Develop Bugs

cm6 v.s. Fresh 3.2 ?

Ok Im all backed up and ready to give it a go. I just have a few questions.
I don't use the Sense Launcher and have almost nothing on my home screens. just the scrolling dock at the bottom. launcher pro.
What are some things I am going to lose?
What is the differences in the Camera? Details?
What are the differences in the Dialer?
I like the dialer on Fresh 3.2 because of the FB integration.
I don't use 4G
I have not used HDMI as my flatscreen has a CPU connected already.
Is it possible to have the gallery from 3.2 with the FB pictures tab? or is that a sense thing?
Basically I don't know what all is strictly sense.

the default aosp dialer has what i consider to be a fault. you can't just spell out the name of contact. so i started using DialerOne.
dont' forget to check out both CM6 related threads (both are a bit quiet, but will answer many of the questions you may cross...search is your friend)
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=735596
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=729802
not sure on the FB stuff since I don't use it except to fill in the pics in my contact list.
give it a whirl. it will be a bit different.
enjoy.

Thanks Draginmagik (sportbike rider?) I had already thought out what I wanted to ask while at work and only had time to ask while on lunch. Figured Id get some input from some people who had used both but your input is appreciated to. I forgot about dialer one. That is one of my favorite things about the dialer I have. I tried Dialer One on The moment but couldn't get it to come up with the green button. I guess thats not a problem with the evo.

A few things ive noticed in Fresh 3.2 Vs Cyanogen mod is that...
Fresh's battery life (by itself, no kernal flashed) is by far the best of any of the ROMS ive used.
I like the sense camera sooooooo much more than the default android camera so thats a no brainer for me.
I do like the AOSP call history though, its much easier to navigate to and through.
Overall, im running Cyanogen right now but ill probably go back to Fresh later tonight... the battery difference is amazing.

Reading a little more I don't see where Sprint vvm / weird text message is there or not. I hated that on the Hero AOSP roms. Also want to get opinions on GPS as i need it to work at the end of this week. I will be flashing this tonight, just want to get some feedback so dont need the "just try it" post. Again, Im just trying to get a comparison so I know what to look for faster after I flash to be sure I like it before I head home this weekend. Once I get on the road and get back home, phone playtime is over until I get caught up at home . hahaha.

wanfaltm said:
A few things ive noticed in Fresh 3.2 Vs Cyanogen mod is that...
Fresh's battery life (by itself, no kernal flashed) is by far the best of any of the ROMS ive used.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried Kings ASOP kernrel? Im using #3 BFS and its great if I dont use the phone but it seems to suck down pretty quick when the phone wakes up. I'm over the battery thing, I just started carrying my usb cable in my back pocket and hit up a usb plug when I see one. lol But thanks for the info. Ill keep an eye on that too.
wanfaltm said:
I like the sense camera sooooooo much more than the default android camera so thats a no brainer for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you explain the difference? I just figured out on the Fresh camera that if you touch the screen it focuses on that spot. Awesome feature. Wish my real camera did that.

yamaford said:
Have you tried Kings ASOP kernrel? Im using #3 BFS and its great if I dont use the phone but it seems to suck down pretty quick when the phone wakes up. I'm over the battery thing, I just started carrying my usb cable in my back pocket and hit up a usb plug when I see one. lol But thanks for the info. Ill keep an eye on that too.
Can you explain the difference? I just figured out on the Fresh camera that if you touch the screen it focuses on that spot. Awesome feature. Wish my real camera did that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
not sure how the stock CM6 kernel is. a few days ago the CM6 nightly was upped to the .34 kernel. the custom ROM's are mostly on the .32 kernel still. i ran Kings on CM and it was 'ok'. the UI was smooth but the battery life reminded me of my previous stock kernels. perhaps as he rolls out more kernels that will be adjusted.
Cyanogen wrote the camera app in CM6. it also has the point touch focus. it has been much improved from the default aosp camera.
c'mon...make ur nandroid and jump in the beautiful cyan colored waters.

DraginMagik said:
Cyanogen wrote the camera app in CM6. it also has the point touch focus. it has been much improved from the default aosp camera.
c'mon...make ur nandroid and jump in the beautiful cyan colored waters.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All nanded up and flashed and restored most of my apps. Pandora sounds great. Ill test it in the shop but in the hotel its loud! I didn't Know that was a feature.
I liked the look of the dialer until the phone rang. YUK!
Im trying to finish up my Manup them but not sure if the ZIP I already have for the notification bar will work with CM6
The camera work good so far, as long as the pictures take good im OK with that. I hate 3d gallery, always have. its on my list of things to fix.
I downloaded the one in the link. Your on nightlys right? do they seem stable enough for you? whats the best way to try those out? The github link is kinda over my head.

DraginMagik said:
Cyanogen wrote the camera app in CM6. it also has the point touch focus. it has been much improved from the default aosp camera.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cant forget having the ability to zoom while recording video. That's one of the big pluses of CM.

Well I found that the stock notification bar zip that I had on file won't work. I got the little blue android of death. After a quick reflash of cm6 all is well. still need that manup theme.

i'm on the 9/15 nightly. i think it was the 'swipe away items from the notification bar' feature or maybe a camera update that got me to flash up from the CM6final.
running it with -snap 7.6bfs kernel
currently, the CM6nightlys have slowed down so you just kinda keep an eye on the thread for nifty new features or updates...other than that, it's been very very stable for me since well before CM6final was released.

What is the appeal if CM7?

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.

Bored

I think I'm going through ROM Boredom.
Seems like I've run through just about everything, and I need something new that gets me excited again.
I had all the best Froyo ROMS, and ran Koni III for a long time as a daily.
I've run the 2.1/3.0 ROMS, but they're really all the same, more or less. Going from Synergy back to MikG, just for the 2.2 updated version isn't turning me on. Although I do prefer the 3.0 stuff over the older versions.
I have no desire to run MIUI and have to deal with all my apps on the desktops (I hate that)
I'm still a little gun shy on CM7, after the rash of White Screen issues, which looks like they've subsided, plus, CM7 just doesn't really appeal to me. I like the spit and polish of sense.
I guess I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Unroot and return to stock? Who knows, of could be the "change" your looking for?

Lol.... Oh HELL no
Swyped From The Hippest Phone Using XDA Premium

I've been a little 'bored' as well .. at first I thought I was more or less content. Been jumping around lately and been on MIUI last week or so with a sweet theme. I use ADW EX anyways, so you get the drawer and don't have a cluster f*ck of apps on the screen. I never understood the hate, and with a theme you can really jazz it up. Been on it a few times but never hung around. Might just stick here for a while. It's pretty sexy.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA Premium App

Does ADW EX take away form any of the other desktop customizations, etc on MIUI?

AdW on Miui is great. I really like the drop down notifications and all the setting options you can retain with the mix of the two.
If you get really bored and want to try something different not on XDA, there is that UD rom. I've never tried it but have been close a few times.
That launcher7 on the market for free could hold you over for an hour or two also

HipKat said:
Does ADW EX take away form any of the other desktop customizations, etc on MIUI?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm, such as? I know it has different options for transitions and such, but as for that and maybe some widgets, I'm not too sure of the other little 'goodies.' Unless, of course, you mean themed icons and what not ... in which case, I've been using a specific set for what seems like ages. So, again, not sure. I've always just slapped another launcher on as I don't like the apps being on the desktop by default. ADW EX, obviously, has different transitions as well and the list for MIUI 'appears' to have similar ones ... so not sure how different they all are.
Haven't messed around with different lock screens as I just use Widgetlocker, so can't really comment on that either. I haven't had much time to mess around with the latest version (can't remember the last one I was even on) but I plan giving it a longer run this time around.
Might be worth checking out.

Sounds like we run similar setups with custom icons, widgetlocker, etc....
I might just have to give it a run, just for something different, and as long as the icons aren't on the desktops, then it loses the stupid iphone look.
One really good thing is going back to SBC AOSP kernels.
My battery will love me again.

Just come on over to the 3d side Hip

jayharper08 said:
Just come on over to the 3d side Hip
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol. no update til January

Hipkat,
I was using UD 3.3.1 with the tiamat kernel for a long time (for me anyway) It was a nice change and was really stable. I only went to Synergy to see what the fuss was about ( and now I'm staying there for a while) I don't know whats up with it now though, Balckdroids site is down and has been for a while.
If you want to give it a whirl, let me know and I'll give you the zip.

I'll take a look at it. Thx!

HipKat said:
lol. no update til January
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Or back to the Moment?
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk

OK, here they are.
Flash the UD rom first, then the GPS fix and google apps (these are newer than the ones bundled with the rom) then the tiamat kernel. You can do them all together and as always wipe cache/dalvik and data first.
Enjoy
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/19202845/Ul...imate_supersonic-ota-eng.blackdroid.3.3.1.zip
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/19202845/Ul...o fixes ud/CM7-N39-GPS-Driver_Supsersonic.zip
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/19202845/Ultimate_droid3.3.1_AOSP/evo fixes ud/gapps-evo-20110504-vm.zip
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/19202845/Ultimate_droid3.3.1_AOSP/evo fixes ud/Tiamat_Evo-v4.0.5-sbc.zip

CM7 isn't too flashy by default, but there are a ton of cool themes for it. And most of them use Theme Manager, which means you don't need to flash them -- you just install an APK and you can switch it up on the fly without even rebooting.

Have you tried using the kitchen to cook your own? I just did my own, but I can't flash it! Ha! No root!
Seen my post in General Forum?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1156664

SNS is pretty rad, 2.3, themed with Sense and NonSense, very fast and stable, no issues, crazy good battery life. And I get in the same mind games weekly it seems. I go from stock to custom 12 times over, back to stock, its an addictive habit that gets me in trouble with the fiance' most days! Just a thought, good luck!

lol, I'd probably work out more, if I wasn't sitting here playing with this phone almost every night....

Rant about hardcore users, productivity and the Sense launcher

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

Delay in menu selection?

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.