OTA 2.1 update opinions

[gruve]

2.1 OTA/forced update is a POS imo. I would have rather stayed rooted with roms than deal with the sluggish slow update.

Not sure why you are experiencing a sluggish and slow UI. It's been running extremely well on my device Live wallpapers and all.

Frame rate is half of what it was on 2.0.1, lag between screens, lag opening app's to name a few. It's about 50/50 between performance.

Ticked me off the other day, I was ready to go get the iphone.

 

[cereal killer]

2.1 OTA/forced update is a POS imo. I would have rather stayed rooted with roms than deal with the sluggish slow update.

Not sure why you are experiencing a sluggish and slow UI. It's been running extremely well on my device Live wallpapers and all.

Frame rate is half of what it was on 2.0.1, lag between screens, lag opening app's to name a few. It's about 50/50 between performance.

Ticked me off the other day, I was ready to go get the iphone.

Sorry to hear that. I don't want to steer this thread of course but something is obviously not right with your device.

You should not be having those issues.

Anyway, back on topic : )

 

[ntimid8r]

I've been running stock 2.1 since release and the reason I prefer it is because of the stability and reliability.

I NEED my device to work ALWAYS for business reasons and I don't want to be tinkering with it constantly.

2.1 offers that. So it's just a matter of personal preference I would say.

I agree 100% with your statement. As much as I'd like to hack my Droid and try out some of the potential that's out there....I don't want to deal with the hassles when new updates come out. I did all that sorta thing with PC's for years and realized it was a constant battle (and expensive) to keep things fast and able to do all the trick stuff. So in my opinion....the Droid is way cool as is and I'm happy to have it.

 

[cereal killer]

Now that is good news. I was not sure if any of his stuff was for stock or root systems. More stuff for stock that rocks will just make this phone even better.

"stockers" and rooters benefit from his work.

I'm looking forward to seeing what he kicks out as well.

 

[phatkat66]

I've been running stock 2.1 since release and the reason I prefer it is because of the stability and reliability.

I NEED my device to work ALWAYS for business reasons and I don't want to be tinkering with it constantly.

2.1 offers that. So it's just a matter of personal preference I would say.

I agree 100% with your statement. As much as I'd like to hack my Droid and try out some of the potential that's out there....I don't want to deal with the hassles when new updates come out. I did all that sorta thing with PC's for years and realized it was a constant battle (and expensive) to keep things fast and able to do all the trick stuff. So in my opinion....the Droid is way cool as is and I'm happy to have it.

The thing i liked most about the hacks is the aesthetics. You can design your home setup however you like, in the beginning i didnt lose many features, none actually. but the more things were updated the more i felt like i was losing track of what didnt work, what needed tweaking, what things needed to be "renamed from .bak" and its gotten to the point where right now im HAPPY but with a straight face, not a smile, if you know what i mean.

My gps works, i have google maps on again but the voice search feels like its missing something, and my emails aren't flowing the way they use to and it makes me feel like wtf.... but my battery life has been incredible i play solitair 5 hrs with screen at 100% brightness and its only down to 60%. Where as, OTA 2..0.1 had it dead within hours of doing nothing.

 

[nateccnn]

I've been running stock 2.1 since release and the reason I prefer it is because of the stability and reliability.

I NEED my device to work ALWAYS for business reasons and I don't want to be tinkering with it constantly.

2.1 offers that. So it's just a matter of personal preference I would say.

+1. I think it's often forgotten in the ongoing debate over rooting/custom roms vs. stock that the choice is sometimes based on the requirements that a Droid must meet, not the expertise of the user. I don't have the luxury of having a Droid that exhibits odd behavior triggered by a rom that, while perhaps very well designed, has no support other than a small community of developers who may or may not be available to fix problems.

A case in point is a known bug in voice search in the 2.1 update that does not enable a user to dial a number from a google result set. I'm confident that the bug is being addressed and will be fixed promptly. And the fact that it has been reported to Google by literally dozens of users largely eliminates "user error" and "odd configuration" as explanations.

Ahh...very true...but in Smoked Glass I can dial a number from a google result set. So you kind of blew your own point.

Nate

 

[nateccnn]

OK...all because you asked (OP) I went ahead and de-rooted my Droid and allowed the OTA Update to install itself. Initial reaction was it was a bit laggy. SO I went into stock recovery and cleared all cache and user data. I reinitiated my phone, reinstalled all my apps, relogged into all my accounts. Now it is a bit laggy.

Almost all my apps run at acceptable speeds. But a few run very slow. Zillow takes forever to locate a satelite and once it does it takes forever to download the maps, then the homes for sale data. By the time it loads I have started some other project and got bored with finding my new rental house.

I test new roms with Space War. At 800 Mhz it is actually a fun little game to kill some time with. At stock speeds it works, but it is slow!

Also have had some force closes. I think it is because I am trying to get apps to respond to finger input before they actually finish loading.

I don't care what anyone says on this thread or any other 2.1 debate...this ROM is laggy! Is it better than 2.0.1? Maybe. I can't remember what that was like but I do know I did not move to rooting because I felt my phone was too slow. Maybe I got spoiled with 800 mHz and now it feels slower than it felt before. That would be a perception issue.

Off to see if Google result can auto dial. I just read it can't. I am going to give the OTA a fair shake. I'm going to test it for 2 days. If I still think it sucks on Wednesday, I am re-rooting. Smoked Glass seemed more stable than this ROM does.

Don't read this and take it as a definitive answer to the OP's question. Like I said...I am giving it 2 days to see if it just needs to rebuild some cache to start running right. I'll try to remember to report back. Otherwise...if you see me in the Hacker's forum you'll know I went back.

Nate

 

[phatkat66]

OK...all because you asked (OP) I went ahead and de-rooted my Droid and allowed the OTA Update to install itself. Initial reaction was it was a bit laggy. SO I went into stock recovery and cleared all cache and user data. I reinitiated my phone, reinstalled all my apps, relogged into all my accounts. Now it is a bit laggy.

Almost all my apps run at acceptable speeds. But a few run very slow. Zillow takes forever to locate a satelite and once it does it takes forever to download the maps, then the homes for sale data. By the time it loads I have started some other project and got bored with finding my new rental house.

I test new roms with Space War. At 800 Mhz it is actually a fun little game to kill some time with. At stock speeds it works, but it is slow!

Also have had some force closes. I think it is because I am trying to get apps to respond to finger input before they actually finish loading.

I don't care what anyone says on this thread or any other 2.1 debate...this ROM is laggy! Is it better than 2.0.1? Maybe. I can't remember what that was like but I do know I did not move to rooting because I felt my phone was too slow. Maybe I got spoiled with 800 mHz and now it feels slower than it felt before. That would be a perception issue.

Off to see if Google result can auto dial. I just read it can't. I am going to give the OTA a fair shake. I'm going to test it for 2 days. If I still think it sucks on Wednesday, I am re-rooting. Smoked Glass seemed more stable than this ROM does.

Don't read this and take it as a definitive answer to the OP's question. Like I said...I am giving it 2 days to see if it just needs to rebuild some cache to start running right. I'll try to remember to report back. Otherwise...if you see me in the Hacker's forum you'll know I went back.

Nate

Thanks nate, thats was exactly what i was looking for. Thanks for taking the plunge for me to test out the OTA 2.1. I just could never figure out why people would actually stick with it when its so limited. Im very spoiled to the 800mhz and beyond. To go back to stock speed and STAY there is gonna drive me insane when im using games and going through astro file manager.

How are you going to re-root? I tried thinking of ways last night to do it as a backup plan but everything I thought of required root to access the update.zip file.... hmmmmm or am i wrong...... ugh im having a brain fart its too early for this lol

 

[Jus Cruisin]

My wife has her's running the OTA 2.1 update and she seems to be happy with it. I can't leave well enough alone and have been swapping ROMS regularly since I got up the guts to mod my phone. I am real happy with Cyanogen and I see no reason to go back to stock.

 

[nateccnn]

Thanks nate, thats was exactly what i was looking for. Thanks for taking the plunge for me to test out the OTA 2.1. I just could never figure out why people would actually stick with it when its so limited. Im very spoiled to the 800mhz and beyond. To go back to stock speed and STAY there is gonna drive me insane when im using games and going through astro file manager.

How are you going to re-root? I tried thinking of ways last night to do it as a backup plan but everything I thought of required root to access the update.zip file.... hmmmmm or am i wrong...... ugh im having a brain fart its too early for this lol

You use a Motorola utility (not available to the public officially, buit it's out there) called RSD Lite and an SBF file to flash the phone back to the way it left the factory. I just found out there is an SBF file that flashes 2.1 ESE53 also...I saved that file yesterday. Then you start all over again with rooting.

Nate

 

[nateccnn]

UPDATE: Ahhh...today is a new day and I am starting to change my mind about this 2.1 ESE81 OTA update.

Observations...the GPS is now functioning normally. Trimble Outdoors had an issue securing a satelite signal when you are in a stationary rest period. Solution was to take a walk. LOL After it acquired the signal on my walk about, it has no problem finding the signal while at rest anymore. Not a problem with the 2.1 OTA per se. But I also know I did not have to take a walk when I was running Smoked Glass 2.1 ESE53. But I will blame the Trimble developers for this one.

Space War seems a little zippier today. Albeit not as fast and zippy as it was at 800mHz. But it is zippy enough that I can enjoy the game. And the enemy ships are not coming at me quite as fast so I am actually getting better scores now. Seriously...there is no way to hope that the game will run as fast at 550 mHz as it would at 800. But it is zippy enough that I can live with it.

All other apps like Docs to go, email lists, app drawer...all are running smooth now. No lagginess.

I noticed that a lot of apps are running in the back ground. I kept killing them with App Killer. I finally quit killing them and noticed my phone finaly took a charge. And the nice thing is I unplugged it about an hour ago and it still reads 100% battery power. Someone once told me that Android wants to leave those apps open to reduce battery consumption as opening them consumes more power than leaving them idle. It's not like Windows where it stays in TSR memory and consumes CPU power.

I had one force close when I rebooted the phone last night. I can't remember the app but it was related to the home screen. I think I have a remnant of a third party launcher program. That is probably my fault...not 2.1 OTA's fault.

Overall impression: It is noticably slower than custom rom with OC. But it is not as laggy as it was yesterday and I can live with it. I am going to finish my promise to run it for 2 days. I am not itching to root right now. Will I re-root? Probably. Only because I like to play with the techno side of things. Not because I am unhappy with the stock rom. Yesterday I was unhappy with it. Today I am not. It would be like the difference between running premium fuel and regular unleaded. In my car it doesn't matter, but in my boat I have to run premium or it stutters. If you need the OC, best to leave it rooted. But if the car runs fine on regular, it's a waste of money to put premium in. I still run premium in my car. LOL

Nate

 

[jsh1120]

I've been running stock 2.1 since release and the reason I prefer it is because of the stability and reliability.

I NEED my device to work ALWAYS for business reasons and I don't want to be tinkering with it constantly.

2.1 offers that. So it's just a matter of personal preference I would say.

+1. I think it's often forgotten in the ongoing debate over rooting/custom roms vs. stock that the choice is sometimes based on the requirements that a Droid must meet, not the expertise of the user. I don't have the luxury of having a Droid that exhibits odd behavior triggered by a rom that, while perhaps very well designed, has no support other than a small community of developers who may or may not be available to fix problems.

A case in point is a known bug in voice search in the 2.1 update that does not enable a user to dial a number from a google result set. I'm confident that the bug is being addressed and will be fixed promptly. And the fact that it has been reported to Google by literally dozens of users largely eliminates "user error" and "odd configuration" as explanations.

Ahh...very true...but in Smoked Glass I can dial a number from a google result set. So you kind of blew your own point.

Nate

I don't think so. In fact, over the last month or so I detect a rather significant shift in the overall tone of many of the posts here. In February and March the weight of opinion was more or less that only wimps fail to root their phones and install custom roms. On the other hand, I've seen a number of posts in the last few weeks from people who encounter issues with no obvious solutions asking for help from rom developers, at least some of whom have moved on.

I have no quarrel with those whose phones are basically toys they can afford to play with and risk encountering problems that can only be solved by the good graces of other hackers. It's an enjoyable hobby.

For many of us, however, it's important to know that when we do encounter a bug we can ignore the issue of whether a modified operating system with a very small community of fellow users is at fault.

All software has bugs, as I'm sure you realize. Uncovering those bugs is the first step to resolving them. And the larger the community of users with the same software configurations, the faster the bugs are uncovered and the faster that individual differences in configurations can be ruled out.

 

[nateccnn]

+1. I think it's often forgotten in the ongoing debate over rooting/custom roms vs. stock that the choice is sometimes based on the requirements that a Droid must meet, not the expertise of the user. I don't have the luxury of having a Droid that exhibits odd behavior triggered by a rom that, while perhaps very well designed, has no support other than a small community of developers who may or may not be available to fix problems.

A case in point is a known bug in voice search in the 2.1 update that does not enable a user to dial a number from a google result set. I'm confident that the bug is being addressed and will be fixed promptly. And the fact that it has been reported to Google by literally dozens of users largely eliminates "user error" and "odd configuration" as explanations.

Ahh...very true...but in Smoked Glass I can dial a number from a google result set. So you kind of blew your own point.

Nate

I don't think so. In fact, over the last month or so I detect a rather significant shift in the overall tone of many of the posts here. In February and March the weight of opinion was more or less that only wimps fail to root their phones and install custom roms. On the other hand, I've seen a number of posts in the last few weeks from people who encounter issues with no obvious solutions asking for help from rom developers, at least some of whom have moved on.

I have no quarrel with those whose phones are basically toys they can afford to play with and risk encountering problems that can only be solved by the good graces of other hackers. It's an enjoyable hobby.

For many of us, however, it's important to know that when we do encounter a bug we can ignore the issue of whether a modified operating system with a very small community of fellow users is at fault.

All software has bugs, as I'm sure you realize. Uncovering those bugs is the first step to resolving them. And the larger the community of users with the same software configurations, the faster the bugs are uncovered and the faster that individual differences in configurations can be ruled out.

Yeah...I hear what your saying. But rememebr that Android is all about the user setting things the way he wants them. All the various options are what makes Android appealing. reality is...those wimps you speak of probably would have been better off with an iPhone. Not saying a stock Droid can't compete with the iPhone. But if all you want is a static phone that looks and feels like everyone elses phone then the iPhone might just be the ticket for you.

My phone is a business tool first. But I also use it for play. I use it in the back country. I use it in the social life. And when I am bored I play with the operating system just to see what it is capable of. I have a laptop if I need speed and serious processing power. But many times the phone is a stop gap between the laptop and me. I'm just thrilled that I can do what I do..rooted or stock. This phone is a blast!

I think it is funny that we all get into debates about what is better. What is best for you may not be what is best for me. And many times people ask questions they are affraid to answer. I dive in to find answers when I can. Mainly because I know I can always go back if I want to. I love choices.

Nate

 

[nateccnn]

I promised to give it two days and I promised an update on my opine. It is now day two and I have installed Helix and I am satisfied. The phone runs a little slower but it is something I can live with. I have had a couple force closes but I FC it and then open the app again and it works. I think I am trying to exectue the app before it is ready...I know that sounds silly, but that is the impression I get. 2 seconds later the app works just fine.

At this point I think I am ready to leave the phone in Stock 2.1 mode and put all my rooting tools on my 7th home screen where I can't see them unless I intentionally look for them.

Battery runs cooler. Battery lasts longer when in idle/sleep mode. The two main things that rooted OC ROMs bugged me about.

Anyone want to bet on me changing my mind by Saturday? Sometimes I wake up with an itch and just dive into something I had no intentions of doing Friday night. LOL

Nate