it.

As well you should be. I did a lot of homework before taking the plunge in mid-December and sweated through the first flash. It's not something to be taken lightly. For those into the "flash o' the day" routine, it's second nature. For the rest of the unwashed masses, beware.

 

[Okay-66]

serendipity is my top choice right now, i just rooted my captivate yesterday and have been reading about the different roms and that one seems to be a good one everyone seems to love it too.

(and yes i am forum stalking you)

Good insight. Where can I find the information on ROM comparison?

Which ROM should I choose for stability and crisp display and features?

I installed the Cognition 4.1 on my Captivate. It disabled the corporate email and general email options. But, I want these options in. However, the phone seems faster using the Voodoo lag fix that comes with Cognition. I have been thinking of getting the best ROM out there with stability, good display and layout. I want to instal a good ROM and stay with it for the long-term. I have been thinking about:
- Serendipity.
- Cognition 4.3 (new release in late March 2011).
- CyanogenMod 7.

Also, I will like to upgrade my captivate to the big leagues using Gingerbread.

Can someone tell me where I can get a good comparison of ROMs for Captivate? I will like a side-by-side comparison. I have been to XDA-Developers' site but it is an information jungle, difficult to find succinct information.

HELP!!!!

 

[xThaNaturalx]

Good insight. Where can I find the information on ROM comparison?

Which ROM should I choose for stability and crisp display and features?

I installed the Cognition 4.1 on my Captivate. It disabled the corporate email and general email options. But, I want these options in. However, the phone seems faster using the Voodoo lag fix that comes with Cognition. I have been thinking of getting the best ROM out there with stability, good display and layout. I want to instal a good ROM and stay with it for the long-term. I have been thinking about:
- Serendipity.
- Cognition 4.3 (new release in late March 2011).
- CyanogenMod 7.

Also, I will like to upgrade my captivate to the big leagues using Gingerbread.

Can someone tell me where I can get a good comparison of ROMs for Captivate? I will like a side-by-side comparison. I have been to XDA-Developers' site but it is an information jungle, difficult to find succinct information.

HELP!!!!

Android Candy: Samsung Captivate Custom ROM List

I'm not saying there's any comparison between ROMs here, but here's a pretty exhaustive list of different options you have for the Captivate. I would say for the options you're looking for, Serendipity, Darkyy's ROMs, Di11i's, and Ultimate ROM are good choices. I would highly suggest you try Serendipity first. It's going to give you great stability as well as speed and clean looks. Along with Serendipity will be the SGS Kernel Flasher. This is an amazing feature you will love. Kernels are going to play a big part in your whole "speed and stability" thoughts. ROMs mostly provide the look and feel while the kernel provides a lot of the internal fixes. For these I would suggest SpeedMod k13c, Paragon6, and Onix 2.0.x(whichever you feel).

 

[know8677]

I've flashed a bunch of different ones in the last several months. My two favorites are Cognition and Phoenix. Cognition was the leader until it had a bit of a bump in the road with an update a few weeks ago. I've switched to Phoenix and like it quite a bit.

 

[Okay-66]

Android Candy: Samsung Captivate Custom ROM List

I'm not saying there's any comparison between ROMs here, but here's a pretty exhaustive list of different options you have for the Captivate. I would say for the options you're looking for, Serendipity, Darkyy's ROMs, Di11i's, and Ultimate ROM are good choices. I would highly suggest you try Serendipity first. It's going to give you great stability as well as speed and clean looks. Along with Serendipity will be the SGS Kernel Flasher. This is an amazing feature you will love. Kernels are going to play a big part in your whole "speed and stability" thoughts. ROMs mostly provide the look and feel while the kernel provides a lot of the internal fixes. For these I would suggest SpeedMod k13c, Paragon6, and Onix 2.0.x(whichever you feel).

Thanks and much appreciated.

 

[SuFuCru]

I've flashed a bunch of different ones in the last several months. My two favorites are Cognition and Phoenix. Cognition was the leader until it had a bit of a bump in the road with an update a few weeks ago. I've switched to Phoenix and like it quite a bit.

My first ROM was Firefly 2.6, which is built off of Rogers 2.2. I loved it, but wanted 2.2.1. I loved the theme of Firefly, so my natural choice was to move up to Phoenix Ultimate. Man, what I letdown. I only stuck with it for about an hour before I flashed back to Firefly 2.7. IMO, Firefly is a really sweet upgrade from stock 2.2, and really a complete package. I love all the preloaded lock screens and fonts, the latter being one thing I really missed that Phoenix didn't offer.

 

[Andrewdroid]

My first rom was Cog 3.04, then i went to Cog 4.0, I'm still on Cog 4.0 [haven't updated] but I'm thinkin of going to Serendipity because people say the battery life is better. I'm not getting such great life with Cog 4.0.

But the thing about the Cognition 4 series is that I thought it uses the "official" froyo [KB1]? Does that make them better and more stable? I'm confused on where to go. I still have some lag issues with Cog 4 despite voodoo.

I actually hate flashing roms because it is still a bit of a chore to get my phone back the way it was, and master clearing and all that.

 

[Okay-66]

serendipity is my top choice right now, i just rooted my captivate yesterday and have been reading about the different roms and that one seems to be a good one everyone seems to love it too.

(and yes i am forum stalking you)

I have installed the Serendipity 6.4,with a kernel version of 2.6.32.9 and a baseband (modem) version of I9000UGJK4. However, I am beginning to experience dropped calls

 

[chicknlil]

Modems, as I understand it, tend to be more of a "location specific" type of success/fail deal. Your best bet is to ask people who live in your general area what modems they've had success with.

 

[mnemonicj]

I started out with Cognition 3.02 (I think that is the rev), but it was too slow and not much battery improvement. I then tried Paragon RC3 and it was great. The battery life had me not worrying about carrying my charger everywhere as long as I could plug it in at night and the speed and reliability was great. I upgraded to RC4, RC5, RC5.1, and RC6 when they came out and I had RC6 for over a month until I got the itch to try something else.

I then went to Continuum v4 and liked the interface, liked the landscape home page, loved the extremely quick GPS lock, but it was a dog with the standard Onix Kernel on my phone. I tried the Paragon Kernel with Continuum v4 and it works great. GPS lock is quick and the phone is fast and reliable. I have stuck with it for at least a month now. I haven't bit the Gingerbread bullet yet, but I am getting excited about the possibilities.

I also convinced my wife to let me flash a ROM on her phone when her stock 2.2 was a battery hog. I started with Cognition 4.2 and it was worse at battery life. Flashed Cognition 4.3 to try and fix the issue and it made it worse. Battery life was not only worse, she had a couple sleep deaths in a week. With only one last try before my wife would start getting annoyed with the idea of a custom ROM, I went back to my old reliable, Paragon RC6. She loves it. The speed and reliability is great and she loves the battery life.

Reliability has been my number one concern, especially since I use my phone for work, so Gingerbread has been a wait and see game.