Database Develop

People requesting ROM advice

As a member for some time, I have seen many people post looking for advice on which ROM might best suit their needs.
Typically the response is anything from a small flame to a raging inferno. The most common response from the learned people here is for the OP to "try them all."
Well, I am finally fed up with those lame and rude responses. You see, there is absolutely nothing wrong with soliciting advice from those who have tried things and ergo have more knowledge and experience. That is why "user reviews" are so important. Think about it, have you ever asked a salesman about a product or do you just try them all? Do you eat everything on a menu, or do you ask the waiter what's good... what would best meet your needs? If you are a normal person, you ask if you have questions!
Also, there is much made about creating different threads asking for the proper advice. Well, the very nature of the request requires a new thread. Each OP might have a different set of preferences that are unique. To use the waiter example: "I don't like salty and greasy foods. I do however like light foods. What would you recommend?" You see how asking for advice has a certain individual and unique set of components?
Some people have told the OP to search and read up on all the ROMs. Well, unless your Einstein or have made ROMS your passion, no sane human can even begin to digest all the information. Some ROMS have hundreds of pages in their thread. One ROM might be a novel to itself. Some people simply don't have 40 hours to read up. Worse yet, those who do have the time, won't have a clue as to which ones to invest it in. Seriously, there are a LOT of ROMs.... with new ones being released almost daily. Unless you live here, you cannot learn about them all.
I think a fair solution would be for the fine people here to focus a bit more on creating a sticky thread of User reviews. However, it has be quite organized and kept current. There is nothing worse than sifting through a couple dozen pages in one ROM thread just to find out the bugs never were addressed in that release, rather the author issued a new separate release.
In conclusion, I think that until ROMs have a better system for Peer Review, which can be easily understood by visitors, people should lay off those seeking advice. Actually, people should be more than willing to be of help and not be so quick to blow the OP off. As for the ROM reviews, I suggest a new sub-forum for just that. It would go a long way to servicing all parties; those who seek advice, those who don't want to see it in these sub-forums, and those who want to help by giving reviews.
Well that is that.

Nice words and I partly applaud, however, you also have to see the other side. Let me reply by copying a user complain and the mod's reply out of his guest comment:
ashleyhall said:
Can I just comment that closing this thread...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=443839
...is simply ridiculous. As the owner/moderator of a large internet forum myself, my moderators and I actively encourage discussion and the airing of personal views - if someone asks an opinion, you expect responses based on personal opinion, otherwise what is the point of a forum?!!?
Absolutely ridiculous, bad moderation, pathetic infact, very disappointed...
Regards, Ashley Hall
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JimmyMcGee said:
Ashley,
Thank you for your opinion. The Guidelines for the Kaiser Section were not invented by me solely and for no reason.
The reasons most Kaiser Mods discourage this type of thread, is these threads not only can create hard feelings between chefs but has been known to lead to all out flame wars
If you want to know peoples personal opinions on ROM, you are more than welcome to ask these questions in the ROM thread.
Also, the Kaiser forum is very active and placing peoples opinions of ROMs in the ROM Thread, where the chef can see and respond to such opinions, is more helpful to the community at large.
This guideline was not created to stop person opinions and speech. But to lead to a better organized Forum Section.
Thanks,
Jimmy McGee
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As you see, it is not always easy to justify a thread, especially not if you're talking about a forum with the size of XDA Developers. If people think they want a review of the particular ROM, why not asking directly in the THREAD of that ROM?

"If people think they want a review of the particular ROM, why not asking directly in the THREAD of that ROM"
That only works if you want a review from a SINGLE ROM.
If chefs have that fragile of an ego....

jimlivingston said:
... If chefs have that fragile of an ego....
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As you now can see for yourself, this is where flaming begins - exactly the reason why threads like that are mostly not welcome!

I definitely think there's room for a single, stickied "ROM discussion" thread. People always have opinions, and it'd give people a place to vent them. The reason there's so many clutter-y "WHAT ROM?!" threads is because there's nowhere to ask that question, and new users have no real reason to understand how repetitive that question IS because all the threads get closed and deleted.
Simply telling them "you can't ask that!" makes it awfully tricky for new users, since they often don't even know WHAT they're looking for. By keeping a "ROM discussion" thread around, they might be able to at least get an idea of what people like about different ROMs. Heck, even if the place turns in to a pit of snarky vipers, it'll at least serve as an example of why people don't like ROM comparison threads!
The problems with just directing people to the ROM threads are thus:
1. Most ROM threads consist largely of bug reports or feature requests from long outdated versions of the ROM, so the information isn't really relevant.
2. Some (not all!) chefs are better at creating their ROMs than they are at describing them -- making it awfully hard to get an idea of what the author was "going for."
3. This makes it even LESS likely that some of the small, less popular ROMs will get noticed because the most popular, most updated threads are the ones that get bumped onto the first few pages.
4. ROM threads generally do not (and should not) contain information comparing different ROMs. This is, however, useful information -- if there's two ROMs claiming to be the "fastest and lightest," for example, users should be able to make their observations about those claims.
There's ALWAYS going to be a chance of getting people's hackles up and of some folks getting defensive of upset. At the same time, there's MORE chance for some chefs to get appreciation for what they've done, there will be a better starting point for folks new to this whole ROM business, and I think there's even a chance that the ROMs themselves will be improved because chefs might be able to keep their eyes on the rest of the "scene" better.

My 5 cents as a veteran noob.
First of all: This site is free to use. Lets keep it that way, by accepting the rules.
I think we have to realize, that this is not a service organization. This site is created by developers for developers.
Yes, it would be nice, if we could get answers quickly, but that is not the purpose of this site. Help - About: XDA
If you want to make this site a better place, Go Here!
A review-thread might be a great idea, but nothing is keeping you from creating another site for this!
So, you want a brand new ROM doing this, and this and that!
Well, so did I. And by trying different ROMs, I now realize, there are no shortcuts.
No matter how cool a ROM looks, there is always one thing about it you don't like.
One example: The new Manilla 3D looks incredible cool. Even if it is slow, I might still be using it, if it wasn't for one little thing that I just can't live with; The 3D "People" tab is very cool, but it is a pain to scroll through one contact at a time. I find the 2D version so much better.
You just have to try for yourself, what works for you and what don't.
Bottom line: To get the ROM that makes you most happy, you've got to make flashing your phone a hobby.
Read the stickies. Start flashing. Stay cool.
Happy hunting

I know this thread is closed, But I wanted to add to the statement of mine that was quoted earlier in this thread.
If you are going to get an objective Comparison or "Reviewed ROMs Thread" That would mean the reviewer would need to be unbiased. In order to do so they would have to flash EVERY version of EVERY ROM that was released. A difficult proposition at best.
I, like most people, will try a few and then Stick with one I find I like. There might be a better one that I haven't tried yet. But that's the fun of this Forum.
There was at one point a ROM Reviews thread. That thread was never closed. As it gave unbiased comparisons between ROMs. Something Impossible to get from just creating a thread saying "What's the Best?" Well ultimatly, "BEST" depends on your tastes.
The ROM review thread gave The features and bugs of a ROM and gave you a pretty clear pictures of the difference between the ROMs, All with the same "spin" from the same guy. By having the same "spin" from the same guy, you can grasp better which ROM is right for you. The effect of Me telling you what I like best and Junner Telling you their favorite is it has different "spin." Also, I may not have tried the ROM Junner recommended.
In the END the ROM Reviews thread died, because it was alot of work. And I believe we have even more ROMs available now!
So you can see why Best of ROM threads serve no purpose then to take up space. With the vast size of XDA's membership, you're not going to get a lot of worth out of a few vocal Fans of a certain chef's offerings.

[Q] Xperia T

I currently own an Sony Xperia Play and I'm running CM 9.1. Things are pretty stable but the phone is starting to wear out and I'm butting up against the RAM/Memory limits (I have around 100 applications installed and most have to be installed to the SD card).
I was wondering what people thought about the Xperia T? Does the phone suffer from lock-up's, is CyanogenMod 9/CyanogenMod 10 stable enough for a daily driver. What is the camera like, does it boot into the camera quickly. What is the battery life like? For example the Play running stock will last ~18 hours but running CM9 it tends to last 12 hours. Has anyone seen a bluetooth gamepad/keyboard case?
I'm wondering if this is a better choice when compared to the SGS3 or the Nexus 4.

stevecrox said:
I currently own an Sony Xperia Play and I'm running CM 9.1. Things are pretty stable but the phone is starting to wear out and I'm butting up against the RAM/Memory limits (I have around 100 applications installed and most have to be installed to the SD card).
I was wondering what people thought about the Xperia T? Does the phone suffer from lock-up's, is CyanogenMod 9/CyanogenMod 10 stable enough for a daily driver. What is the camera like, does it boot into the camera quickly. What is the battery life like? For example the Play running stock will last ~18 hours but running CM9 it tends to last 12 hours. Has anyone seen a bluetooth gamepad/keyboard case?
I'm wondering if this is a better choice when compared to the SGS3 or the Nexus 4.
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http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1890844
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1959206
Just how many threads do you want to replicate?

gregbradley said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1890844
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1959206
Just how many threads do you want to replicate?
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I checked the Q&A forum and saw nothing answering my questions. Can I suggest if you find noob style Q&A questions so offensive that you don't bother reading them. Only last week a bunch of my colleges were complaining about posts like yours which proliferate stack overflow
The XT is an LTE based phone, LTE is only available on T-Mobile/Orange and since VOLTE isn't supported by any UK carrier means there is a noticeable delay between answering a phone. Also there has been some suggestion that 4G will for the short term have a noticeable affect on battery life.
Your second thread spends the entire time talking about the Nexus 4 and getting a stock rom. Neither answers my series of questions. I'm interested to know what the phone is like during daily use use either with stock, CM, AOKP, etc...
I tend to avoid review sites as I find them inaccurate I would prefer to know what people who own the device think of it after using it for a while.

stevecrox said:
I checked the Q&A forum and saw nothing answering my questions. Can I suggest if you find noob style Q&A questions so offensive that you don't bother reading them. Only last week a bunch of my colleges were complaining about posts like yours which proliferate stack overflow
.
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Well, being someone who helps out a lot, i tend to read all Q&A posts, its kinda of my job as a RC. So its annoying when threads are replicated.
My suggestion is to read the two threads I linked, and then read the CM10 thread in the dev section. Finally, as you alluded to, no review site can give you the true feeling of how a phone runs, so I must ask myself, why are you asking for a review?
Take the plunge and run the roms yourself. XDA is not a review forum, it is a dev forum. And if you and your colleagues dont like it I refer you to the rules of the forum.

Hi Steve & Greg, I don't think we have crossed before.
Rather than start to bicker, how about we try and help each other. While your specific questions may not have been asked before there is no harm in asking. The only true way of finding out what a ROM is like is to flash it and test it.

There are multiple threads within the forum answering most of the OP's questions already, just as Greg points out.
In addition to the threads Greg has quoted there is a post your pics thread and a post your battery life thread, both in General. There's also a niggles thread but I forget if it is in General or Q&A.
Combined they answer pretty much all questions asked.
To be honest though, I've personally never got much idea about which phone is best for ME from discussion threads or reviews. They often help you decide but you don't really know what the phone is going to be like without trying it for a while. In my case I couldn't be happier with my XT and would personally avoid Google's new phones due to the bleeding edge technology and the app compatibility and stability issues often associated with them for the months following their release.
Oh, and steve: it might be helpful to all concerned if you title your threads more subjectively - if everyone titled them Xperia T it would make for a pretty painful reading experience.
---------- Post added at 03:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:25 PM ----------
stevecrox said:
The XT is an LTE based phone, LTE is only available on T-Mobile/Orange and since VOLTE isn't supported by any UK carrier means there is a noticeable delay between answering a phone. Also there has been some suggestion that 4G will for the short term have a noticeable affect on battery life.
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I'm in the UK and was on O2 (at the end of my contract) when I bought my XT SIM free, and used it for about a week before I got my new Orange SIM.
On both networks the phone has been fine and I haven't noticed any issues with delays.
I'm not on a 4G contract with Orange though so don't know about battery life.

[Q] MaximusHD or Renovate SixthSense ? please help me to choice.

Hello, I would like to ask if it's worth switching from maximusHD to RenovateSixthSense, mostly I want htc sense 6 but in the first place I'm interested in performance and lifetime battery. I would like to know if it has major bugs. I hope to be the answered RenovateROM users. Thank you and good day
P.s: Sorry for my bad english , im from romania.

Dante15 said:
Hello, I would like to ask if it's worth switching from maximusHD to RenovateSixthSense, mostly I want htc sense 6 but in the first place I'm interested in performance and lifetime battery. I would like to know if it has major bugs. I hope to be the answered RenovateROM users. Thank you and good day
P.s: Sorry for my bad english , im from romania.
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Both ROMs will have the exact same stability and battery life. All Sixth Sense ROMs in fact. The difference between ROMs is the tweaks. The tweaks are limited to each rom. See the tweaks exclusive to each ROM, then make your pick

In your opinion, witch it's better ?

Dante15 said:
In your opinion, witch it's better ?
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''which rom is better'' threads are normally not allowed here, they are all good roms, better to try both rom yourself to get an idea.
What does not go here (by far an uncomplete list, just some examples for topics that are not tolerated)
Everything prohibited by above linked forum rules.
"Whis is the best rom for this device", "Is this rom better than that" (always subjective, prone to fanboy wars)
Device comparison threads "Which is better: iphone or this phone" (see above)
"What was your last phone/will be your next phone" (Off-Topic to this phone, post that in OT-Forum)
"Hello"/"Goodbye"/"Merry Christmas,Easter,Hannukkah, whatever" (Obviously OT, just imagine every user posts that)
"I'll never buy HTC again", "Why HTC/Samsung/whoever sucks" and all other "hate"-threads (Tell that those guys, not us)
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You could make a backup of your existing rom to try the other and if you don't like it just restore your previous rom.

Thanks, sorry for my fault

Just go to the first post on both ROM's threads and do a little reading. Decide which features best fits your needs. It's easy to backup your current rom, try another, restore the original, etc. I always keep a backup of my favorite 'working' rom just in case....

Ok, thanks man!

[Q] WICH IS BESTADN WHY( cyanogenmod 4.4.2 vs sense 4.4.2)

Hi techies,
I've been a regular HTC user and haven't used anything else except HTC Sense. Though I kinda know that Sense is UI and Cyanogen is Custom ROM (thats what I read everywhere); whats the actual difference between the two. Details are appreciated.

AnGrY DuDe said:
MY DEVICE NOW I FLASHED cyanogenmod 4.4.2 NIGHTLY
ITS S-ON .UNLOCKED
WHICH ONE YOU GUYS THINK IS BEST ROM .BUT THE NEW SENSE LOOK AWESOME !
YOU GUYS THINK CM IS BETTER CUZ OF BATTERY NEED LESS AND ITS FASTER OR WHAT?
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sorry mate, but rom comparison threads are not allowed here. There are all good roms, you will need to test them yourself to know which one best fit your needs.
Your thread will probably get closed
What does not go here (by far an uncomplete list, just some examples for topics that are not tolerated)
Everything prohibited by above linked forum rules.
"Whis is the best rom for this device", "Is this rom better than that" (always subjective, prone to fanboy wars)
Device comparison threads "Which is better: iphone or this phone" (see above)
"What was your last phone/will be your next phone" (Off-Topic to this phone, post that in OT-Forum)
"Hello"/"Goodbye"/"Merry Christmas,Easter,Hannukkah, whatever" (Obviously OT, just imagine every user posts that)
"I'll never buy HTC again", "Why HTC/Samsung/whoever sucks" and all other "hate"-threads (Tell that those guys, not us)
"Help!", "How do I...", "Why..." and all other Questions (belong in Q&A)
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Nokia 7.1 or Motorola G6plus

Hey
I can buy one of these phones used 1-2 months for similar good prcice. And I have dilema.
The most important for me is camera(quality in night condition also matters) - I have no idea which one is better in this field.
Also I pay attention to screen and design - I guess in this regards Nokia win. However I have some doubts about 3gb ram in Nokia, it seems too little, but maybe its enough because of pure android?
I have also option to buy LG G6 but for similar price, but it would be used about 12months.
What do you think?

Hi there,
There are threads already established that are devoted to discussions about devices, please read, and if necessary, repost your question in one of these threads: The what should I buy thread or the The Device Suggestion Thread or the The Device Comparison Thread.
There are also several other discussion threads that you probably should review to help you. They are What phone do you wish you had? or
The Worst Android Device That You've Ever Had & Why or even this place that talks about The best phone you ever owned.
I will have to close this one. Thanks for understanding.