Exceptionally Harmonious.
Disclaimer:
This is one humble user's experience/testimonial to using Harmonia 1.0. I am not a dev, I am a relative beginner to using Android devices, and my experiences reflect as solely my own. YMMV, as always.
Also: TL;DR If you don't care to read my impudent ramblings below, This ROM is mighty fine.
To be fair, I was extremely partial to the Aphrodite series, so I'm biased with LeslieAnn's (and those she has collaborated with) work. The recent Optimus V-sourced picasticks kernel (HUGE shoutouts to you, pickasticks!) was found to merge extremely nicely with Aphrodite, and it felt a match made in heaven for a 2.2.1 based Froyo ROM.
Luckily for all of us, LeslieAnn noticed that, as well.
Anyway, onward!
Harmonia is released, and for me, has become what the 'stock' Optimus V should have been.
In CWMA .4, I full-wiped/Dalvik/Battery/Everything one could wipe that is offered in recovery. It was one bone-dry phone. Flashed Harmonia, and away I went.
Install went as expected. Long cache-building first-boot that we've all come to know and love followed and I looked forward to checking out the-- Hey! What is that?!
Boot: It was a new boot animation! The classy and minimal design is a nice, subtle touch and really reflects the ideal of what the ROM is about, I think.
I really dig it. Well done.
On normal boot (LG Logo to desktop), it averages for me to about the 18 second range.
Desktop Experience Installed SetCPU and set my 768/768 perf profile, LauncherPro, Astro and Quadrant Standard. Cleaned desktop of any widgets, then rebooted again, then ran Quadrant.
[ rant ]I've been a DIY PC hardware enthusiast for quite a number of years. Benchmark programs unfortunately come with the territory. I'm generally a big person on real world 'feel' when using tech. It's an instinct that's served me well for a long time.[ /end rant ]
Other people just like numbers.
So, for them, this is what I hit:
604
594
611
Lag free, snappy, smooth, it achieves pretty much what we could realistically want out our V's for the hardware it has. The 'feel' is similar to me very close me as Gingerbread in terms of response and behavior.
I have a slimmed list of 18 apps I consider 'essential' for my phone needs, and I install one at a time on a any new ROM to check for any wankiness, strange issues, or force closures as I configure them. Thus far, all of them (most widely used mainstream apps) worked for me without issue.
Syncing, phone basic functions, (Dialer, SMS, MMS, GPS, Data (Oh, VM. Fix your data!), WiFi, Accelerator), all worked as expected and have no issues on my device. I have no use for Bluetooth, and have not tested it.
The space savings, while strictly maintaining stable core features, are just fantastic for a 2.2.1 ROM. This is why Harmonia really shines. The attention to detail to be sure core functions are stable while removing what you can is what made me follow Aphrodite in the first place, and that tradition continues on.
While I'm sure there can be changes and optimization, (the source FINALLY came out what, two weeks ago?!), picasticks has made a kernel that just makes this device feel 'right'. Functions are running at a level that matches the (deceptively small, but still some oomph with what it is) hardware these Oppy V's are on, and it's been a complete pleasure.
Battery life will simply just take more time to really gauge. So far, I left it overnight TuneIn radio running quietly in the background, Wifi on a never-sleep policy, GPS ON, data off, and CPU always running 768 config. For 7 hours, it went from 100% to 64% in use. I'd call that great success so far. Your useage and drainage may vary, but I don't think by default this drains badly. Next test is an idle, real world test, but it'll take some time.
Considering from the out-of-the-box stock Optimus V ROM, I went from 100% to drain in about 6 or 7 hours with just 3g and light, sporatic usage, I'd personally consider it a notable improvement.
Shutdown Oh, and it shuts down in 6 seconds. 6 WHOLE SECONDS OF MY PRECIOUS TIM-- Wait. Yeah. 6 seconds is pretty fast.
Overall impression is that this has replaced Aphrodite 1.3.3 (Farewell, sweet maiden!) as my 'default' 2.2.1 Froyo based ROM. It doesn't have some of the glitz and glam Gingerbread has, but for some of us, that's a really, really good thing.
I'd encourage you to try it out if you're looking for a solid, stable 2.2.1 based ROM that configures to YOUR tastes and usage.
Take a bow, then take a nap (you have *got* to be worn out. How fast did you make this?!), so I can enjoy my better half playing Angry Brids on *my* Oppy because 'It just works right on your phone over mine, Jeff!'.
...Thanks a lot, LeslieAnn... /sigh
-K