What's going on Androids? Newb here..

[NissanS13]

Hey everyone, this is my first post so sorry for being such a n00b haha..

I was deciding between the DInc2 and the Droid X2- choosing the DInc2 because of the recently announced ICS update that will eventually get to us as well as better reviews of the HTC OS' versus Motorola -which I hear are buggy as ! I am trading my iPhone 4 for a clean, undamaged, working DInc2 and $60 on thursday and cannot wait! I have been jailbreaking my ipods and iPhone for as long as they have been out and am just tired of the smaller, slower, and most of all overpriced Apple product. Its fine for someone who has money and doesn't get into the full capabilities of a phone like a tech geek like me would but have been wanting an Android for about 10 out of the last 12 months haha. I wasnt going to buy an Android outright since I will be up for an upgrade in a year (when there will be even better phones out) so Craigslist hooked me up ahah! I will be rooting it the second i get home with it and have been trying to do some reading but figured it would be best to hear from you guys-

How exactly does S-Off and SuperUser Status' benefit us? Actual examples and not just generic info would be great!

What is the difference between AOSP and Sense ROMs? I guess I'm not comprehending how the Sense ROMS are actually any different from AOSP ones.. Again any specific examples would be greatly appreciated!

Which ROMs do you guys recommend- for both AOSP and Sense?

What are some common issues with our phones -both dealing with rooting as well as common unrelated defects?

Thanks for helping a n00b out and sorry if this is in the wrong section and for posting such newb questions.. I look forward to being an active member of the Android community thanks again!

 

[socarwolverine]

Well lets see, I'll try to help as best I can because this forum can get a little dead. I'm not really a rooter, but I am pretty obsessive about gathering information before I buy a new phone.

Having S-Off ensures that after you root, an OTA (over-the-air) update doesn't occur automatically which can break root. SuperUser Status is what you achieve once you've rooted, similar to Jailbreaking, it gives you top-level access to your phone like you were a developer at HTC.

AOSP (Android Open Source Project) is the true vanilla android. No skins, no bloat, just the pure android experience. Sense is the skin HTC puts on top of android, it's the reason a phone with sense looks different then a stock android phone. Sense is often considered to bog down the phone and is usually one of the first things to go after root. The DInc2 has sense, the original Moto Droid or any of the Nexus phones do not have it.

Someone can better answer which is better, but for those wanting speed and vanilla android, AOSP is usually preferred. Some still put a launcher on top of that, but even that launcher is still pretty light and fast compared to Sense. Others still keep Sense (after removing some of the bloat VZW puts on the phone) because Sense is still considered by many to be very user friendly where as vanilla android can seem very cold. The choice really comes down to preference, Sense is usually better for those new to android, while power users like to go to vanilla.

The last question I can't really help with, I was considering a DInc2 before I found my Razr MAXX on ebay, so others will be able to better answer this question.

 

[NissanS13]

What do you mean some put a launcher on top of it? Nice i wish i had a Razr Maxx but im not buying another phone when an upgrade is just a year away- Plus if I'm lucky jelly Bean will have been released! Do you know any forums are are more active?

 

[socarwolverine]

A launcher is an App Launcher that just changes how your phone looks and changes how you access some apps. Both rooted users and non-rooted users an run launchers, a popular one is Go Launcher, but there are many others. It's customizable in that you can change the number of screens, change icon layouts, or even make your phone resemble Windows Phone 7 or an Iphone. It doesn't dig as deep as rooting does, it just gives you an option to change appearance. It's often a good option for those who are bored with the manufacturer's skin and want to change it, but don't want or need to root.

By forum, I meant the DInc2 forum specifically. As any of these phones get long in the tooth the amount of chatter about them drops significantly. I don't really no how ac forums feels about posting links to alternative forums (some websites don't allow the posting to competitors) so I hope I don't get in trouble but you could also try HTC Droid Incredible 2 - Android Forums. Just keep in mind, most of the talk, anywhere, will be about the newest phones as people switch to them. If you have a lot of questions you can ask in forums that are about similar phones and you might get some help.

 

[RealDogBoy]

Here's a good link:

xda-developers -- the best site I've found for Android developers -- technically oriented

Be careful while rooting your phone. Understand all the steps involved and precautions (checking md5 sums before flashing, for example) before proceeding.

 

[djaquez21]

Honestly the only problem I really have with this phone is the audio on recordings. It's really low and doesn't catch much unless it's really loud or close to the phone. And the ringer volume on this phone is a bit low. You can still hear it fine but it could be better.