Moving On from the Blue Angel - MDA III, XDA III, PDA2k, 9090 Software Upgrading

Hello all,
I have been a part of this forum since Mar 2005. This was about the time I got my Blue Angel and have to say have been a very very satisfied user. Apart from the occasional hiccups such as the stylus('s) falling off, a shaky sliding keyboard and the bluetooth issue, the Blue Angel has been a very faithful device and is still chugging away!
Having moved to the Asia Pacific region, I have work that takes me to countries such as Korea and Japan. Now herein lies the issue with the Blue Angel. No 3G access!
Given that, I guess its time to move on to a PDA that would support all of the Blue Angel capabilities (I loved the large screen) and at the same time be a natural upgrade.
I needed advice from the forum gurus here as to what would be a good candidate amongst all the phones. I would prefer to be in the XDA genre given the wealth of information and trouble shooting that the forum enables and assists with.
Any experiences (good and bad)
Deepak

XDA Flame.Period!

Xda Flame is not supported by xda-developers
As to the new phone, you would have to specify some more. Would do exactly want to do with it? 3.5" or 2.8" screen?

Moving on
Hi all,
So these are features I would be looking for:
1. Large screen: - 3.5' is just fine
2. Bluetooth A2DP functionality and other profiles
3. Wifi
4. Keyboard
5. No loose stylus
6. Recharge capability from laptop
7. Not now, but Vista compatible
8. Good battery life
9. Extended support by the XDA family
and of course
10. 3G
I would expect this to be standard features in a lot of the new models coming out. Not sure though which would be a feasible one.

Only two devices do match all your requirements. HTC Universal and HTC Athena. Generally if you could live with a smaller 2,8'' screen, there are many choices then.

Related

Blue Angel or new Eten M500??

I currently have the pda2k which is a great device but now I have came across the new Eten M500, which in all aspects is the same as the blue angel, but without wifi and the keyboard, plus the M500 has a form factor size of the jam. Check out the M500 http://www.smartdevicesdirect.com/product_info.php?products_id=769 and post your opinions please. Is it worth the move or not??
If you don't need Wifi.
But there also are arguments against it:
- You don't know: will this device be purchased by a minority? --> more devices will cause better support, as you see here in this forum
- My advise would be: Wait for Windows Mobile 2005, before you buy a new device.
Have a nice day
Bubisch

[Q] FP: Can I use this phone+tablet sans the phone?

My My..what a Charming Video. It's a pity that I in this First Post case I can't be brief. I feel I must state WHY am here for the best effect later on. I presume there is a sense of community here so I feel it is best to get it all out of the way now in my first post and be done with it. That said I have to applaud you all for being so thorough. Its Very Impressive...though I suppose nothing less should be expected from coders.
Goodday All,
First... Let me introduce myself - I am CrazyOGuy.
While I do what I can to be technical (and I can tout a decent share), over all technology of today is nothing less then science fiction made real. Its... humbling. Just for the sake for putting down the ground work..for me it will be a bit slower and take longer to gather my thoughts and in turn understand all this...*Stuff*. Please ...Mercy upon me with all your infinite wisdom. Work with me and I shall return the effort.So with that said... with this post here I am officially one step closer at trying something completely new to me. For the sake of incite for the wall of text I shall summarize what to expect all this text for; It's for a audiophile and his Music, New Devices and its respective OS, and What I can do with them (Root). I have been very busy in my exhaustive research.
There is a reason for all the text here before the final literal line (information is like that), but if you wish to skip to the main point of this post, I have made it so you can do so and just get to the point.
---------------
As stated Music is a big thing for me, and as such I had for a time something called a Cowon J3. With its BBE enhancements along with other proprietary enhancements, a OLED Screen, Amazing Battery Life , and the ability to play practically every Audio (and Video) file under the sun It was just about everything I could ask for. But then I found I bonus use for it- Just Icing on the cake; I also used it as a portable portfolio of sorts. With its stunning OLED Screen I used it to show video and pictures of things I have made. Then I put it in my pocket and it was my Personal Media Player again. Then - Gone. ( I'm not going to elaborate in that part so please don't ask.) That's what I miss the most. I miss bringing my music with me - but oddly enough what I miss more so is not having my archive of past work at my finger tips. That's what I have been searching for. Sadly the J3 is one of a kind and has just recently discontinued. If it wasn't for the successor being right around the corner (which I have heard October) I would probably get another one and be done with it.
You can change software - But hardware is a bit more permanent - these are the things I think about when I make a "computer based" purchase. But events have forced my hand... I can't wait anymore. So I am now considering what ...I really....REALLY...I mean REALLY! ...Didn't want to consider. Blasted Newfangled Tech. I have yet to interface with an Android OS. I have of course heard about it, but don't really know much because I haven't needed to. I haven't held it in my hand and played with it. I don't know how far I can mod it. How to shape it... help make the device "My Own" (like remove the TouchWiz UI).
So with that said I first looked at tablets and settled on the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7. While it doesn't play FLAC out of the Box I hear that there are Android Apps one can get that can make it play .flac and sound better...like Voodoo or Power Amp (thought I would prefer BBE which unfortunately is iOS only for now). It also has a very nice screen. But then in my ever classic fashion of being thorough I said...Ok I like this; Just to make sure let's see If I can find something better. Better in this case means : Smaller, Nice Screen, Plays FLAC default...
Then I found something better. The catch was it was a "Smart Phone" - or as I call them- a REALLY small computer. The Phone in question is the Unlocked Samsung Galaxy Note GT-N7000 ( I know about the chip difference in the Samsung SGH-i717 Galaxy Note LTE).The thing is...I'm not going to use it as "A Phone" because I have a phone. It makes calls and DOESN'T DROP THEM 99.8% of the time. That's all it does. It's all I need it to do. It does a great job at it. I'm happy. There are more reasons...but it would be best not to start the rant. Not going to talk any more about it.
Therefore I want to use the small computer phone as a small computer tablet but with the main purpose of a PMP which happens to have some extra features along with it.
---------------------------------------------------So why am I posting this here? ---------------------------------------------------
The reason I have just submitted this "wall of text" because I am in need of a informed second opinion(s). I know NOTHING about this kind of stuff, so I need to make sure that this Crazy Idea of mine isn't just wrong due to something I may have missed. I have found that no matter HOW GOOD you are (or at least for myself) at researching and gathering data about -whatever- it's never fully done without a subject savvy/aware Human being giving their thoughts on whatever the matter may be. With that said here is what I want to do..."THE PLAN" as it were.
I intend to buy a Unlocked Samsung Galaxy Note GT-N7000 5.3" Android (Unlocked, 850/1900 3G) and use it as the world's smallest Tablet PMP. NO PHONE USE. In regards of its connection to the internet/"Google Play" I intend to use its WLAN Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, DLNA, Wi-Fi Direct & Wi-Fi hotspot abilities when I need to. No Sim Card. I will then proceed in doing what it takes to modify it (though I don't know much about that bit right now which is why I am posting here) and add the appropriate apps to either bring it to -OR- exceed the J3 PMP Sound Quality.
I want to Root...but I have Never done anything like this before and am ignorantly unaware of how these things work (and to a degree the total power of rooting a device). All I really know is that if done incorrectly I get a really expensive paper weight. ( I imagine I will be reading a lot of your wiki...I have already gathered some info from the wiki about the wifi issue)
Is my plan/idea feasible, or will the lack of the sim card cause the wifi to be moot? I have a million questions want to ask like can I turn off the GPS and do things for tablets work with this...phonetablet? All this is in the to make sure I don't waste the cash on false pretenses.
Thank You for your Understanding (particularly if you read all of this post. Bravo!)
CrazyOGuy said:
My My..what a Charming Video. It's a pity that I in this First Post case I can't be brief. I feel I must state WHY am here for the best effect later on. I presume there is a sense of community here so I feel it is best to get it all out of the way now in my first post and be done with it. That said I have to applaud you all for being so thorough. Its Very Impressive...though I suppose nothing less should be expected from coders.
Goodday All,
First... Let me introduce myself - I am CrazyOGuy.
While I do what I can to be technical (and I can tout a decent share), over all technology of today is nothing less then science fiction made real. Its... humbling. Just for the sake for putting down the ground work..for me it will be a bit slower and take longer to gather my thoughts and in turn understand all this...*Stuff*. Please ...Mercy upon me with all your infinite wisdom. Work with me and I shall return the effort.So with that said... with this post here I am officially one step closer at trying something completely new to me. For the sake of incite for the wall of text I shall summarize what to expect all this text for; It's for a audiophile and his Music, New Devices and its respective OS, and What I can do with them (Root). I have been very busy in my exhaustive research.
There is a reason for all the text here before the final literal line (information is like that), but if you wish to skip to the main point of this post, I have made it so you can do so and just get to the point.
---------------
As stated Music is a big thing for me, and as such I had for a time something called a Cowon J3. With its BBE enhancements along with other proprietary enhancements, a OLED Screen, Amazing Battery Life , and the ability to play practically every Audio (and Video) file under the sun It was just about everything I could ask for. But then I found I bonus use for it- Just Icing on the cake; I also used it as a portable portfolio of sorts. With its stunning OLED Screen I used it to show video and pictures of things I have made. Then I put it in my pocket and it was my Personal Media Player again. Then - Gone. ( I'm not going to elaborate in that part so please don't ask.) That's what I miss the most. I miss bringing my music with me - but oddly enough what I miss more so is not having my archive of past work at my finger tips. That's what I have been searching for. Sadly the J3 is one of a kind and has just recently discontinued. If it wasn't for the successor being right around the corner (which I have heard October) I would probably get another one and be done with it.
You can change software - But hardware is a bit more permanent - these are the things I think about when I make a "computer based" purchase. But events have forced my hand... I can't wait anymore. So I am now considering what ...I really....REALLY...I mean REALLY! ...Didn't want to consider. Blasted Newfangled Tech. I have yet to interface with an Android OS. I have of course heard about it, but don't really know much because I haven't needed to. I haven't held it in my hand and played with it. I don't know how far I can mod it. How to shape it... help make the device "My Own" (like remove the TouchWiz UI).
So with that said I first looked at tablets and settled on the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7. While it doesn't play FLAC out of the Box I hear that there are Android Apps one can get that can make it play .flac and sound better...like Voodoo or Power Amp (thought I would prefer BBE which unfortunately is iOS only for now). It also has a very nice screen. But then in my ever classic fashion of being thorough I said...Ok I like this; Just to make sure let's see If I can find something better. Better in this case means : Smaller, Nice Screen, Plays FLAC default...
Then I found something better. The catch was it was a "Smart Phone" - or as I call them- a REALLY small computer. The Phone in question is the Unlocked Samsung Galaxy Note GT-N7000 ( I know about the chip difference in the Samsung SGH-i717 Galaxy Note LTE).The thing is...I'm not going to use it as "A Phone" because I have a phone. It makes calls and DOESN'T DROP THEM 99.8% of the time. That's all it does. It's all I need it to do. It does a great job at it. I'm happy. There are more reasons...but it would be best not to start the rant. Not going to talk any more about it.
Therefore I want to use the small computer phone as a small computer tablet but with the main purpose of a PMP which happens to have some extra features along with it.
---------------------------------------------------So why am I posting this here? ---------------------------------------------------
The reason I have just submitted this "wall of text" because I am in need of a informed second opinion(s). I know NOTHING about this kind of stuff, so I need to make sure that this Crazy Idea of mine isn't just wrong due to something I may have missed. I have found that no matter HOW GOOD you are (or at least for myself) at researching and gathering data about -whatever- it's never fully done without a subject savvy/aware Human being giving their thoughts on whatever the matter may be. With that said here is what I want to do..."THE PLAN" as it were.
I intend to buy a Unlocked Samsung Galaxy Note GT-N7000 5.3" Android (Unlocked, 850/1900 3G) and use it as the world's smallest Tablet PMP. NO PHONE USE. In regards of its connection to the internet/"Google Play" I intend to use its WLAN Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, DLNA, Wi-Fi Direct & Wi-Fi hotspot abilities when I need to. No Sim Card. I will then proceed in doing what it takes to modify it (though I don't know much about that bit right now which is why I am posting here) and add the appropriate apps to either bring it to -OR- exceed the J3 PMP Sound Quality.
I want to Root...but I have Never done anything like this before and am ignorantly unaware of how these things work (and to a degree the total power of rooting a device). All I really know is that if done incorrectly I get a really expensive paper weight. ( I imagine I will be reading a lot of your wiki...I have already gathered some info from the wiki about the wifi issue)
Is my plan/idea feasible, or will the lack of the sim card cause the wifi to be moot? I have a million questions want to ask like can I turn off the GPS and do things for tablets work with this...phonetablet? All this is in the to make sure I don't waste the cash on false pretenses.
Thank You for your Understanding (particularly if you read all of this post. Bravo!)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Firstly I want to say hello to you!
Yes, you can use galaxy note without SIM card and use it only as a Wi-Fi device. You can root it, customize it, flash ROMs on it, do pretty much whatever you want. You can install different players if you want FLAC funcionality, play store has a lot of music players apss to choose from.
But I want to give you an advice. If you don't want to use it as a phone, if you want a big screened device which plays audio and video, and it's capable of browsing the web etc., then you should really consider NOT to buy Galaxy Note!
Instead you can get Galaxy player with 5' screen! It has a slower processor and a screen with lower resolution but it is far more cheaper and perfect for your needs.
Power Amp has great sound quality in my opinion and it has built in EQ so you can adjust it just the way you like it!
take a look at this video!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T-zazpaY_A
TL;DR
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
mix001 said:
Firstly I want to say hello to you!
Yes, you can use galaxy note without SIM card and use it only as a Wi-Fi device. You can root it, customize it, flash ROMs on it, do pretty much whatever you want. You can install different players if you want FLAC funcionality, play store has a lot of music players apss to choose from.
But I want to give you an advice. If you don't want to use it as a phone, if you want a big screened device which plays audio and video, and it's capable of browsing the web etc., then you should really consider NOT to buy Galaxy Note!
Instead you can get Galaxy player with 5' screen! It has a slower processor and a screen with lower resolution but it is far more cheaper and perfect for your needs.
Power Amp has great sound quality in my opinion and it has built in EQ so you can adjust it just the way you like it!
take a look at this video!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Woah! - you quoted the entire thing. The Samsung Galaxy Player 5.0 is nice and if I was just doing thing on simply a music stand point I would be absolutely agree.
But since I the Samsung Galaxy Note N7000 has a Wacom Pen in it, for me it opens up possibilities in the event I use Adobes mobile apps. In the event I am showing off things visual in nature the nicer OLED based screen is a good idea. Also its since its supposed to be a phone its smaller than the smallest average tablet...making it abit more pocketable (thought I know it's pretty big for a phone).
I don't mind putting down money If I can make the most out of it...make it worth the investment (which with the database of this place I intend to do).
Besides If I for some reason wanted it to be a phone I would likely have gone with the LTE vers. which is slower and more expensive. That's the logic I'm telling myself any way.
I don't know what some of the things you mentioned are...but I guess that gives me something to look up later on.
Thank You.
The note is definitely quite a step up from your old j3 . (never heard of Cowan or j3 before )
I googled a bit and found that j3 had good battery backup so if you are planning to replace that with a galaxy note you should also be aware that this phone is really powerful and it chugs up the battery like crazy.
So if you plan to go all out editing multimedia,streaming videos,dlna,wifi....it won't last that long.
I am not discouraging you from getting the note, cuz other than this issue you will absolutely love the note.
itsrijo said:
The note is definitely quite a step up from your old j3 . (never heard of Cowan or j3 before )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not surprised at all. It's a very audiophile centric device. If it wasn't for its (or should I say Cowons reputation) for Legendary sound quality and Great Battery life they probably wouldn't exist anymore. Everything else Cowon does is...seemingly erratic and odd. They only just recently shipped their first android device with 2.3 Gingerbread, which was one of a few reasons I found was odd enough to look other places. And so... I am here.
itsrijo said:
I googled a bit and found that j3 had good battery backup so if you are planning to replace that with a galaxy note you should also be aware that this phone is really powerful and it chugs up the battery like crazy.
So if you plan to go all out editing multimedia,streaming videos,dlna,wifi....it won't last that long.
I am not discouraging you from getting the note, cuz other than this issue you will absolutely love the note.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes that is something I am currently looking into. It's the one thing that I'm unsure about. As quoted from your wiki (and I Samsungs website) when on Stand-By the Battery lasts Up to 960 h (2G) / Up to 820 h (3G) and during Talk time (which I'm going to presume it means use of the respective connections): Up to 26 h 10 min (2G) / Up to 13 h 30 min (3G). The thing is I won't be using 2 or 3 G. Just Wi-Fi. So I'm thinking that If I can disable things that I'm not going to use at all I can boot the Battery time up for a few extra minutes. I also need to see if I can disable the GPS because I'm not going to really use it since the only reason I would have Wi-Fi on is to Upgrade or Download an app, even then I presume I could just connect the Note to a computer and get the same thing done that way. All this is presuming that I can do these things.
The main power drain for my expected uses would be from the screen and this amazing Exynos chipset I keep reading about. Otherwise Ill just turn the screen off and listen to my music.
-----------------------------
Edit:Well I have been peruseing this forum I have noted some things. There is no dedicated post for newer individuals... fortunately I found a video about What a Root is (which I essentially knew already). I see all this talk about Roms and can't help but feel a little overwhelmed. There are so MANY of them...whatever they are. I also keep reading about USBs and SD cards - Kernels and Flashing. I have looked at the wiki but I find my self still not comprehending what all this is about. Sense its my intent to mod the Samsung Galaxy Note GT-N7000 to my likeing- I think it would be a good idea if I understood what I would be getting into before I jump in. I must be crazy - Looking before I leap!? Absurd!
Since I presume that when/If I root I am saying "So long" to the warranty, does this mean I can't get a Samsung Account? Ive looked around and I can't seem to find a Download to Odin - which I currently think is required to root the Sam-Note. I'm not complaining, but I have to say there is just so much here. The hardest part is figuring out the right question to search.
I apologize for the bump, but I have a few more questions before my use of this thread I have created is complete. I also apologize for the...link format. Its the spam filter...I'm still new apparently. Go figure. Ill presume you all will know what needs to be filled in.
The Questions:
Does anyone have a recommendations on where I should buy the Unlocked SAMSUNG GALAXY NOTE/GT-N7000 Note? I just want to know the options I may have other than Amazon, Ebay, or Expansys.
Will [".youtube.com/watch?src_vid=cJjh6gi0Spw&feature=iv&annotation_id=annotation_802229&v=ehXcnqntsro"]THIS[/URL] root method work with 4.0 Ice-cream Sandwich? Is there currently anything here that won't work/isn't stable with said Android OS version?
Will Adobes Apps ([".adobe.com/products/photoshop-touch/tech-specs.html"]Photoshop Touch[/URL] for example) work on the SAMSUNG GALAXY NOTE/GT-N7000? I ask this because said app is made for a tablet...but the GALAXY NOTE isn't your average tablet since it's a phone? It meets the resolution requirements... just not the size. Hence the confusion. This kind of thing is actually my biggest query at the moment...perhaps I should broaden the question...If it is made for a standard tablet, will it work with this sort of tablet?
Will Rooting make my phone more susceptible to being Hijacked/Hacked /Virus?..so on. I presume its no, but security is nothing to play with. Does McAfee have an App? (That was a joke)
Once I have rooted- is there any way for ME to customize the UI and how the hardware (such as GPS and Ram) functions. As you may have gathered I know my away around Adobe Suite and I could at the very least do some of that... or do I just have to...ugh...what's the jargon word...
Flash the Rom with someone else's handy work?
I also have a VooDoo Music App based compatibility question but I'll just ask in its respective thread later on.
---
You all (well most) have been very helpful. I know the main purpose of this site is Modding Android (or at least the phones they come on) , and not to play 20 questions with the noob who doesn't even have the device yet! So - Thank you for your understanding. It is greatly appreciated.

Ease of use

I am considering upgrading to the new 4G network my phone provider has upgraded to and have a few questions for you One fans. The choice is between Galaxy S4 and HTC One. I almost know the answer but where does the One excel? And 2: Is the One as easy to root and install new ROMs on as the Galaxy S III I have (or rephrased: is the One easy to root and install new ROMs on if you have no experiences to compare with).
I could not think of any place else to ask this, I have had so uch use of this site.
From the middle of a heavy hurricane-like storm
Benny in south-west Denmark
The better place to ask such a question is in the Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting forum, which is where I've moved this to
As a future reference, only development work belongs in the development forums. If the thread is anything else, it doesn't belong there.
Now, in regards to your questions, I'd honestly say the One excels throughout. I've had the phone since March (just after release) and not had a single problem with it since. Even the fact that mine is an early build hasn't presented any issues either. The thing I'd pinpoint as far as what impressed me the most is the BoomSound dual speakers. The volume and clarity is perfect and is still as good now as when I first got the One.
Rooting and installing ROMs is just as simple as with other phones as well. If you have a search around this forum you'll soon find guides and videos about how to root the One and installing ROMs is exactly the same as with other devices.
I hope this helps
Thank for the help moving my posting. There's a new contender, the Asus PadFone, but a serious drawback is that the pad is only working WITH the phone inserted.... The tablet tempts, though. A LOT. Desicions, desicions ;=) But it will probably be one of the two first, since they have the capability to act as IR remote for my stereo for a minimal amount. Any experience in that department, any one?? Does it work, without having it hooked up to a car battery under the reclining chair??
From extremely stormy south-west Denmark
Benny
Thank for the help moving my posting. There's a new contender, the Asus PadFone, but a serious drawback is that the pad is only working WITH the phone inserted.... The tablet tempts, though. A LOT. Desicions, desicions ;=) But it will probably be one of the two first, since they have the capability to act as IR remote for my stereo for a minimal amount. Any experience in that department, any one?? Does it work, without having it hooked up to a car battery under the reclining chair??
From extremely stormy south-west Denmark
Benny

A man without a platform

Hi all, my name is Will and I am addicted to phones.
The seeds of that addiction were planted on this very site circa 2004 with the arrival of my shiny new SX66. A Seimans distributed version of the HTC Blueangel. It was a marvelous device which still works today. There were many devices to follow. Wizards, Touch Pros and HD2s among many devices in between. On this site I learned to keep the devices fresh with the cutting edge software of the day. I started to get into mods like Co0kies Home Tab and ROM’s like the venerable Energy Rom. Then I set up a kitchen and started tweaking my own roms to be exactly what I wanted. All of the latest OS features, my preferred mods and other files to streamline the setup. This is a progression that I am sure is familiar to many on this forum. Man those were the days.
Whether I was using a ROM I cooked up myself or one of the more polished ones offered by others there is always a little instability or a feature that doesn’t quite work. Eventually you get into a cycle of Flash-Fix-Flash. It’s great fun because there’s always one more tweak or a new mod to try. However you get to a point where the frequent unavailability or unreliability of your device becomes a hindrance, especially if you rely on your device to make a living. You start to justify why you need to do this next build or try this other ROM to solve all of your problem and then everything will be ok. I promise...
One morning I looked up from a keyboard to a disturbing buzzing sound echoing through the house. It was my alarm clock. At that moment I realized that I had spent the entire night doing flash-fix-flash trying to solve a particularly annoying but admittedly minor issue. Still wearing the clothes I’d worn to work the day before I fired up the coffee pot and headed for a shower. Clearly something needed to change.
I had been watching a new phone by HTC running a different OS. It had a fresh look and a quirky chin. I was ready to take the plunge but there were carrier issues and a wife growing weary of my constant phone upgrades. So I waited. Eventually I succumb to the pull of the new and tried a flurry of phones, some android and one fruity one. My biggest accomplishment with the fruit phone was not breaking it before it was returned. Most frustrating week of my life.
Anyway I eventually moved to Android and everything was grand. Shiny new hardware, a fresh OS and no more ROM of the week. Soon though my hardware was no longer shiny and the OS was no longer fresh. Not unexpectedly the community on XDA had grown rapidly and like phones before this site enabled me to run newer software on my phone than the OEM or my carrier dared to allow. Then came mods, and ROMS and kitchens and before I knew it I was back to Flash-Fix-Flash. Things would be better this time though. I knew it would be. I willed it to be. Between work and family who had time to learn all of those new technologies and techniques anyway.
I’d come full circle.
About that time the second wave of hardware for the newly born Windows Phone started to become available. It turned out to be a good match. A unique and fluid user experience, features that you still can’t find on other platforms and no Flash-Fix-Flash. I was content for a long time to use a WP device as my daily driver and just tinker on Android when the itch was too much to bear.
Unfortunately this couldn’t last. MS has systematically removed any features that are unique or useful and their latest effort WP10 is particularly disheartening as it removes the last of the unique features and offers little more than the WP launcher and a fairly polished experience in return. I relegated my WP device to work and started carrying an Android device as a personal phone to start catching up on where the community had progressed to. This was equally disheartening as Android is just as disjointed a user experience as it has been for years. Yes there are great things about Android. There are great things about windows too. If I could get the polished user experience of WP with the flexibility and app playground of Android on descent hardware I’d be a content man. Sadly it’s not an option. I can have polish or flexibility but apparently not both.
For the first time in over a decade I find myself without a shining star in the mobile arena. No piece of hardware or software that just grabs me as a gotta have device. I look at the variety of phones currently sitting on my desk and they all have something the other is missing. This isn’t a flagship phone dilemma or a desire for some obscure hardware or software feature. I accept tradeoffs, this is about the whole experience. There’s no vision for how a phone achieves its potential, at least none obviously trying to reach that potential. Android continues to improve behind the scenes but there’s nothing new or exciting coming to the OS much less anything addressing its long time flaws. What good are a great hardware selection and more fart apps than you can shake a stick at if the underlying UX is just blah? In contrast Microsoft is trying to become irrelevant by moving to be as bland and vanilla as possible while not addressing its main shortcomings such as app development and hardware selection.
I’m not trying to fire up any trolls or other heated discussions. I’m just a man on a journey wondering whether something fun is around the corner. It appears not.

Hi y'all

I don't have a heavy technical background but I am a huge open source fan who also likes to thinker with (older) (Android) devices.
Like trying to give them a new lease on life. Also in general an upcycle/recycle fan and an heavy vintage audio & hifi fan (I repair and restore).
I've allready put custom roms on old Samsung tablets. The oldest (and smallest) one is now used to control my raspi dacs with Moode Audio (connected to vintage audio gear/setups off course...). Before that I used like an old eee pc with linux for that purpose...
My first visits and searches on XDA were for an Chinese smartphone (Umi Z1) which served me well and an crappy Chinese tablet (BMXC YS900) but until this day I didn't find any way to root them (nor custom roms) to like revive or repurpose. I should do a new search here...
Very recently I also bought and installed an Chinese android head unit in my car and I would like to tweak it a little to my personal flavour. So again, it led me to XDA . And I allready found some info on codes here...
Greetings from Belgium on a cold saturday night. Winter is almost at the door I think...
Great introduction! Welcome to XDA and continue to enjoy the forums!
Keep warm! Cheers

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