Why Don't The Phone Companies Take Advantage of This?

[Fazulka]

Ever since I rooted my Hero a few questions have been filling my head. The biggest one is, "Why aren't handset manufactures, and providers taking advantage of these forums?"

Rooting should be allowed, and simpler than it is. If I buy a laptop that comes with Windows, but I want Linux on it I expect that i can just install it. I know that it exempts me from SOME features of my warranty. If my laptop starts freezing all the time I can't expect that they will help, but if the screen dies due to a defect I would still expect them to fix it. Why shouldn't it be the same with phones? When I root I should lose any support in fixing the software, but not from manufacturing defects.

Rooting also could help the companies. Take the latest 2.1 leak. There are known bugs that already have solutions available in the forums, such as the audio problem and the awake problem. If phones had an easy option to root the phone manufacturers could offer a reward for fixing problems. People are doing it now for free. If HTC offered $1000 to anyone who could solve the problem more people would try to fix it and solutions would be found quickly and cheaply. I have the old leak, option 3, installed on my phone. It is very fast. Faster than the official update, with fewer bugs and better battery life. Why didn't HTC look and see that? Why would they release a version that is WAY late and half done when much better versions have been made by people working for free?

Discouraging rooting and problem fixing seems detrimental to the companies involved, and to the consumer.

 

[Aspiring Developer]

Last fevered pitches for built in obsolescence?

 

[licotto]

Palm watches the forums on PreCentral and has implemented MANY of the features/patches that the Pre Homebrew community has created. Palm even went as far as to openly encourage the Homebrew community and has recognized them at nearly every event they've sponsored. This is one reason I have become such a fan of my phone & remained a huge supporter of Palm.

Unlike Android, which is supposed to be 'open', they still lock down the abilility to root and allow users some REAL personal customization. We all know Apple is a stingy whore of close-minded proprietarianism...but at least they make high quality equipment...

Anyway, I just thought I'd comment & let you know that there IS a company that allows, encourages, and integrates their Homebrew communities hacking, rooting, & patching.

 

[Fazulka]

That is cool that there is a company that actually does respond to users who are making huge improvements to their products. I feel like this is the way we will get the best cell phones in the future - Android should have no problem competing with iPhone if the listen and take help from consumers.

 

[heavensblade23]

Because people will inevitably manage to brick their phones by flashing a wrong radio or something, and then they send them in for warranty service or return them to the store which costs the manufacturer money.

 

[emotovilov]

...another good thing about Palm SDK...you can always hit the panic button when you have your Pre hooked up to your computer and restore it to factory defaults...

 

[jasoraso]

I think the biggest reason is because rooting allows programs and features that bypass sources of revenue for the Carriers.

The support issues that can accompany rooting are a side issue, but I think the revenue issue is the biggest reason ....

 

[sYnOnYx]

Another reason, what if your in contract and you brick your phone ? They find out YOU did it or find another BS reason and refuse to replace your phone. Say at that point you cant afford a new device at full or ebay prices. What are you to do ? I would say some people would say **** it and hop carriers regardless of ETF. I left ATT years ago when they refused to honor a legit warranty claim, said **** it. They billed me the ETF, never paid it. I paid the bill minus the ETF. I haven't heard a word since, it didn't even pop up on my credit. In Fact, I have even gotten comeback letters from them !

 

[Raptor]

I think the biggest reason is because rooting allows programs and features that bypass sources of revenue for the Carriers.

The support issues that can accompany rooting are a side issue, but I think the revenue issue is the biggest reason ....

Bingo!

Unlike PC makers, the carriers have a vested interest in how you interact with there (THERE) network. If you root and find a way to access a feature that the carrier would normally expect to charge you $10/month, $20/month, $30/month or whatever, they are unlikely to see the "benefit" of losing money.


Brian

 

[mmcnamara43]

Palm watches the forums on PreCentral and has implemented MANY of the features/patches that the Pre Homebrew community has created. Palm even went as far as to openly encourage the Homebrew community and has recognized them at nearly every event they've sponsored. This is one reason I have become such a fan of my phone & remained a huge supporter of Palm.

Unlike Android, which is supposed to be 'open', they still lock down the abilility to root and allow users some REAL personal customization. We all know Apple is a stingy whore of close-minded proprietarianism...but at least they make high quality equipment...

Anyway, I just thought I'd comment & let you know that there IS a company that allows, encourages, and integrates their Homebrew communities hacking, rooting, & patching.

Palm Has To Because My Pre Is Useless With Out The "patches". The Phone Has Nothing Without Them.I Have Over 70 Patches on my Pre That Most Phones Come With Out Of The Box. So I think with that said .. Goodbye PRE Hello EVO4G.....

 

[dannydos]

Palm watches the forums on PreCentral and has implemented MANY of the features/patches that the Pre Homebrew community has created. Palm even went as far as to openly encourage the Homebrew community and has recognized them at nearly every event they've sponsored. This is one reason I have become such a fan of my phone & remained a huge supporter of Palm.

Unlike Android, which is supposed to be 'open', they still lock down the abilility to root and allow users some REAL personal customization. We all know Apple is a stingy whore of close-minded proprietarianism...but at least they make high quality equipment...

Anyway, I just thought I'd comment & let you know that there IS a company that allows, encourages, and integrates their Homebrew communities hacking, rooting, & patching.

your very wrong...preware has over 300+ patches...palm has only used about 5 of them.

 

[patches152]

Bingo!

Unlike PC makers, the carriers have a vested interest in how you interact with there (THERE) network. If you root and find a way to access a feature that the carrier would normally expect to charge you $10/month, $20/month, $30/month or whatever, they are unlikely to see the "benefit" of losing money.


Brian

it's a combination of the profit and the warranty explanations. people getting around tethering (which VZW for example charges extra for as a feature, also a marketing point for some phones) can be done with no charge via root and now with apps (which, btw...violates TOS and they can bill you for the data per MB if they decide that you're tethering without approval)

warranty, like someone else already stated, is an issue that if you try to do this "advanced" process and botch it and can't figure out how to fix it on your own, you're SOL. if they carrier (who facilitates the warranty in a majority of situations) were responsible, it causes their costs to raise, people calling and going into store, replacements, muli-fru replacements, etc...

it all comes down to cost vs. value. the carrier doesn't gain as much from allowing these things, let alone condoning them. but fully supporting these would only cost them more.

i'm totally ok with "unofficially" allowing these things, in the way of support forums as we do it now. there's nothing a carrier could offer that we can't do equally as well. and FYI, the people who test the software and hardware, as well as marketing and other departments DO read forums that are applicable to the devices they support. most employees of these carriers are like us, they get totally geeked out over their new shiny toys and wanna learn more (which very rarely can you learn more than basic features and services, nobody at the carrier who knows how to root learned it at work) and they're on here reading, mostly lurking in the background. very few interact with the community.