I think Moto is lowballing how many people mod their phones...

[velocity92c]

For example, SetCPU has 50k-250k downloads and has been there for months so I'm guessing it's closer to 250k. That's not even counting all the pirated copies, and I would be willing to bet setcpu is one of the most pirated apps out there.

I'm fairly confident that most setcpu users have installed custom roms as well. That's why I used it as an example. So when they start releasing phones with signed/encrypted bootloaders, they're turning off quite a bit more people than they think, IMO. Will this change anytthing? No. But hundreds of thousands of users are hacking their phones, whch is a lot more than most think.

I realize setcpu only requires root access and has nothing to do with the bootloader, but I would say most who had taken the steps to root their phones have at least played wit a custom rom.

 

[livingXsacrifice]

For example, SetCPU has 50k-250k downloads and has been there for months so I'm guessing it's closer to 250k. That's not even counting all the pirated copies, and I would be willing to bet setcpu is one of the most pirated apps out there.

I'm fairly confident that most setcpu users have installed custom roms as well. That's why I used it as an example. So when they start releasing phones with signed/encrypted bootloaders, they're turning off quite a bit more people than they think, IMO. Will this change anytthing? No. But hundreds of thousands of users are hacking their phones, whch is a lot more than most think.

I realize setcpu only requires root access and has nothing to do with the bootloader, but I would say most who had taken the steps to root their phones have at least played wit a custom rom.

I wonder how many of those are redownloads and if the market tracks first time downloads or just any number of downloads?

 

[Codiusprie]

I don't actually think they are. Imagine how many people who know very little to nothing about technology that see setcpu and think awesome and then download it and realize they can't do anything with it. You are on a forum that is pretty much made up of people who mod their phones so this place is not a good gauge of what the real world is like. Locking down the X and Droid2 will not keep the phones from selling to the general public, I also think saying that the number of downloads are closer to 250k is a huuuuuuge big assumption.

 

[brando56894]

Remember all those downloads arent just moto droids, those are for all smartphones that run android.

 

[neubanks89]

Androilib has an estimate of 85000 or so downloads SetCPU for Root Users v2.0.1 Application for Android | Tools and seeing as this estimate is really accurate for my apps, I'd go with it. Also take into account that the typical paid app only has a 60% retention rate. But then again that doesn't take into account everyone that downloaded it from xda so who knows.

 

[bomber889]

You can get setcpu for free too

 

[wuyanks]

there is no "pirating" of setcpu... it's available free over at xda-developers by the dev himself... not sure if this adds anything to your argument or not.

 

[czerdrill]

i dont think so...droidforums is not a good place to gauge how many actually mod their phones because we're a minority when it comes to android owners...a huge minority

 

[TheOldFart]

For example, SetCPU has 50k-250k downloads and has been there for months so I'm guessing it's closer to 250k. That's not even counting all the pirated copies, and I would be willing to bet setcpu is one of the most pirated apps out there.

I'm fairly confident that most setcpu users have installed custom roms as well. That's why I used it as an example. So when they start releasing phones with signed/encrypted bootloaders, they're turning off quite a bit more people than they think, IMO. Will this change anytthing? No. But hundreds of thousands of users are hacking their phones, whch is a lot more than most think.

I realize setcpu only requires root access and has nothing to do with the bootloader, but I would say most who had taken the steps to root their phones have at least played wit a custom rom.

It sounds like you're making a lot of unfounded assumptions to try to back up what you think. In other words, deciding what the conclusion should be and then making the assumptions to back it up.

i dont think so...droidforums is not a good place to gauge how many actually mod their phones because we're a minority when it comes to android owners...a huge minority

Agree. In addition, most people on this forum are not rooting their phones. They are just trying to learn what they can do with them that they have not thought of. I am one of those. I have gotten many hints and discovered new things, but have absolutely no intention of modding my Droid.

 

[czerdrill]

For example, SetCPU has 50k-250k downloads and has been there for months so I'm guessing it's closer to 250k. That's not even counting all the pirated copies, and I would be willing to bet setcpu is one of the most pirated apps out there.

I'm fairly confident that most setcpu users have installed custom roms as well. That's why I used it as an example. So when they start releasing phones with signed/encrypted bootloaders, they're turning off quite a bit more people than they think, IMO. Will this change anytthing? No. But hundreds of thousands of users are hacking their phones, whch is a lot more than most think.

I realize setcpu only requires root access and has nothing to do with the bootloader, but I would say most who had taken the steps to root their phones have at least played wit a custom rom.

It sounds like you're making a lot of unfounded assumptions to try to back up what you think. In other words, deciding what the conclusion should be and then making the assumptions to back it up.

i dont think so...droidforums is not a good place to gauge how many actually mod their phones because we're a minority when it comes to android owners...a huge minority

Agree. In addition, most people on this forum are not rooting their phones. They are just trying to learn what they can do with them that they have not thought of. I am one of those. I have gotten many hints and discovered new things, but have absolutely no intention of modding my Droid.

precisely. out of the thousands of users on DF, probably 5-10% even hack/mod to begin with (and that figure may even be high)...most users are here to find out what apps are good, and what other non-rooting stuff they can do with their phone, or just for troubleshooting. the hacking community is minute.

 

[ValkF6]

the hacking community is minute.

But very vocal.

 

[christim]

I posted this the other day:

http://www.droidforums.net/forum/rescue-squad/61440-android-rooters-how-many.html

One source of rsd lite files came to over 5000 unique downloaders since April. 3 months. Hard to tell how many rooters there are across all phones, but I bet that number is over 250k. How many on moto phones? Hard to tell. Anyone have the numbers for how many moto-droids that have been sold? That might help.

And yes, I think we are very vocal in showing off our phones, talking about new apps, etc.

 

[montyboy]

I'd really love to see real numbers. The community is "small" compared to the entire android market but I bet it's more people than you think.

At work (Network Admins), we have a few more android users (10) than iPhone users (6) - but guess what, every android phone is at least rooted and most are trying new roms about every other day.

This may be because we're IT people who are more inclined to root our phones. Don't use the forums as a measuring stick though - I'm one of ten at work that actually use forums. The other 90% don't. Extrapolate from there and you've got some hefty numbers.

 

[ValkF6]

I used to be a systems software guy, and I guarantee you 100 percent of the folks in my shop would have rooted a phone if that'd been possible at the time. Get outside the techie world and the percentages will be very small today.

 

[christim]

I'd really love to see real numbers. The community is "small" compared to the entire android market but I bet it's more people than you think.

At work (Network Admins), we have a few more android users (10) than iPhone users (6) - but guess what, every android phone is at least rooted and most are trying new roms about every other day.

This may be because we're IT people who are more inclined to root our phones. Don't use the forums as a measuring stick though - I'm one of ten at work that actually use forums. The other 90% don't. Extrapolate from there and you've got some hefty numbers.

If you peeked my above link has some real numbers, but just one location.

I think that even those who don't use forums are being exposed to rooting information. Blogs cover it. Even the news covers it. With the recent announcement that the Droid - X has been rooted you gotta wonder if Moto didn't know it eventually would be.

Look at all the press they got about the eFuse. Before that there was a little press on locked bootloaders. Now there will be more press about how the phone was hacked and that folks can customize it. suddenly those who didn't know what rooting was are thinking "what is this"?

Then someone who is rooted sees their phone and asks if they are or not. And we grow.