Database Develop

Is 192 RAM a not enough?

I am planning on buying a HTC G1, but after I read that there is only 192mb RAM I decided to wait.
I have a few questions:
1. Can you make a swapfile on the G1?
2. Would there be a big speed/stability difference with 192 and 256 RAM?
3. How does 2.0/2.1 run compared to 1.6?
I will be using this as a PDA, not a phone and will be doing lots of gaming and web browsing on it.
Thank you,
~moonscapex

Buy a Nexus......

I would, but I can't afford one

moonscapex said:
I would, but I can't afford one
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
save up for one. Don't get a g1, it's already too outdated. save up and buy a good phone that'll last a while. By the time you have the money tucked away I'm sure you'll see phones even better than the nexus one.

Yes, I already have a high-end winmo PDA, so I am looking for a lower end Android phone.

I agree with others that say to get a different phone. I love my G1 to death, but there's no way I'd buy one today if I were in the market. It's just too limited.
That said, I'll try and answer your questions.
1. Yes, running swap is possible using a rooted phone and custom ROM. It's debated whether this actually helps any.
2. The 192 vs. 256 MB difference helps a great deal. There's just not a lot of memory left to run many apps and do much task switching on the newer iterations of the OS with only 192MB. The number of apps you can install is also limited by this number (unless you're running a rooted phone and installing apps to your SD card.)
3. On a G1, 2.0/2.1 is pretty slow. At this point I wouldn't use it as a daily use ROM.
The two functions you listed as your primary activities are the two things that the G1 does the worst. It's underpowered for a lot of games (not to mention the horrible battery life when you start playing games) and browsing the web can be a chore given the limited memory and CPU. It works great for basic things like email, maps/navigation, music, productivity apps, but it's pretty slow for other stuff.

OK, thank you. That is the kind of answer I was looking for. I will look into some other phones.

The G1 is ideal for what your looking for. Man people love to drift off don't they

Yeah they do...
Has anyone else tried Android 2.1 on their G1?

If you root it, in addition to the debatable swapping to the SD for more ram and cache, you can overclock the things. Probably a bit hard on your battery and might generate unacceptable heat, don't know. You might just get it up to 2/3's to 3/4th's the speed of a Nexus for the cost of a bigger battery. Maybe then you could run 2.1 effectively. Who knows.
I'd buy it used. They go for about $175 on ebay unlocked. If you screw it up you've not lost that much. You can resell your broken one on ebay for about $75
Regards, PK

Overall the G1 for me has just been fun to root and flash multiple roms. =P Some roms are moderately fast, but are limited to games as we have no video drivers

Thanks for the good answers. So the Open GL drivers are not available on the G1? And how easy is it to brick a G1. Ive flashed many roms on winmo with no problem.
EDIT: Yes I will overclock. Are the Vid drivers available on the Magic?

moonscapex said:
Thanks for the good answers. So the Open GL drivers are not available on the G1? And how easy is it to brick a G1. Ive flashed many roms on winmo with no problem.
EDIT: Yes I will overclock. Are the Vid drivers available on the Magic?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah they are

Personally
I preordered a G1... rooted it early in the beginnings of Haykuro and JF... and 16 months later I still say there isnt a replacement... I got a full upgrade and I still havent taken advantage... The N1 is nice, if you can live wo the hard keyboard... If you want a low end android, the G1 is a good starter phone...
I run both 2.1 and 1.6 roms.. The 1.6 roms are really fast, The 2.1 roms are worth having on your phone to show off... I can stream music on 3G from 8am to about 230-3pm at work on either so batt life is fine either way on a normal day...
I dont know what kind of gaming you do, but my old school emulators do the trick nicely run on any rom and with the hard keyboard controls are great... I use a ram hack that removes the 3d accelerator for another 8mb of usable ram, so I cant comment on 3d games...
Bricking a G1 is almost impossible now with all the good tutorials... the G1 is the easiest to root, hack, flash, customize... all that in my own eyes... Ive brought noobs down the rabbit hole and now they are cookin up roms and themes like crazy...
I on the other hand still patiently wait for a new bigger better stronger phone (with a hard keyboard) to replace my G1 and I know it will not be in the low end android bracket..

protomanez said:
Overall the G1 for me has just been fun to root and flash multiple roms. =P Some roms are moderately fast, but are limited to games as we have no video drivers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My setiments exactly. Hate to say it but it's just fun to see or learn somthing new.
Good thread for Android noobes.
Regards, PK

So far I'm convinced about the G1, thanks everybody. When I found out that the keyboard on the magic would not work with a stylus, and only your fingers, it made it obvious for me.
PS: Can you disable the RAM hack without reflashing?

moonscapex said:
So far I'm convinced about the G1, thanks everybody. When I found out that the keyboard on the magic would not work with a stylus, and only your fingers, it made it obvious for me.
PS: Can you disable the RAM hack without reflashing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not really. You must replace the kernel, so it's basically just as complicated as reflashing.

I'ts simple.
Flash the boot.img and reboot.
All gone.
(and vice versa)
you wont loose any data or anything.

Contemplating switch to Android

I've recently purchased an HTC Vogue (Bell) and wasn't recommended to stray to Android ROMs as this is really my first time around, however, I was really impressed by the themes and how clean the interface looked.
I am currently on WM 6.1 and contemplating updating to 6.5+ or to Android. Some problems about 6.1 that I really didn't like were: the SMALL keyboard, bland looking threaded txt msgs, inability to play youtube (among other video/audio files) out the box.
I'd love to give Android a go, but wouldn't know where to start (must have apps/games, familiarity with OS, etc).
Any suggestions and help would be awesome.
Thanks!

r3ddrag0nx said:
I've recently purchased an HTC Vogue (Bell) and wasn't recommended to stray to Android ROMs as this is really my first time around, however, I was really impressed by the themes and how clean the interface looked.
I am currently on WM 6.1 and contemplating updating to 6.5+ or to Android. Some problems about 6.1 that I really didn't like were: the SMALL keyboard, bland looking threaded txt msgs, inability to play youtube (among other video/audio files) out the box.
I'd love to give Android a go, but wouldn't know where to start (must have apps/games, familiarity with OS, etc).
Any suggestions and help would be awesome.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go with an SD card build mate, you can test android out while leaving windows mobile untouched!, plenty of FAQ's and stuff on this forum to sort you out

Just install Android on Nand. It takes 10 minutes to flash back to winmo if you don't like it.

mfpreach said:
Just install Android on Nand. It takes 10 minutes to flash back to winmo if you don't like it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Run haret off the SD card first, all it takes to go back to winmo is a simple reboot

r3ddrag0nx said:
I've recently purchased an HTC Vogue (Bell) and wasn't recommended to stray to Android ROMs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Who recommended you not "stray" to android roms? They must be crazy..... Honestly, from your dislikes of winmo, you will LOVE android, trust me. It has gotten to the point where it seems almost native to the device. I would look up tatnai's FAQ and try the sdcard/haret method just to get a good feel so you're not committed to a full flash. But I guarantee you'll be wanting to go to a full flash within no time.

See this thread for instructions, etc.: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=628353
If you just want to try Android out, run it off of your SD card. Once you're ready to permanently move to Android, then you can install it to NAND. Keep in mind it's a bit laggier off of the SD card and the battery performance is worse.

Does Android support Divx, Xvid, quicktime, AVIs, and various other types of video/audio?

Well, it can play youtube videos. Divx and avi (not too sure about).
Personally, this is why i switched to android:
Apps! Apps! Apps!
Widgets and icons
Fast and fluid interface
Its modern and up to date
Vogue Community seems to be shifting android (personal gut feeling)
Not having to worry about customizing my phone as much as i did with windows mobile.
Subtle android features that windows mobile on vogue doesnt have (i.e. animation when you open and close apps, slide down notification curton, web based apps )
Android is Perfect for My everyday use
What i miss from Windows Mobile:
My Garmin GPS
Taking Higher resolution/ better quality pictures.
I may be missing things... someone who is android biased help me out!

One more reason to love android "Sense UI"
incubus26jc said:
Here are some screenshots.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

wow... sense is epic... sucks i just flashed to 6.5 too.
i kno winmo has a lot of apps too just gotta find some nice ones to install now on b-rom's release (mighty fine release too).
gps doesnt work on android yet?

r3ddrag0nx said:
wow... sense is epic... sucks i just flashed to 6.5 too.
i kno winmo has a lot of apps too just gotta find some nice ones to install now on b-rom's release (mighty fine release too).
gps doesnt work on android yet?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
gps works great on android, it actually gets a better fix on android then on winmo

I recently switched to Android on my vogue and love it! Sd card install just to make sure you like it, then nand.

i have been experimenting with droid since i got my Vogue a year ago with haret. the beauty of droid is its smooth and clean, and its not M$. there are pros and cons to both... first ill suggest get off 6.1- there is no hope for that build. there are plenty of builds either here or on ppcgeeks.com you can pick and choose what you want to or not to have. now you can also flash android NAND here
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=636024
i prefer android hero builds as i feel they are just 'cooler' but i ran into an issue with the last build i used and have been experimenting with some of the other builds out there. currently using MYN's warm donut located
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=619980
there are some pretty cool themes there as well.
from the skeptics and paranoid perspective, i read and read for months until i flashed my first rom. dont do anything til you are ready. there are plenty of smart folks here to help you.
read read read, subscribe, and ask questions when you need to.
also remember, the search tab is your friend, i can almost guarantee, if you have a problem (android or otherwise) someone has morethan likely had it. there are a couple where there are new threads needed.
i cant express enough, there are alot of good folks here to help if you need it. they made a believer out of me!!
do your research, and move at your own comfort level.
best of luck

YEahh.. i'm in the same boat as you.. like i love android, and all my friends have it on there droid eris.. but i'm affraid to flash, and not be able to go back (if needed). Like can i go back? and is everything working on 1.6 android build?? (like texts, calls, and camera?) i'm reading, but some of this stuff is just SO confusing..

MarkkInNj said:
YEahh.. i'm in the same boat as you.. like i love android, and all my friends have it on there droid eris.. but i'm affraid to flash, and not be able to go back (if needed). Like can i go back? and is everything working on 1.6 android build?? (like texts, calls, and camera?) i'm reading, but some of this stuff is just SO confusing..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just use haret, it's not rocket science, or even hard.

MarkkInNj said:
YEahh.. i'm in the same boat as you.. like i love android, and all my friends have it on there droid eris.. but i'm affraid to flash, and not be able to go back (if needed). Like can i go back? and is everything working on 1.6 android build?? (like texts, calls, and camera?) i'm reading, but some of this stuff is just SO confusing..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i thought everything was pretty confusing at first too. its actually all pretty simple. everything works on 1.6 except camcorder/mms(sending works on verizon and receiving works on sprint)/wifi. i was scared to death when i flashed android to my phone but its as easy as 123. just try android from your sdcard first and if you like it(which you will) then you can do some research on how to flash it.

Can I use a 4GB card to try Android from SD on a Bell Vogue (XV6900?) or do I require a 2GB micro sd card?
Also, if I decide to actually flash the phone, do I need to unlock it first, then install Android to NAND?
I have been doing so much reading, I am getting confused...easy to confuse an old guy!

dsmturbo said:
Can I use a 4GB card to try Android from SD on a Bell Vogue (XV6900?) or do I require a 2GB micro sd card?
Also, if I decide to actually flash the phone, do I need to unlock it first, then install Android to NAND?
I have been doing so much reading, I am getting confused...easy to confuse an old guy!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you can install android with any sd card, but you can only flash a rom from sd card with a 2gb size and lower.
if you do just a haret run then you don't need to unlock, however when you install to NAND you do have to unlock it inorder to flash a rom

Made the jump from SD to NAND today and have to say its running faster and better than ever. Its worth the jump.

cp0020 said:
i thought everything was pretty confusing at first too. its actually all pretty simple. everything works on 1.6 except camcorder/mms(sending works on verizon and receiving works on sprint)/wifi. i was scared to death when i flashed android to my phone but its as easy as 123. just try android from your sdcard first and if you like it(which you will) then you can do some research on how to flash it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm.. maybe thats why i cant recieve a text on my sd lol i have verizon. But people can get them but it gives me an error message. But i need texting..
Hmmm..

Is there ever a stable ROM for DS?

I cannot neglect a fact after i tried so many roms by cyanogen: no one rom is so stable for everyday use.
for 1.6 , the 4.2.15.1 is the last version ,but you must wait a long time to make a normal call ,it is not standale, and it also had a missing sms issue.
for 2.1, i do not know if there is still a updated version after 5.0.8. the camera issue is still there , and also i encounter 2 times cannot-bootup issue (only reflash the rom again).
cyanogen's work is awesome , but i think the stable rom is so important for normal use. IS THERE ANY ONE?

I'd suggest downgrading to the engineering spl, downgrading to rc29 and then waiting for the official OTA to get back to the official ROM.
that's the only STABLE rom out there. the rest is put together, but I personally don't care as I like to make fun of my friends who bought the N1 because they said the g1 would never see froyo.

Living on the edge has it's costs
considering that you're probably using a G1 and I use first gen MT3G and the rate at which new improved phones are coming out in these quick and disposable times, I think it is absolutely amazing that we can stick with new phones, try out there interfaces before they're even released. You're not hacking and I'm not hacking hardcore, but we get faux hack thanks to work of all these people who aren't making a dime on these roms. All lot of these people start like you and me and by flashing learn more and more about these phones. For example, I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that you can go about using superuser terminal, which is thanks to quite a few people who made it possible for noobs to root their phone in the first place, anyways, in terminal you can decide how much priority you give to the phone apk. Google it. Hell there's a guy on the sapphire forum who's give instructions on how to build your own stock froyo so you can tweak it however you want, check it out, I'm thinking about it.
I was diehard nokia fan up until they sold me a n95 that had 3g, just not here and told me there was nothing they could do about it. I thought their system was open....geez it was nothing compared to this android thing.
the one thing that bites my a** here is seeing response to roms where people have lost focus of important things like manners. I'm not saying this is you, but check it out. Guy like Chrome or such, works super hard releasing a rom every other day and somebody chimes in, wifi doesn't work, or camera is force closing, not a daily driver, I flashing back....What? I mean, how about a thanks for chance to check out something new or hey, how about asking why it might not work and learning the process. Think about it, these guys got to have a day job, cause they ain't making it selling roms or monitoring forums to teach some guy how to flash, but they do it and they don't complain. Very rare to find this kinda service today or even yesterday.
Welcome to the community and learn something about why your phone with a certain rom isn't functioning perfectly, I think you'll be glad you did.

Are you kidding me, how picky are you gonna be? Especially since we are still getting support for the G1. Maybe you would be better off with an iphone. I'm rockin CM6 and damn proud of it.
Sent from my HTC Dream using XDA App

a little peculiar,i admit. cyanogen did and does great job.
Sent from my HTC Dream using XDA App

I normally flash on a daily basis just for fun and I can tell there are many roms that can be used as a daily rom and stable
one of them is "Eclair" "Super D" for me everything I need is working and fast
there is also a Froyo Rom by LefeuDeDieu that work fast and stable
for 1.6 I found super E the fastest
so I would say You haven't found the right set up for your phone and your needs

Try cyas 6.0 (froyo 2.2) RC1 with the new gapps (FRF91-3).... it flys for me if you don't install too many apps and is very stable (in my opinion more stable than cyas 5.x). If you pump it with apps the internal memory gets low, no matter how much you move to sd or clear the cache (due to the froyo apps2sd method). You can try too get things better with setcpu (compcache made things worse for me), but with too much load cyas 6.0 turns very slow for me.
/edit ... with Firerats CustomParitions (solving the froyo apps2sd low memory issue) and the CM6 Build from studjuce (using launcherpro instead of adw) its as fast as hell :O even faster than Clay's CSDI ... oh man i guess i have a new daily driver :>
For donut (1.6) i prefer HTCClay's CSDI REMIX, which runs stupid fast no matter how much apps you install on your sd-ext. I personally found it faster than Super D / E. This is my daily driver since i randomly use Cyas 6.0.
I assume you have danger SPL since you installed cyas 5x. (if not ... beware )

Originalnexisone said:
considering that you're probably using a G1 and I use first gen MT3G and the rate at which new improved phones are coming out in these quick and disposable times, I think it is absolutely amazing that we can stick with new phones, try out there interfaces before they're even released. You're not hacking and I'm not hacking hardcore, but we get faux hack thanks to work of all these people who aren't making a dime on these roms. All lot of these people start like you and me and by flashing learn more and more about these phones. For example, I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that you can go about using superuser terminal, which is thanks to quite a few people who made it possible for noobs to root their phone in the first place, anyways, in terminal you can decide how much priority you give to the phone apk. Google it. Hell there's a guy on the sapphire forum who's give instructions on how to build your own stock froyo so you can tweak it however you want, check it out, I'm thinking about it.
I was diehard nokia fan up until they sold me a n95 that had 3g, just not here and told me there was nothing they could do about it. I thought their system was open....geez it was nothing compared to this android thing.
the one thing that bites my a** here is seeing response to roms where people have lost focus of important things like manners. I'm not saying this is you, but check it out. Guy like Chrome or such, works super hard releasing a rom every other day and somebody chimes in, wifi doesn't work, or camera is force closing, not a daily driver, I flashing back....What? I mean, how about a thanks for chance to check out something new or hey, how about asking why it might not work and learning the process. Think about it, these guys got to have a day job, cause they ain't making it selling roms or monitoring forums to teach some guy how to flash, but they do it and they don't complain. Very rare to find this kinda service today or even yesterday.
Welcome to the community and learn something about why your phone with a certain rom isn't functioning perfectly, I think you'll be glad you did.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow I gues you're tying to impress, being a newbie and all, but that's one aweome post... only part I don't get is the "welcome to the forums" in the last paragraph...

paaaaan said:
I cannot neglect a fact after i tried so many roms by cyanogen: no one rom is so stable for everyday use.
for 1.6 , the 4.2.15.1 is the last version ,but you must wait a long time to make a normal call ,it is not standale, and it also had a missing sms issue.
for 2.1, i do not know if there is still a updated version after 5.0.8. the camera issue is still there , and also i encounter 2 times cannot-bootup issue (only reflash the rom again).
cyanogen's work is awesome , but i think the stable rom is so important for normal use. IS THERE ANY ONE?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes. Unroot your phone and get the official updates from t-mobile, sprint, etc. Problem solved, too easy...

paaaaan said:
I cannot neglect a fact after i tried so many roms by cyanogen: no one rom is so stable for everyday use.
for 1.6 , the 4.2.15.1 is the last version ,but you must wait a long time to make a normal call ,it is not standale, and it also had a missing sms issue.
for 2.1, i do not know if there is still a updated version after 5.0.8. the camera issue is still there , and also i encounter 2 times cannot-bootup issue (only reflash the rom again).
cyanogen's work is awesome , but i think the stable rom is so important for normal use. IS THERE ANY ONE?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OP,
I am sorry for the flames you're receiving for asking a legitimate question. People on this board automatically make the assumption that users only want to use leading edge software. Xda has become very mainstream nowadays. News Media is driving everyday users here who just want an improved experience, but who dont necessarily understand the complexities of development. Does that mean they are not welcome? Absolutely not.
To answer your question, a rom based off donut or eclair will give you the results you are looking for. I specifically use zd donut 1.8 "got donut? " rom(ignore my signature)..... it is fast and stable. But so are the super e and supper d series roms. GivE them a go, you will be thankful. But every now and then flash a new rom just to check it out.
Good luck

Just my 2 cents
I am in the same boat, I like trying out new things but I need my phone for everyday use, that's why I picked up a spare G1 with cracked screen for less then $50 and use it to try out new stuff (currently CM6). My main driver - Super-D 1.9.3, the last stable version that you can actually call stable. I also removed whole bunch of stuff that I don't ever use and added some visual enhancements (clear settings widget, MusicMod, ADW latest launcher). Man, thant thing flyes and not a single FC in over 3 months.
All in all, it's inevitable that most of us will get new phones and these "improvements" will be oushined by stock roms but in the mean time be thankfull for what you get (for free!!!!) and learn enough to customize any rom to the point that it fits your needs.

Somebody else pointed this out earlier, but I'm gonna bring it up again. We're lucky to even have support for 2.1 on D/S. It's not meant for our devices and, yah, there are going to be some bugs, considering it was meant for a different devices. The same goes (pretty much) double for 2.2. When I got my Dream, I didn't imagine we would/could get past 1.6. I was freaking out when I got Eclair for the first time. Now we're on Froyo, same version as the N1, and (for me, at least) it's running better than Donut ever was for me.
While I do agree that we don't have many completely stable roms nowadays, I'm also grateful that we have developers like Cyanogen who still care about the lower income (I say that because I justt don't have the funds to purchase a higher end Android phone as of right now, and I suspect that may be the reason many other people have invested in one either) public enough to keep putting out solid, functional roms.
Count your blessings.

enomther "theofficial" roms are super stable.Keep coming back to them.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=538456&highlight=enomther

paaaaan said:
I cannot neglect a fact after i tried so many roms by cyanogen: no one rom is so stable for everyday use.
for 1.6 , the 4.2.15.1 is the last version ,but you must wait a long time to make a normal call ,it is not standale, and it also had a missing sms issue.
for 2.1, i do not know if there is still a updated version after 5.0.8. the camera issue is still there , and also i encounter 2 times cannot-bootup issue (only reflash the rom again).
cyanogen's work is awesome , but i think the stable rom is so important for normal use. IS THERE ANY ONE?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here's my top choices of roms that ive found to be extremely fast
and stable as heck.
Donut Roms: 1st choice - Htcclay's superbad/superfast
2nd choice - SuperD.
Eclair Roms: 3rd choice - Chromatic 3.9.1
(Extremely fast and stable for a eclair rom but is nothing compared to those Donut roms.)

paaaaan said:
I cannot neglect a fact after i tried so many roms by cyanogen: no one rom is so stable for everyday use.
for 1.6 , the 4.2.15.1 is the last version ,but you must wait a long time to make a normal call ,it is not standale, and it also had a missing sms issue.
for 2.1, i do not know if there is still a updated version after 5.0.8. the camera issue is still there , and also i encounter 2 times cannot-bootup issue (only reflash the rom again).
cyanogen's work is awesome , but i think the stable rom is so important for normal use. IS THERE ANY ONE?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey paaaaan!
I totally understand where you coming from, I (and probably many users here) have exactly the same problem. When i got my MT3G and first rooted it (more than a year and a half now) i was trying out a different ROM everyday, just polaying around and having fun. Cyan's ROM's never really worked out for me and i think i got a bit traumatised about it (although i recognize the invaluable contribution he's been to the Android community - it just couldn't possible be the same scene without him and Google should, if it hasn't already, recognize this fact. But after some time i started wanting to have a stable rom, just something that wouldn't hang out on me or lagged all the time - this was quite some time ago, mind you, the Hero sense ROMs were coming out for the first time and 1.6 had just been released. after many tries i stuck with Dwang's Donut build (no longer developed) which at the time was the fastest and most stable ROM i found. I stuck in my head that none of the latest versions of Android would run as smooth in my phone so i stayed with Dwang's (flashing it every month or so) until very recently actually.
I don't really remember why but i decided to give a go to the newest ROM's after reading so much praise for them in here... and i must confess i was really taken back by how far the development had come and what i had missed. I've tried Cannon202 Complete Eclair 2.2, Clay's SuperBad 1.6 & 1.7 and now on Chromatic 3.9.1 and i must say they all are stable enough for everyday use, according to my standards. Now, you must note that many times what makes the ROM unstable is not the ROM itself but how you flash it and how you fill it. I ALWAYS wipe completely before flashing a ROM - and don't just do a complete wipe in recovery but actually use fastboot to wipe the system as well. Another thing you must note is the amount of apps you throw at it, and how fast i do it. If i install or recover all my apps after install no ROM holds stable... instead i go installing them little by little, as i need them... i found out that with the exact same ROM this makes a HUGE difference! Also, after you flash, wait for it to settle down before you start configuring it... i normally also do one or two reboots before i start tweaking anything or installing apps. Compcache and swap never really worked for me so i don't use it (though i do have the SD partioned for that). SetCPU and the right configuration on the settings of the phone (try Chrome's post-boot set-up on his Cromatic thread) make a huge difference.
I must confess i really like Clay's SUPERBAD ROM (1.6 actually works better for me then 1.7) but it seems it has been discontinued, unfortunately; and i still haven't tried any Froyo build (waiting for it to mature, let some problems be solved.... nothing really in it that i can't live without); but i consider all Eclair ROM's i've tried based of Cyan's 5.0.8 perfect for everyday use. I mean, they are faster than the stock Vodafone ROM it came with the phone. Of course, you will have problems after a while and need to rewipe and reflash but that is exactly why you rooted your phone right?

Stock ROM - 1.5 vs 2.1 ??

I bought my gf a Sprint Hero to see if she likes using Android. Might buy an Evo or whatever comes next if she likes the platform (this is her first smartphone, I've been using them for a loooong time - since the iPaq days!)
Anyway, the used one I bought her has stock 1.5 ROM on it, and I know that the Sprint 2.1 ROM is also available. I've searched all over and see mixed opinions on if its worth upgrading or not. A lot of bugs seem to crop up in the 2.1 version, but also some new features and better app compatibility in the market.
I'm a long-time HTC device user, but always WinMo, so I'm no stranger to flashing/modding etc. But I don't want to get into that at all with her phone, she'll get angry if I try to do something and then something else breaks, so I just want whatever stock ROM "just works" best. I don't want to have to "maintain" this device.
Any advice is appreciated, thanks in advance.

Hi there. As far as what "just works"...I have used both 1.5 and 2.1 stock...some people have experienced multiple problems. I used 2.1 stock for awhile before rooting...and quite honestly, the only problems I had was occasional lag...not drastic like some have reported....and rapid battery drain. I've since rooted 2.1 and use an overclocked kernel. Now, with GPS location off (still use cell service loc.), and no task killer whatsoever...i get almost 24 hours of battery with moderate to high usage. I experience no lag whatsoever. And, quite honestly, the rooting process and installing the OC'd kernel are VERY easy. I don't know about your girlfriend, but the skeptics I know...given a few days running straight stock unrooted...came back in a couple days begging me to root and make their Hero "run like mine".

Thanks for the info. I might go that route. Are you running a ROM with Sense? Did you just root the stock Sprint Sense ROM and OC it?
Any more help would be appreciated, like I said I've done a lot of ROM flashing and modding in the past but always on WinMo, I'm new to Android but have been reading up on these forums so I think I have a good sense of what needs to be done now. I'm not afraid of rooting / flashing processes, but I really don't want to put on ROMs where little weird glitches are going to piss her off. I don't mind dealing with that on my own phone, but this really does need to be a one-time job where I can just had it off to her and never have to deal with it again

I am running a ROM with Sense. It's the actually the HTC ROM that has been rooted. Here is a link to the thread. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=703267 It runs sweet. I also formatted the stock 2gb SD card to ext for use with Apps2SD and it worked flawlessly after flashing the ROM. There are plenty of straightforward instructions here in this forum. Like I said, I think your g/f will be very pleased with the speed and battery life using this message. I flash a couple roms now and then to try something new, but always come back to this 'cuz it "just works".

1.5 is faster & more stable imo...but outdated. 2.1 provides a few new features but it's really up to her which one she wants to use. try them both out.
for 2.1 id use the stock rooted sprint rom
for 1.5 id suggest the pancake rom.

If you flash one of the OC kernels, just know that not all phones can handle the OC speeds, especially on bootup. If you decide to flash an OC kernel, MAKE SURE you nandroid backup first in case that phone goes into bootloops or freezes after the new kernel. Start with the 691mhz one just to test, then if all is good you can move up to 710mhz or 768mhz if you want more.
Also, to answer your initial question, I personally think stock 2.1 is much better overall than 1.5. Without even considering OC kernels, extra apps, widgets, etc....Android 1.5 didn't even have native CDMA support, so it had to contain a lot more code/tweaking for our Sprint build, which is why it runs so slowly and laggy. 2.1 includes CDMA support which automatically makes the code smaller and it means the OS automatically runs more quickly and smoothly on almost all HTC Heroes.
The only big consistent issue I've heard of on stock 2.1 is terrible Bluetooth functionality. Most other issues are hit or miss cases that aren't very common.
Hope this helps.

Thanks for the info, this has all been helpful.
To update, I dove in and just updated to the latest 2.1 Sprint official ROM (.6). I don't really think she has a current need to be rooted, as she doesn't use many apps, and doesn't need tethering.
If the need arises in the future for these things, I'll just flash the ROM linked above, or flash back to .5, root, and re-flash. Maybe by then there will be a root for .6 anyway and it will be even easier yet.
I'd also like to post my experience with 1.5 vs 2.1 I am not sure why everyone feels 2.1 is so much slower. I'm guessing it's because they haven't applied the .6 patch, which in addition to fixing the root exploit, also adds a bunch of speed enhancements in the UI.
2.1 is much faster on her phone than 1.5, especially scrolling in long lists, using the dialer, and even swiping between homescreens. She's quite happy with it, and I don't have to hack any fixes due to broken stuff in ROMs, so I'm happy too
I'm liking Android enough that I think I'm willing to buy another phone to play with, I got sick of dealing with flashing and hacking on my WinMo devices, so I went to iPhone. But I want a new Android HTC phone to play with, I think I'll buy a Nexus One or something.

[Q] Trying to identify the right ROM for my needs

I am a n00b humbly trying my best to read as much as I can to be able to flash my first ROM. There are some great stickies which tell me how to flash and allow me to skip the impossible task of reading the thousands of pages on the subject. So far I've rooted and installed ROM Manager and CWM Recovery, and thanks to some consolidated stickies posted by this great community, anticipate being able to flash my first ROM.
It seems impossible, however, to read enough about the different ROMs to make an intelligent choice of which one to flash. Nor can I find a sticky on the subject. I am not looking for others to put any other ROMs down, I just want to hear if anyone can give a positive recommendation for a ROM that you think is best for what I need (in order of importance):
Extremely stable on AT&T i897 (I am running stock JH7 right now). For example, I remember reading for Phoenix that there's a complicated process required to get the 850 MHz radio to work. That is not cool for my needs. I need both of AT&T's 850 and 1900 bands to work stably and without additional hacking.
Very large user base and very active maintenance of the ROM so that I know that the major bugs have been worked out (probably the same as criterion 1 above)
Great battery life (need not be the absolute best)
Better GPS than stock (I understand that doesn't take much)
Faster performance than stock (does not have to be very/blazing fast, and this is less important to me than battery life)
Good wireless tethering (I hear the "Wireless Tether" app is less than ideal because it is not visible to most phones)
Preferably would like to be able to upgrade to a newer version of the same ROM (if I choose the right actively-maintained ROM in the first place, I won't be looking to switch ROMs in the future anyway) in place, without having to use ODIN or reinstall any applications or reconfigure any settings (like my Dolphin bookmarks) every time I upgrade. I'm not sure if this is never possible, or perhaps is always possible with Titanium Backup.
I could not care less about themes, wallpapers, boot animations or anything related to look and feel. I'm by far a function over form kind of guy. Unless of course the theme, such as a dark theme, contributes significantly to battery life savings.
Thank you so much in advance for any recommendations you can provide!
Jason

try the rom in my signature.... Version 1.0
you wont be disappointed

well, let me start of by saying, congratulations on posting in the correct area! you can catch quite a bit of $h.t for post in the wrong area! as far as the best ROM and well maintained, me, personally, I'm running Firefly 1.5 battery life is amazing. it comes with Mobile AP for tethering (which is extremely reliable) gps is awesome! HUGE user base, and the DEV's are understanding and will answer any questions you have! number 1 rule of flasing custom roms... BACK UP ALL INFO, I usually copy all files from internal SD and external SD to my desktop! as far as reinstalling your apps, TiBu is an awesome app, it saves a copy of the APK and the data you have with it, but it is time consuming to do a batch restore, but WELL worth it!

Pirateghost said:
try the rom in my signature.... Version 1.0
you wont be disappointed
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah...I agree try Andromeda 1.0. If you are not a theme guy, then basically all the other ROMs are based on the exact same base with the exact same MODs. The only thing that really differs is a few tweaks here and there and the theme. Andromeda is build on the Armani Captivate build, and many people are finding it more stable. There is a 1.0 unthemed and a 2.0 themed. In addition, you can try out Cognition or Serendipity. Both are very stable

I'd look at DesignGears Cognition ROM. It's based off of SGH-i896 2.2 release in canada.
When I used it, I never had any problems with it, there are tons of additional features than stock, battery life is amazing, and it's just a much better ROM than the traditional i897 stock ROM.

Get the one in my sign.

LOL, see everyone has their own preference! TRY THEM ALL! become a flash addict like the rest of us!!

Your requirements look a lot like mine. I'm sure there are many great ROMs - depending on what someone is looking for. I'm using DG's Cognition and have been very pleased! I find it to be tremendously stable, though obviously much better (and faster) than stock. Battery life is awesome. I generally end the day with 40-50% left after what I'd consider to be moderate use.

Everyone will have their own opinion on the roms they use. Also remember that the same rom with the same set up will not always run the same. Each device is different so. Sense you require such tight guidelines I would stay stock, and read each thread till you find one that you think is stable enough for your uses. There is never a promise that after flashing a rom that an issue will not pop up that only effects you and your device (seen that happen lol) Also if there is a major update to the rom you chose you may have to do a back up and restore of the apps you installed and set things up again as sometimes you just have to revert to stock (yes I know some say they never have, but then I have never had an issue other then the ones I have caused my self). Your best bet is sense you have such tight restrictions on what the rom needs to ba able to do is learn to make one your self so you will know it meets your rules.
We dont do best rom threads.