Biggest concern with Xoom-BOOTLOADER

[Germwise]

If the bootloader is locked... it might not be worth it.

Google updates are the lifeline to a device. Every company has horrific records of updating their devices. Even google has been lagging on their nexus one updates instead favoring their "new" nexus S.

Best way to keep updated is to root and subscribe to cyanogen or other developer roms that keep you up to date.

I have a droid x and I am sad that I can't completely customize.

The thing is, phones I upgrade every 2 years, tablets I might keep for longer and I would hate to have motorola leave it behind because of the next thing.

 

[Taylored]

Yeah. Definitely a legitimate concern.

 

[drhill]

I'm not sure the Nexus One is lagging as much as they rushed 2.3 to the Nexus S and may be intending to jump both to the rumored 2.4 (still Gingerbread) version. All my guess though.

But to the topic, I agree. The boatloader is most important. Hopefully this is more like the Droid 1, then any other Moto android device.

 

[Yaksha]

What does having a locked bootloader prevent? I was looking at the Droid X forums, and it looks like it can be rooted and a custom ROM loaded.

 

[ckeegan]

I would honestly be amazed if the bootloader in the Xoom is locked. It's a Google Experience device with no MotoBlur, so what would Moto be trying to "protect"? Don't they say locking the bootloader is a way to "protect the user experience" or something like that?

Again, I just think it's highly unlikely.

 

[dyezak]

I would honestly be amazed if the bootloader in the Xoom is locked. It's a Google Experience device with no MotoBlur, so what would Moto be trying to "protect"? Don't they say locking the bootloader is a way to "protect the user experience" or something like that?

Again, I just think it's highly unlikely.

Agreed here, *historicly* "Google Experience Device" has only been used to describe the Nexus One and Nexus S devices. If this is the new "dev tablet" like the Nexus' were the dev phones, then the bootloader should be wide open. We will know in 2 weeks.

 

[drhill]

What does having a locked bootloader prevent? I was looking at the Droid X forums, and it looks like it can be rooted and a custom ROM loaded.

Custom kernel. Those roms are merely minor changes to the top level of the phone. I hate Motorola for crippling good hardware.

 

[coolbone]

I hate Motorola for crippling good hardware and software with MotoBlur. That skin is atrocious. I look at my brother's X and am glad I have a rooted DInc.

 

[Low023]

I hate Motorola for crippling good hardware and software with MotoBlur. That skin is atrocious. I look at my brother's X and am glad I have a rooted DInc.

My Droid X is as nice any other phone I have seen (I have a OGdroid too), takes z4root to one click root, koosh's bootstrapper to flash recovery and flash Liberty 1.5.0. I doubt it can get any easier them that. Time to root and rom your brothers X.
Currently running a at 1.3ghz totally stable with quadrant scores around 1800.

Buying Xoom day one!

 

[Germwise]

I don't think the locked bootloader has anything to do with root. I have a rooted DX as well.

Because we have a bootloader we are really limited to only minor changes. Also we can't choose to go for Cyanogen MOD or others.

As I mentioned in my first post. This is particularly important for software updates. If the bootloader is unlocked, then we know xda hackers will make roms for every google update for the xoom.

I also imagine that this will be more important in tablets as people are less likely to replace them every 2 years.

just my 2 cts.