Using a different UI than Sense on Eris?

[ScottySummers]

Hi guys, new posting on the form (though I've been lurking for a month+), and seriously considering buying an Eris. One of the main reasons is how much I love the Sense UI.

I do have a question regarding the UI which I have not been able to find the answer to: Can I install OpenHome, PandaHome, GDE , dxTop, etc. skins/themes on an Eris, without doing something complex like "rooting it," or am I stuck with only HTC Sense UI?

And if there IS a way to change to a different UI, would I lose the ability to use all of HTC's built in custom widgets with it?

I know it sounds a little silly saying I love the phone for the UI and then asking about changing it, but the whole idea I love about Android is the customization. I'm just trying to figure out if having a UI like Sense instead of vanilla Android will limit this, or any other possibilities.

Thanks!

 

[tennapop]

You can use any of those "home" programs instead of the Sense UI without rooting it. I have aHome on mine, which I don't really use, but you can go back and forth by changing it in the applications menu in the settings if you don't like it.

 

[Ataranine]

Those type of programs would be better if they changed the notification bar too.
Problem is no matter what one you're using, Sense still opens up in the background for no reason.

 

[ScottySummers]

Those type of programs would be better if they changed the notification bar too.
Problem is no matter what one you're using, Sense still opens up in the background for no reason.

So what you're saying is that even though I only see, say aHome UI, computing and battery resources will be going to run two UIs?

Thanks for the help so far, but can someone answer the other part of my question: If I use a different UI would I still be able to use the Sense widgets on that different UI?

 

[Ataranine]

So what you're saying is that even though I only see, say aHome UI, computing and battery resources will be going to run two UIs?

Thanks for the help so far, but can someone answer the other part of my question: If I use a different UI would I still be able to use the Sense widgets on that different UI?

If you're not using Sense, you don't get the widgets. But you can download a lot of widgets from the market...
and the computing question..
Sense will still open in the background but it won't use your CPU. It's just a PITA to keep force closing it for me. Ugh. I'm not running Sense right now and it keeps opening.