Hi - I've been lurking this bb for a while looking for information on OS versions for my HTC Droid Eris. I figured it was about time I started participating in the discussions.

About a month ago I found a tech blog post that described how to update/root to 2.1 for Eris, complete with a link to a download of the ZIP update. I did so thinking it sounded fun and whatever... I can always switch back if it sucks.

This blog post that I found failed on several accounts.
1. It didn't tell me to back up data
2. It didn't disclose that Droid doesn't allow users to flash back to previous OS versions
3. The link to the download wasn't root, but actually leak 2.1 v2, which sucks


So, for the last month I've been frustrated with the leak OS version on my phone, waiting for the official 2.1 OTA to come out. It finally did 2 weeks ago, only for me to learn that I can't update from a Leak 2.1 to the Official 2.1 either.

So, after getting caught up in all the frustration, I started wondering if anyone removed themselves from the stress of OS updates long enough to ask some bigger questions...

Why?

Why would a provider (Verizon) release a device that sells itself on the premise of open-source data and user customization, but not actually support said open-source customization?

Moreover, why would a phone manufacturer (HTC) release a product that can't be easily rolled back to previous system versions?

I mean, I like my phone.
But this lack of support and the counter-intuitiveness (aka: "bullshit") surrounding the OS updates makes me miss my Blackberry. Could you imagine if you bought a computer from Dell and the second you tried to update the OS on your own, they stopped supporting you? Or better, if you updated from Vista to Windows 7, decided 7 sucked, had no way of going back to Vista, and Dell told you to get lost when you came looking for help?

Why do things with my phone have to be this stupid???

 

Thanks for the tip. After all of the BS I've experienced updating my phone, I've grown hesitant to try another unofficial OS.

If I update to 2.1v3, will I eventually be able to update to the official 2.2?
That would seem to make sense considering the whole issue is with sequential versions. But then again, I was told at one point that I'd be able to update from leak 2.1v2 to official 2.1, and that was a lie.

Still, why is the update model so stringent? I'm sure there's a geek explanation, but it just seems absolutely STUPID from a consumer standpoint.

 

Well, I've worked in tech support for 10+ years. The last 4 years have been spent in application support at (a going nameless Fortune 500). One of the apps I support depends heavily on Adobe Acrobat Reader. We currently support Acrobat Reader 9.3, as that's what our application has been tested for.
Now, on occasion Adobe releases newer versions of their product available to download, and our users in the field will see this and update their version before we're able to run any testing on it. And it will cause problems.
When this comes up, 99% of the time resolving their issue is as simple as ROLLING BACK their software version to what we support.

Considering how simple that is, I can't accept that it's impossible for Verizon to take a call from a leaker and say, "ok, well I see you're running an OS that we don't support. Let's get you on the official OS and see if you still have the same problem..." ?

Thus, is it Verizon implementing this stringent sequential update policy? Or are they handcuffed in their support model because of a developmental oversight?

 

@MrChips - I'd be willing to accept your answer if Droid devices weren't marketed by Verizon for being, not only user-friendly, but also friendly for open-source tinkering and development. By all means, it was too easy for me to **** up my phone the way I did. And the fact that Verizon will no longer support my phone because I ****ed it up is in staunch contrast to their marketing of the phone.

I'm asking questions about the paradigm they've set up. All you're telling me is that what I did conflicts with the paradigm they've set up.

YOU GOTTA THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX, MAAAAAAAAN..... ;-)