Posted: 3/16/2011 7:25:02 AM EDT
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I can install and run launchers like LauncherPro and Zeam for free, without rooting.
Why would I want to root? What other FREE launchers out there are as good as HTC Sense? |
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I rooted so I could get rid of the extra crap Verizon put on my phone. I replaced Bing with Google for navigation, and added a custom music player and theme. I can change the look whenever I want, and battery life is better than stock.
New, my Fascinate was a good phone. Rooted, on Froyo, it is a great phone. I also use Launcher Pro. Sense isn't bad, but I prefer the simple, customizable LP with Beautiful Widgets for a clock and weather. |
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I have used LauncherPro (paid version) and ADW Launcher. LauncherPro is by far the better of the two (and better than the stock launcher).
ETA: I still rooted after using LauncherPro. I now use the Cyanogenmod ROM with LauncherPro. ROM's allow you to do more customization of settings, apps, themes, etc. You can overclock your phone to improve performance. You can freeze or uninstall the factory apps. There's quite a bit more, but those are the main reasons that I rooted and installed a custom ROM. |
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Quoted:
What is the benefit of a custom ROM? Be gentle, I'm slow. This. I can see the difference between Sense and LauncherPro. Not a huge inprovement, but I like it. Free wifi teathering, removing pre-loaded apps... anything else? I don't really care about the pre-loaded apps. Since the 2.2 on my dinc I can't say they really effect the battery. |
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Quoted:
Free wifi teathering, removing pre-loaded apps... anything else? It's hard to explain all of the benefits without actually showing you on the phone. Try and find a friend that has a custom rom and try it out for a few minutes. There's just a lot of cool things you can do within a custom rom that you can't do with a launcher app. For example, on my cyanogenmod rom, I have: -Changed the notification bar to black, among several other customizations. -Set quiet hours, so that certain notifications are automatically silenced at night. My phone/messaging still rings, and I don't have to manually change it to silent twice a day. -Change where apps are installed (SD or phone) -Lockscreen gestures: from the locked screen, I can save gestures as shortcuts to different apps. For example, drawing a J directly calls my wife, without unlocking and opening the phone app. -Different LED colors for different notifications. -Several apps require rooted access to use to their potential. A new ROM is not required, but you have to root to gain access to parts of the phone that are normally locked. For example: screenshot apps, certain backup features, etc. Some of these features may be available on the newer phones or through different providers, but this is all stuff that I gained on my Motorola Milestone with my provider. |
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Quoted: Quoted: What is the benefit of a custom ROM? Be gentle, I'm slow. This. I can see the difference between Sense and LauncherPro. Not a huge inprovement, but I like it. Free wifi teathering, removing pre-loaded apps... anything else? I don't really care about the pre-loaded apps. Since the 2.2 on my dinc I can't say they really effect the battery. As long as you are not using them, they don't wear your battery down. With 8GB+ of onboard storage these days, I do not see the big deal about bundled apps as long as they stay quiet and are not datamining you. |
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I use launcher pro. I used LauncherPro (free) for a day, then I switched to Zeam (free) for a day. They were both VERY similar, but I think I actually like Zeam better. It has some features that are pay versions in LauncerPro, like resizing widgets. It also give me more options with the program bar across the bottom. It also handles rotating the screen better. You guys might want to check it out. |