Related
Hello. I am fairly new to the Android root/ROM universe, and have a few questions.
I recently flashed the most recent version of CM7, and after spending a few hours with it, immediately reverted back to the stock UI.
I'm going to list a few reasons I disliked it, and maybe you can tell me if I'm just doing something wrong.
-- Only five screens? I have my apps stored perfectly in the seven screens given to me in stock, and hated the limitations of only five.
-- The entire look of the UI feels outdated. Comparing just the top bar with battery level and clock and such, CM7/Gingerbread's version looks like they've stepped back a few years in design.
-- I lost my Sense widgets. I know this is a matter of preference, but is there any way I can flash them with CM7?
-- Whenever I push the power button to unlock the phone, there is a delay in the screen turning on. With the stock, the screen turns on almost instantly.
-- I can't sync my contacts for some reason. Maybe I'm just an idiot though, I don't know.
While I very much dislike these things, I'm open to what you have to say. Maybe there's something about it I'm missing?
ejsholly said:
Hello. I am fairly new to the Android root/ROM universe, and have a few questions.
I recently flashed the most recent version of CM7, and after spending a few hours with it, immediately reverted back to the stock UI.
I'm going to list a few reasons I disliked it, and maybe you can tell me if I'm just doing something wrong.
-- Only five screens? I have my apps stored perfectly in the seven screens given to me in stock, and hated the limitations of only five.
-- The entire look of the UI feels outdated. Comparing just the top bar with battery level and clock and such, CM7/Gingerbread's version looks like they've stepped back a few years in design.
-- I lost my Sense widgets. I know this is a matter of preference, but is there any way I can flash them with CM7?
-- Whenever I push the power button to unlock the phone, there is a delay in the screen turning on. With the stock, the screen turns on almost instantly.
-- I can't sync my contacts for some reason. Maybe I'm just an idiot though, I don't know.
While I very much dislike these thigs, I'm open to what you have to say. Maybe there's simething about it I'm missing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you should switch back to sense because the widgets you have to get replacements for in the market and the delay has to do with the kernel. syncing contacts is done with the facebook app from the market or other apps. The look, you could install launcher pro and get 7 screens. I personally like sense because it feels better.
With CM7 you can customize pretty much the ENTIRE ROM.
It's really cool if you're willing to put some time into it to get it the way you like.
With the 5 screen thing.... You can download a different launcher and change that no problem. I recommend ADW EX or Launcher Pro.
But if you want something basically already perfect with little or no work needed on it.... Try out Skyraider 4.0
A big reason a lot of people like CM7 is that it's Gingerbread aka, android 2.3.3
Any Sense ROM will be 2.2 at the latest.
The default launcher CM7 comes with is ADW. You can change it to Launcher Pro (downloadable from the market), honestly when I first flashed CM7 I reverted back to a sense ROM just because I didn't like the ADW launcher and didn't know you could change it out.
You will lose your sense widgets but if you look, there are comparable widgets you can get that are very close to the Sense widgets. Also if you buy Launcher Pro Plus, they provide a bunch of cloned Sense widgets.
The delay in the screen I can't comment for, mine seems instant. I don't have that animation though, that thing has always bugged me. You may want to try a different kernel (chad's incredikernel is excellent) to increase battery life and performance.
There are also theme's for CM7 so you can actually change the way the top bar looks, I prefer how it looks and haven't seen any older style phones with that type of look but everyone has their preference.
And another side point, gingerbread has a few security fixes that Froyo is open to. There's been a few apps exploiting this in dangerous ways, so gingerbread is a smart choice if you're worried about that.
+ ADW and Launcher pro, there are settings where you can add more or less screens.
If you like Sense then you should definitely stick with it, just don't be shy to try out new ROM's.
On your home screen hit menu then edit. You can add home screens for a total of 7.
Search the market for cm7 themes and you can change the look to something different.
You can't get the actual sense widgets but like has been said you can get close with apps in the market.
Syncmypix in the market lets you sync your contacts to facebook friend photos.
If you still don't like it I would you with skyraider 4.0
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App
Number of home screens is easily changed, I like to keep it simple and go with 3. Contacts should be synced with Google, all mine came back after signing in to my Google account. Sense Widgets can be emulated with launcher pro, for the stock clock/weather widget use fancy widget pro with HTC skin. Screen wake issues are kernel related, you can swap different kernels to see which works best with your phone. CM7 has the most themes out of any rom so its not hard to find something to fit your taste although I personally like the way gingerbread looks stock, to me anything below android 2.3 looks outdated.
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App
ejsholly said:
Hello. I am fairly new to the Android root/ROM universe, and have a few questions.
I recently flashed the most recent version of CM7, and after spending a few hours with it, immediately reverted back to the stock UI.
I'm going to list a few reasons I disliked it, and maybe you can tell me if I'm just doing something wrong.
-- Only five screens? I have my apps stored perfectly in the seven screens given to me in stock, and hated the limitations of only five.
-- The entire look of the UI feels outdated. Comparing just the top bar with battery level and clock and such, CM7/Gingerbread's version looks like they've stepped back a few years in design.
-- I lost my Sense widgets. I know this is a matter of preference, but is there any way I can flash them with CM7?
-- Whenever I push the power button to unlock the phone, there is a delay in the screen turning on. With the stock, the screen turns on almost instantly.
-- I can't sync my contacts for some reason. Maybe I'm just an idiot though, I don't know.
While I very much dislike these thigs, I'm open to what you have to say. Maybe there's simething about it I'm missing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
CM7 comes default with ADW... you can change it up to 7.
The reason the UI feels outdated is because your used to Sense, it's one of the selling points for HTC, and why a lot of people buy there devices. It's one of the reasons I bought the Incredible(originally..)
Your right, the sense widgets are gorgeous... but you can definitely find ways to make your homescreens on CM7 gorgeous too.
You can change your screen transition settings with the Spare Parts app... and flash a custom kernel that takes care of that.
You need to enable sync under Accounts and Sync under your settings... make sure you have contacts clicked... and make sure you have the facebook app... a lot of contacts are synced from there as well.
Sense is an overlay from HTC in which consumes more resources on your phone, and contains way more bloat. CM7 is a ROM in which has the most basic of apps pre installed in it, with tweaks you can do to your UI. Pretty much what you would refer to as Vanilla android.
I think the philosophy behind CM is that it's for customizers. You have to be willing to spend hours going through option screens, and downloading mods and themes to see what you like. If that's not you, CM7 is NOT for you. I cannot stress this enough. I've talked to too many people about rooting/switching ROMs, and they don't get it.
My answers in bold
ejsholly said:
Hello. I am fairly new to the Android root/ROM universe, and have a few questions.
I recently flashed the most recent version of CM7, and after spending a few hours with it, immediately reverted back to the stock UI.
I'm going to list a few reasons I disliked it, and maybe you can tell me if I'm just doing something wrong.
-- Only five screens? I have my apps stored perfectly in the seven screens given to me in stock, and hated the limitations of only five.
Easily changed to 7, as stated above.
-- The entire look of the UI feels outdated. Comparing just the top bar with battery level and clock and such, CM7/Gingerbread's version looks like they've stepped back a few years in design.
I know a lot of great themes for CM7; a great place to start is Honeybread of DarkGinger.
-- I lost my Sense widgets. I know this is a matter of preference, but is there any way I can flash them with CM7?
You might like Regina Launcher or SPB Shell 3D. Both are in the Market, offer 7 homescreens if you want that, and have some great widgets included. Regina is free, and SPB Shell is $15. However, SPB has a lot more widgets.
-- Whenever I push the power button to unlock the phone, there is a delay in the screen turning on. With the stock, the screen turns on almost instantly.
Non-issue for me, on CM7.0.2.1 with Tiamat 3.3.8 noSBC
-- I can't sync my contacts for some reason. Maybe I'm just an idiot though, I don't know.
I use MyBackup Root in the Market to back up all my data before flashing a new ROM.
While I very much dislike these thigs, I'm open to what you have to say. Maybe there's simething about it I'm missing?
As many have already said, CM7 is all about customization. Don't like stock lockscreen style? Change it. Don't like stock theme? Install a new one. The possibilities are endless. I, too, was a Sense lover. However, I took the time to find replacements for the Sense widgets I liked, and from there I didn't look back. For the Sense Weather Clock, I recommend GO Weather. IMO, it looks just as good, lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hope I did a decent job explaining some things.
If you need help, you can always PM me and I'll usually get back to you within a couple days
That GO Weather widget is awesome, really the only thing I missed from stock sense rom
I like CM7 because it offers better performance, battery life, features, customizations, updates,.....the list could go on. I just like it. I also updated the baseband radio on my Dinc as well as updated the kernel from the CM7 kernel to the latest incredikernel. This has been an awesome combination for me so far.
I have to ask, why in the world would anyone want a Sense ROM? I miss CM so much....
It feels so empty. Yeah the Sense Weather widget is cool but about there there isnt anything really "wow".
Maybe Im missing something....Ive been 5 minutes with Sense 3.0 and Im thinking about going back already to CM.
riahc3 said:
I have to ask, why in the world would anyone want a Sense ROM? I miss CM so much....
It feels so empty. Yeah the Sense Weather widget is cool but about there there isnt anything really "wow".
Maybe Im missing something....Ive been 5 minutes with Sense 3.0 and Im thinking about going back already to CM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well everyone has diffrent opinions, but for me sense has the best user interface with amazing widgets. the quick settings from the notification drop down menu is also good. but sense is basically only for the homescreen and launcher.
Sorry but your opinion is not the opinion for everyone. Some like sense, some doesnt like sense.
I tried cm and i didnt care much for it. In fact i switched back to sense after spending a day with cm and it was a big sigh of relief for me.
Sent from my Desire Z via XDA App
may i ask why you feel sense 3.0 is empty? cm is just stock android with a launcher thrown on top and a few optimizations, sense 3 has much more. okay i agree that you havnt got as many settings to fiddle about with but do you really need to
ive kinda got to the stage where i just want to use a phone as a phone, and sense is much easier to use
although im not saying i dont like cm.... however i think glite is much better with launcher pro for some nice widgets.
good luck in choosing your rom
1) Superior camera app, with better layout, aesthetics, and options. Stock AOSP camera app is pretty terrible. Never found any 3rd party apps as good as the HTC camera app, either. You will see frequent requests for porting the HTC cam app to non-Sense ROMs, and there's a reason for that (but nobody has been able to do it).
2) Smart dialer/contacts. Some people like the HTC dialer and contacts better than AOSP, some don't. But many here have stated they prefer the HTC ones over AOSP. Also, I've messed around with 3rd party dialers/contacts, but there always seems to be something not quite there, and end up going back to Sense.
3) Apps and widgets like Stocks and Weather (and others) look great, and are well integrated with the general Sense theming. You can search around for Market apps that do the same things (and maybe more), but they will all have different looks to them, and simply won't mesh as well with the general theme of your ROM.
4) Lots of general theming changes. This is merely a matter of personal taste. But I think the changes made by HTC look more refined than AOSP, and prefer them.
5) Different keyboard. Mostly just an aesthetic choice, but again, I personally think the HTC one is better than AOSP. Plus, Sense 3.0 adds the Swype-like "HTC Trace" functionality. Personally I use the Swype keyboard.
6) With HTC Locations, you can pre-download the maps for huge regions or whole countries and store them to your SD (turn-by-turn navigation requires an extra fee, but the maps themselves are free). This allows you to use the maps even when no data network is available, such as poor signal or travelling abroad. I personally prefer the Google Maps/Navigation interface, but I see the practical applications for HTC Locations.
7) Built in WiFi hotspot, better notification pulldown (with quick settings), and other small stuff.
There's probably more, but those are the main reasons I see to pick Sense. But if you've given Sense a decent chance for a few days at least, and still don't like it versus the AOSP style ROMs (or other styles), you probably aren't going to change your mind based on what people here say. Its mostly just a matter of personal preference, the look and feel of the ROM. Its like asking why people like the color blue versus red.
One word: Integration. HTC has done a splended job at bringing various little items together to create one simple UI that integrates almost everything. The dialer, facebook, widgets, settings, intuitive controls, camera, etc... The price? Memory.
I have gone from Sense to AOSP to MIUI and now back to sense because it is really hard to get that kind of integration on non-sense roms. I will gladly pay the price for Sense, though I may wander back to AOSP for speedier roms occasionally.
Sent from my Unified Vision using XDA App
It's my opinion that for most people who prefer a Sense ROM their first Android phone came with Sense and they are simply used to it. It's also my opinion that this is the primary reason the custom UI's exist. If people are used to/comfortable with a certain interface they are less likely to switch to a different brand because any other interface will feel "wrong"
Since I started out with stock Android I find any of the custom UIs to be nails on a chalkboard annoying. It even took me a while to get used to ADW when that started being included in CM.
Media player on sense roms are way way better for streaming online media. On sense I don't use rockplayer but on non-sense I have to
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA Premium App
redpoint73 said:
6) With HTC Locations, you can pre-download the maps for huge regions or whole countries and store them to your SD (turn-by-turn navigation requires an extra fee, but the maps themselves are free). This allows you to use the maps even when no data network is available, such as poor signal or travelling abroad. I personally prefer the Google Maps/Navigation interface, but I see the practical applications for HTC Locations.
7) Built in WiFi hotspot, better notification pulldown (with quick settings), and other small stuff.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think both ROMs have their place, everyone likes different things. These two points should be left out however.
#6 is no different then the map tile caching done in the new Google Maps, which is available on any ROM.
#7 come on, I know you have more experience with Android than that. Built in hotspot has been part of CM7 and every other ROM for a long time now. The pulldown is a bit different but then again, that's another user preference that can't be deemed better or worse.
KCRic said:
I think both ROMs have their place, everyone likes different things. These two points should be left out however.
#6 is no different then the map tile caching done in the new Google Maps, which is available on any ROM.
#7 come on, I know you have more experience with Android than that. Built in hotspot has been part of CM7 and every other ROM for a long time now. The pulldown is a bit different but then again, that's another user preference that can't be deemed better or worse.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
6) Is it? I haven't actually played with the feature on Google Maps at all, as I haven't found myself in the situation of using Google Maps while in areas of poor or no data connection. But my impression was that it was just a small cache feature, such as for while driving through isolated areas of bad data reception. The feature on Locations lets you download and store huge maps, such as "United States - West" permanently to the SD card, which takes up 953 MB; or all of France (833 MB). Google Maps cached doesn't do that, does it?
7) My bad, I haven't actually been on CM7 for a long time, and forgot about WiFi hotspot being cooked in. Do more stock/official versions of the AOSP ROM (like the T-Mob leak) have WiFi hotspot also? If not, it may still be a valid point of comparison for some (although I see your point, since the OP seems to be a CM7 fan).
If the phrasing "better notification pulldown" is merely changed to "different", it becomes a valid point of comparison. Completely agree that most of the difference in the features between Sense ROMs and others is a matter of personal preference/taste (as I've already pointed out in my previous post).
leehopley said:
may i ask why you feel sense 3.0 is empty? cm is just stock android with a launcher thrown on top and a few optimizations, sense 3 has much more. okay i agree that you havnt got as many settings to fiddle about with but do you really need to
ive kinda got to the stage where i just want to use a phone as a phone, and sense is much easier to use
although im not saying i dont like cm.... however i think glite is much better with launcher pro for some nice widgets.
good luck in choosing your rom
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I feel like its empty as there isnt much to really customize about Android (you can customize Sense alot but thats it).
1) Superior camera app, with better layout, aesthetics, and options. Stock AOSP camera app is pretty terrible. Never found any 3rd party apps as good as the HTC camera app, either. You will see frequent requests for porting the HTC cam app to non-Sense ROMs, and there's a reason for that (but nobody has been able to do it).
2) Smart dialer/contacts. Some people like the HTC dialer and contacts better than AOSP, some don't. But many here have stated they prefer the HTC ones over AOSP. Also, I've messed around with 3rd party dialers/contacts, but there always seems to be something not quite there, and end up going back to Sense.
3) Apps and widgets like Stocks and Weather (and others) look great, and are well integrated with the general Sense theming. You can search around for Market apps that do the same things (and maybe more), but they will all have different looks to them, and simply won't mesh as well with the general theme of your ROM.
4) Lots of general theming changes. This is merely a matter of personal taste. But I think the changes made by HTC look more refined than AOSP, and prefer them.
5) Different keyboard. Mostly just an aesthetic choice, but again, I personally think the HTC one is better than AOSP. Plus, Sense 3.0 adds the Swype-like "HTC Trace" functionality. Personally I use the Swype keyboard.
6) With HTC Locations, you can pre-download the maps for huge regions or whole countries and store them to your SD (turn-by-turn navigation requires an extra fee, but the maps themselves are free). This allows you to use the maps even when no data network is available, such as poor signal or travelling abroad. I personally prefer the Google Maps/Navigation interface, but I see the practical applications for HTC Locations.
7) Built in WiFi hotspot, better notification pulldown (with quick settings), and other small stuff.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1: Better in what sense? You can prefocus, flash, choose quality, ISO settings, etc. I dont see much difference. The design is less pretty but is that really important?
2: Cant comment as I always use the contact list.
3: In a general sense, I dont use widgets too much. I use LauncherPro which gives me a calender and a Facebook widget which pretty much work OK. People Stream is somewhat more feature full but feels like a cluttered mess.
4: Theming is not important as all as this is more aimed towards features. Said this, there are amazing themes out there for ASOP.
5: I use Swype. No really difference between the HTC and ASOP keyboard.
6: This is just about a week ago so you might not know In Google Maps (Lab) you can now select regions in 10 miles to download to your phone and use them with a data connection.
7: ....Android supports out of the box making itself a wifi hotspot....And the notification in Sense is one of the top 5 reasons I switched back. So bulky taking up so much space.
One word: Integration. HTC has done a splended job at bringing various little items together to create one simple UI that integrates almost everything. The dialer, facebook, widgets, settings, intuitive controls, camera, etc... The price? Memory.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I find the Integration on Sense so terribly confusing and way too overpowered. On CM, it is SO simple and easy to do.
riahc3 said:
1: Better in what sense? You can prefocus, flash, choose quality, ISO settings, etc. I dont see much difference. The design is less pretty but is that really important?
2: Cant comment as I always use the contact list.
3: In a general sense, I dont use widgets too much. I use LauncherPro which gives me a calender and a Facebook widget which pretty much work OK. People Stream is somewhat more feature full but feels like a cluttered mess.
4: Theming is not important as all as this is more aimed towards features. Said this, there are amazing themes out there for ASOP.
5: I use Swype. No really difference between the HTC and ASOP keyboard.
6: This is just about a week ago so you might not know In Google Maps (Lab) you can now select regions in 10 miles to download to your phone and use them with a data connection.
7: ....Android supports out of the box making itself a wifi hotspot....And the notification in Sense is one of the top 5 reasons I switched back. So bulky taking up so much space.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For the most part, you have taken the things that I like about Sense, and are saying you don't like them. So I doubt this is going to turn into a productive discussion. Its a matter of personal preference. And it seems like you've already made up your mind.
1) HTC camera has the ability to add effects. Personally not for me, as I'd rather take a "normal" picture, and add effects later if I want. But I now some people like and use them.
By prefocus, do you mean you can touch to focus on AOSP? This feature was not included on CM7 last time I used it. But like I said, its been a long time. Overall, IMO the layout of the HTC camera is more logical and easier to use. And the AOSP is ugly as hell. Are looks important? It is to me. Not like its a deal breaker for the whole ROM. But its a factor to add to the list of differences.
6) So those features are nothing the same then. 10 miles is about enough to get your local area, but that's about it. Locations lets you download a whole country (or in the case of a large, developed country like the US a huge region), so you basically never have to worry about downloading again.
why would anyone want a sense rom???
because they like sense???
mputtr said:
Sorry but your opinion is not the opinion for everyone. Some like sense, some doesnt like sense.
I tried cm and i didnt care much for it. In fact i switched back to sense after spending a day with cm and it was a big sigh of relief for me.
Sent from my Desire Z via XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sent From My T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
mputtr said:
Sorry but your opinion is not the opinion for everyone. Some like sense, some doesnt like sense.
I tried cm and i didnt care much for it. In fact i switched back to sense after spending a day with cm and it was a big sigh of relief for me.
Sent from my Desire Z via XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your opinion is not the opinion for everyone?
That makes no sense. An opinion is a statement about how one person feels about something, not something that is assigned to someone. Everyone has their own opinion bro
Sent From My T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
For me, no launcher runs sense-smooth
I tried CM7 once, disappointed by what-launcher's-name-is: choppy, laggy, unprofessional etc..
Also, I'm not gonna talk about Android's stock launcher
rickyiswhite said:
Your opinion is not the opinion for everyone?
That makes no sense. An opinion is a statement about how one person feels about something, not something that is assigned to someone. Everyone has their own opinion bro
Sent From My T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What that means is that her opinion does not account the general concensus.
You just said the same exact thing I said. She was saying why would anyone want a sense rom because it is empty. then in one of her next replies, she says the integration is overpowered. It sounds ridiculous when you're saying that integration in an operating system can be overpowered.
so now i'm reading, sense is empty and sense is overpowered. I'm pretty sure this isn't world of warcraft so it simply seems odd to me to hear someone saying that a tight integration in the OS is a bad thing.
rickyiswhite said:
Your opinion is not the opinion for everyone?
That makes no sense.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
mputtr's statement made perfect sense to me. The OP is asking why anyone would like Sense, just because he doesn't like it. It almost seems the OP assumes that everyone has the same personal tastes as him. I've tried to summarize pretty objectively what some of the differences are, and the OP just shot them all down basically saying he didn't like this or that, which is not really the point.
The easy answer to the question of why would anyone would like a Sense ROM, is that every ROM has different features, look and feel. Whether that makes it "better" or not is merely a matter of personal taste. Everyone has different tastes. Its as simple as that.
I do really like sense and especially its integration with the sense website but I think I may have just outgrown it. Theme wise miui can't be beat and the only thing I really miss about sense now is the contacts app and the facebook integration. However, I just find it to be a little too sluggish for me now after spending so much time with the alternatives. Oh and I also love the text select function in sense that zooms on letters iphone style to allow for more precise editing
I do think sense has a place but I feel that HTC has gone too far down the eye candy road rather than focus n new functionality that despite the new coat of paint 3.0 brings it just feels outdated
barclays said:
For me, no launcher runs sense-smooth
I tried CM7 once, disappointed by what-launcher's-name-is: choppy, laggy, unprofessional etc..
Also, I'm not gonna talk about Android's stock launcher
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can agree with you about adw. It is a pretty bad launcher to showcase with cm7. The reason I hear that they insist on using it is that its open source. I would think that their are other/better OS launchers but maybe not! Stock android launcher rocks in terms of speed not sure where your complaint is there. First thing I do is install stock 2.3 launcher on cm and all is well.
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA Premium App
There are some things I can't get my head around.
From the screenshots of all the cool user ROMs and themes available it's clear they've been designed by clever people who use their phones a lot. So why does it appear from these shots they use the Sense launcher, and their default home screen has a big Sense clock and hardly any apps?
Presumably, like me, these people are pulling their phones out their pocket and putting them back there many times a day. Presumably also, like me, these people use a number of apps and widgets in a day that hits two figures. With this in mind, I want to be able to get to those apps and widgets easily and quickly. I.e., with as few swipes/clicks/screen presses as possible. I'm sure these people do too, right?
So that rules out the Sense launcher doesn't it, with its 4x4 grid limitation and non-resizeable widgets. Not to mention its time-consuming spin-in carousel effect every time the phone's security screen is unlocked. I haven't found anything useful the Sense launcher does that another launcher can't, at least after downloading other apps.
Furthermore, who really keeps that big clock on their home screen, when 1. you probably wear a watch; and 2. you can see the time on the top right. It seems like a silly amount of screen 'estate' to use.
Or is it that these people in fact have a more practical default home screen and it's just tradition to post the screenshots they show?
Finally, why do so many of these otherwise brilliant ROMs not mod the battery icon to show how much battery is remaining, percentage-wise? Appreciate this can be modded using the kitchen website. But surely everyone wants this info from the off, so is it not included?
Well, I'd never call myself a hardcore user - although I believe that term should be defined too, because I'm not sure it's interpreted the same way by everyone. That aside though, here's what I think on tinkering with the launchers. You buy an Android phone - be it of any manufacturer. In general, and especially considering the top level models, it can be said that there isn't much diversity hardware-wise. What does make a difference is the UI, the services integrated and how the phone handles them. (And let's exclude synthetic benchmarks for now, I don't believe they represent real-life scenarios.) So, someone knowledgeable going for an HTC device (meaning it's not chosen because of price or because of how "pretty" it is), imo, means they're attracted to Sense: those little nuances that do make the difference. Ditch the launcher and you've pretty much ditched at least about half of what Sense - of what HTC is about. But then, why did you go for HTC in the first place? And the same can be said with Samsung and SE as well, those who quite heavily modify the Android UI. Sure, you can do it, you can dump the whole customized everything...but can doesn't mean that you should: if you're a "hardcore user", however we define the rest of it, you know you'll have an easier life with a phone that runs stock Android, there's no point in choosing something customized (read: more complicated), with risk of locked bootloaders and whatnots.
And you're right: you can get the puzzle pieces from the Market (or elsewhere) to create a Sense-like experience. That's because Sense offers so many good things in one package that ppl are aiming at re-creating it, but ask this: if you want to re-create it, why not spare yourself the hassle and use the real thing right out of the box?
As for the clock: I haven't even owned, much less worn a watch for at least about ten years, nor do I feel the need. Actually they seem pretty redundant now that mobiles have become as complex as they are and being carried everywhere. But as for the battery percentage - I couldn't agree more, I wish I knew why HTC itself doesn't make it available at least as an option.
In addition to the great points made by breathlesstao, I'll add the following:
Many devs concentrate on performance, stability and removing bloat when developing their ROMs, so if you want UI mods like battery percentage etc then the option is there for you to do it yourself. It would be nice if HTC could add percentage but they do have a battery widget that shows it.
As for on screen icons, I suppose many people like a sleek looking interace with not a lot of clutter. Plus, the more you have on the homescreens the more likely you are to experience lag when scrolling between the screens. Personally I have every app I use often on one of the 7 screens and if I need anything else it's only a few presses away in the all apps menu. I like it to be set up with each page having similar types of app, so on one I have music / media related stuff, another tools / settings type stuff... etc. See my helicopter view screenshot below for an example. My screen aren't crammed, but then they're not too sparse either.
I actually like the flipclock as it integrates local weather and just generally looks cool... I also haven't had a watch since the 1990s.
Choice and the ability to customise things are part of the many joys of Android, you set it up your way and use it your way.
The replies are right in. As for the launcher I have people coming to me all the time cause their phone is slow and lagging and whenbi unlock screen they have dozens of shortcuts all over the screen. Of course its gonna be slow when it need to reload a the launcher and all those Widgets. I swear some look so much like an icrap with all the shorcuts when I see it I have to double check. Lmao
As for the battery icon, you have to edit the coding for the file to add the extra 150 images that make up the % battery and charging icons and the bigger the file......
Now the clock well to be honest I remove the clock from the top bar any chance I get as I see it as pointless. We have Widgets for that.
As for sense it has its pluses like everything is prebuilt in. Social networking (not sure as I don't use FB at all) built into contacts and all the other handy apps that it comes with. I mostly run a senseless Tom my self but that is only due to it be long a resource hog. But the contacts and dialer work so well together that I have not found a better dialer/contact combo. The sense 3 lockscreen is just too good. I have widget locker but prefer the sense lock screen
Some very good replies, and here is my take, i've been modding my phone(s) now for a few years now (Since the Windows Mobile 5 Genre) and I would say function is not the only thing i look for. I want "coolness", "graphics"... I love the way the flip happens when you unlock a Sense ROM ..I strive to make it smoother !
Having said that I do resort to simplicity at times however, and you can too. have a look at Cyanogenmod and get Launcher Pro.. Ain't nothing simpler than that with the most "Function".
The ROM above will satisfy anyone who loves Function over Heavyness and also it has the option of showing percentage battery amongst plethora of other customizations neatly laid out in the settings menu.
But sometimes that just isn't enough for me..I want a ROM with More......Sense framework is probably the best Integration of everything I've ever seen. Yes its huge ! But then...this phone ain't that weak either...It is a beast
That is why you have an "option" my friend...an option to choose non-sense ROM or a Sense ROM. You could go for a Sense ROM (if you like all the integration of sense) and get yourself a different launcher from the market if you choose..customize it with the battery percentage mod.... yourself... The Dev's like to leave the option customize some aspects of their ROM's to the users... mostly because its personal preference.
The Sense Rom cooks, mostly, give u the most basic thing... A highly optimized ROM with a stock-like UI. You can choose to customize it the way you like ! After all thats what XDA is all about ..do it youself modding..
Hi all,
Your responses are appreciated and it's nice to have a polite conversation about this!
You're right breathlesstao, what the hell's a hardcore user. I just meant anyone who'd flash a ROM, root their phone, perhaps mod some element themself.
So I guess many of you - suprisingly for me - are happy to swipe between screens to get to their apps or widgets. You like what less clutter for doing this. Can see your point of view! I don't experience any lag though, zelendel, for packing my homescreens.
I suppose it was assumed that if you're more knowledgeable you'd be aware of apps and widgets with more options and functionality than the Sense launcher and its own widgets, and choose to use the former instead.
To be clear, I do like using other HTC features such as their contacts and dialler. It's just the homescreen layout I'm ranting about.
In particular for me, a good GUI, as well as looking pleasant, is as simple and quick to to use as possible. So when, for example, I'm going for a lunchbreak at work it's satisfying to be able to put my music or podcast-player on in a second without having to hunt it down.
i keep meaning to try a non sense rom but i like virtuous unity 2.39 sense 3.0 rom so much i´m loathe to part with it.
i know it only takes twenty minutes to go back to it but i just find it does everything in such a pleasant manner.. its smooth fast responsive and most of all it looks the buisness. plus as others have said you dont have to use all that sense stuff if you dont want to.
for music i do tend to use the stock player but i have been playing with other ones of late same with video but things like the clock and weather widgets for me are much more polished on the sense versions than anything comparible available from the market. plus i´ve not had any problem running low on ram or anything, the dhd is more than capable of handling sense 3.0 and whatever else one cares to throw at it without any hiccups
Circle launcher 1x1 widgets are the best
Sent from my Inspire 4G using xda premium
killersloth, thanks for the heads up - it looks very useful.
ponk2k, you know I also use VU (2.39) but with Launcher Pro - have uninstalled the Sense widgets that aren't connected to anything else. You probably think what's the point! To answer my own question, I wanted a custom ROM for things like battery life optimisation, and the VU team's branding has seemed more user-friendly to me than the non-Sense ROMs. Though maybe I'll try one soon. While I've got you though, can I ask if you have a problem with the brightness dimmng slowly on command in most scenarios with that ROM version? More info in my question here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1292894
Capys runny 1.5 is perfection
Sent from my Inspire 4G using xda premium
killersloth said:
Capys runny 1.5 is perfection
Sent from my Inspire 4G using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
100% bug free? I was thinking of trying it.
CitizenLee said:
100% bug free? I was thinking of trying it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just a fair warning man. No rom will be 100% bug free. That is what the stock roms are for. The roms here are for learning and trying new things. So there will always be bugs that need to be fixed. Plus some things that one person may see something a a bug while another sees it as a feature.
zelendel said:
Just a fair warning man. No rom will be 100% bug free. That is what the stock roms are for. The roms here are for learning and trying new things. So there will always be bugs that need to be fixed. Plus some things that one person may see something a a bug while another sees it as a feature.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks lol.
&by 'perfection' I definitely don't mean bugfree but it is everything I expect in a good rom. From the improvements to audio, the good battery life, and now decent skins too...
If it was bugfree what would be the fun in developing with it ?
Sent from my Inspire 4G using xda premium
zelendel said:
Just a fair warning man. No rom will be 100% bug free. That is what the stock roms are for. The roms here are for learning and trying new things. So there will always be bugs that need to be fixed. Plus some things that one person may see something a a bug while another sees it as a feature.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I meant with the basic day to day phone functions and stuff like WiFi, video playback etc. To me that's an expected level of functionality for any non beta ROM. I've flashed and tested many over the last 2.5 years of owning Android handsets so my standards are quite high
CitizenLee said:
I meant with the basic day to day phone functions and stuff like WiFi, video playback etc. To me that's an expected level of functionality for any non beta ROM. I've flashed and tested many over the last 2.5 years of owning Android handsets so my standards are quite high
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is fully functional. I believe there is the bug in camcorder still where you have to watch play.the video in the same orientation you recorded it.
Sent from my Inspire 4G using xda premium
I haven't had any problems with vu dimming slowly no. I do find that the dimming settings on the ROM are a bit brighter than on the stock ROM though but with no noticeable battery drain incurred.
Thanks will have to investigate further.
zelendel said:
Just a fair warning man. No rom will be 100% bug free. That is what the stock roms are for.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
...aaaand potentially not even those. I mean, they're made by humans as well, and humans are bound to make mistakes, aye? It happens.
The most productive thread i ever encountered !!! Thanks to OP
Forgive me if this has been posted elsewhere but I couldnt find it.
Q1. Has anyone experienced clicking the Home button from another app or from the app drawer and seeing just the wallpaper for a few moments until the home screen widgets, folder and shortcuts are redrawn?
Q2. Also, Has anyone noticed lag when scrolling between home screens if a Live Wallpaper is used? I notice some live wallpapers make scrolling worse than some others.
If this has been posted, let me know?
Yes to Q1.
Also had lock up in gallery with a spinning circle and nothing happening.
Yes to Q2. All of the live wallpapers except one cause lag. Quite disappointing.
Yes I've noticed this which is quite disappointing considering everything is meant to be GPU accelerated and butter smooth in an iPhone-esque manner, general navigation doesn't seem any different to my HD2. Hopefully software updates can overcome these issues.
It's good to know I don't have a faulty handset but its a shame that its not as smooth as the early reviews lead me to believe (although it is very smooth once in the app drawer and other places).
Does anyone know any impressive Live Wallpapers that have little or no detrimental effect on Home Screen lag? I find Koi Free quite impressive without causing much noticeable lag (but its a bit old hat now, so I'd like something different).
Yeah I find it very hard to work out how The Verge could've given it such a high score, software in particular, and called it "blazing fast".
It's good, but it doesn't feel very fast to me.
I'm very disappointed by the live wallpaper lag, i thought ICS completely diminished any lag in the OS
all the live wallpapers make the scrolling look historic except for the one: PHASE BEAM
that one is as smooth as a picture wallpaper
anyone else? hopefully its easily fixable in a future general maintenece OTA or some custom roms
if you guys are using third party wallpapers then they probably were never updated to enable the hardware exceleration.
if your using the built in, then thats totally unacceptable IMO and is very upsetting since i was looking forward to having a device that will actually be able to run LWPs.
neok44 said:
if you guys are using third party wallpapers then they probably were never updated to enable the hardware exceleration.
if your using the built in, then thats totally unacceptable IMO and is very upsetting since i was looking forward to having a device that will actually be able to run LWPs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have tryed the ones that came with with phone and sadly it is not smooth also.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
It feels like my Sensation with a 3rd party launcher. =(
Still love the phone but this wasn't supposed to happen.
i read in the endaget review that not all live wallpapers are HW accelerated - as of right now only "Phase Beam" (the default) one is.
Which is why you should notice theres no lag on the Phase Beam Live wallpaper (at least not for me), whereas stuff like "Nexus" live wallpaper will seem to lag
This is the paragraph i read:
"Not all the live wallpapers are fully optimized (for example, Phase Beam is, but Water isn't). Developers have to add a single line of code to their apps to take advantage of 2D hardware acceleration -- you're able to enable this as the default for all apps by checking "Force GPU rendering" in the Developer Options."
So apparently its just one line of code that devs need to add in for their apps - granted, these are GOOGLE wallpapers so im not sure why they just didnt add it in themselves.
But this also adds to the Developer options of "Force 2D rendering" - although im not sure if this will help the unoptimized live wallpaper lag
just my 2cents
1. Yes
2. Yes
I also sometimes get lag when launching the app drawer.
Scrolling widgets also seems so stutter slightly as well.
Glad to know its not just my handset, but dissapointed as well. My GS2 was buttery smooth everywhere
Well, this is disappointing. It's a pretty basic part of the user experience, one that you'd think Google would spend a lot of time on. My GS1 running 2.3.4 suffers from refilling the launcher when I return to the home screen. I was hoping the SGN with ICS would end that experience. You guys running a lot of apps? Maybe there's something in common between those affected that isn't experienced by everyone. Will be watching this thread.
Noticed it straight after first boot, amount of apps has nothing to do with it, at least for me.
Anyone tried different launchers. Different launchers play a big role in Android user experience and smoothness. I don't think any custom launcher has hardware acceleration enabled yet, but it would be worth a shot.
It is also unacceptable that the default stock Live Wallpapers from Google weren't updated to utilize the hardware acceleration. HWA is the main feature of ICS that everyone was waiting for. EVERYTHING on the Galaxy Nexus should be setup for HWA. No excuses.
On a side note, all of my phones lagged a little when using LWPs. Even my fast G2x. The SGS2 had hardware acceleration enabled... so it could just be the launcher.
adw launcher FTW.
enable 2d doesnt fix it
has this been opened as an issue in the google aosp page
Hmm. This reminds me of the first time I took my Nexus S out of the box..
Just wait for some custom roms and such, google are apparantly horrible at optimizing performance.
I have a feeling that using GPU acceleration to certain wallpapers would cause the phone to become unstable or something, like how forcing GPU acceleration has been reported to cause instability. Google probably disabled it while they quietly work on the issue.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
perhaps
but the one live wallpaper works WONDERFULLY
I'm runnin stock Nexus with Nova launcher, just noticed that there's a slight delay upon selecting a menu option.
Here's what i mean....
Say you're in the SETTINGS menu, when i select one of the sub menus e.g Sound/Display/Storage/Battery. When i click on it, it highlights it in blue while i press it, but when i let go it kind of fades out slowly, like theres a transition on it, meaning there is a slight delay in opening the menu. It's really annoying, because the phone is lightning quick, but then this happens, it's like the GPU can't cope with the transition/fade effect when you select the sub menu option.
I've turned all transition effects off in Nova Launcher to see if that's what was affecting it, but it's not. Is this meant to happen?
Thanks
mps83 said:
I'm runnin stock Nexus with Nova launcher, just noticed that there's a slight delay upon selecting a menu option.
Here's what i mean....
Say you're in the SETTINGS menu, when i select one of the sub menus e.g Sound/Display/Storage/Battery. When i click on it, it highlights it in blue while i press it, but when i let go it kind of fades out slowly, like theres a transition on it, meaning there is a slight delay in opening the menu. It's really annoying, because the phone is lightning quick, but then this happens, it's like the GPU can't cope with the transition/fade effect when you select the sub menu option.
I've turned all transition effects off in Nova Launcher to see if that's what was affecting it, but it's not. Is this meant to happen?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah everybody has that. doesn't matter what rom/kernel you run.
google kinda ****ed up here.
I think its something that google can tweak in an update...hopefully.
Same
Same, I didn't notice this on a SGS2 video running ICS though...
Except this problem isn't just Nova Launcher its just the settings and menu in general
Seriously??? It takes 1/2 a second! Is that really toooooo slow?!!
Sent from my GALAXY NEXUS using Tapatalk
mps83 said:
I'm runnin stock Nexus with Nova launcher, just noticed that there's a slight delay upon selecting a menu option.
Here's what i mean....
Say you're in the SETTINGS menu, when i select one of the sub menus e.g Sound/Display/Storage/Battery. When i click on it, it highlights it in blue while i press it, but when i let go it kind of fades out slowly, like theres a transition on it, meaning there is a slight delay in opening the menu. It's really annoying, because the phone is lightning quick, but then this happens, it's like the GPU can't cope with the transition/fade effect when you select the sub menu option.
I've turned all transition effects off in Nova Launcher to see if that's what was affecting it, but it's not. Is this meant to happen?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In Settings -> Developer options, enable "force GPU rendering". It does increase graphics benchmarks by about 20%, and removes some of the UI sluggishness even with stock images. I'd also recommend you to use foxhound beta 0.1 of 4.0.4 android along with leankernel - no delays whatsoever
YEah this kinda bothers me too. Seems like Android can't really handle serveral 2D transitions at the same time...
I really hate the fact that the Android team at Google doesn't an eye for the small details, which are a big deal. This little transition in the settings meny gives away a huuge part of the experience. Some may say im overreacting, but hey just my thoughts..
retskrad said:
I really hate the fact that the Android team at Google doesn't an eye for the small details, which are a big deal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I could not concur with this more. ICS is nice, but it is VERY unpolished. There are little annoying bugs/quirks everywhere and, while I know early adopters tend to pay the price for doing so, all these little issues are mostly unacceptable for a 4.0-level release on a flagship device.
retskrad said:
I really hate the fact that the Android team at Google doesn't an eye for the small details, which are a big deal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can definitely tell they're moving in this direction with the changes from 2.3 to 4.0 though. They're clearly trying to push towards a cleaner, thought-out experience across the device. Its just going to take some time for the old habits to die.
I truly think its just something google could fix in an update to the settings activities. Hopefully google doesnt ignore it though. The hardware is easily capable.
martonikaj said:
You can definitely tell they're moving in this direction with the changes from 2.3 to 4.0 though. They're clearly trying to push towards a cleaner, thought-out experience across the device. Its just going to take some time for the old habits to die.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah exactly, people often forget how new Android is.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
anterus said:
In Settings -> Developer options, enable "force GPU rendering". It does increase graphics benchmarks by about 20%, and removes some of the UI sluggishness even with stock images. I'd also recommend you to use foxhound beta 0.1 of 4.0.4 android along with leankernel - no delays whatsoever
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In the same options, disable the transitions. this in aokp b27, gives no sluggishness at all!
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
anterus said:
In Settings -> Developer options, enable "force GPU rendering". It does increase graphics benchmarks by about 20%, and removes some of the UI sluggishness even with stock images. I'd also recommend you to use foxhound beta 0.1 of 4.0.4 android along with leankernel - no delays whatsoever
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
your first advice is completely pointless imho. That option is there to force third party apps that don't explicitly ask for 2d acceleration. All of the ics menus and all google apps already use gpu acceleration.
I think the problem is with the gpu. Menus and nav button transitions are MUCH smoother on my HP touchpad running cm9.
I agree with trying out 4.0.4 though. People say it's much improved in this regard. Paul's 4.0.4 is very popular.
grumphy said:
In the same options, disable the transitions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for this. My phone feels much faster now.