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jca2050
Premium Member
join:2002-02-04
Dallas, TX

jca2050

Premium Member

Meh

No worries, just root your phone and install a custom rom like Bugless Beast, download Wireless (or WireD) Tether for Root Users and you're done.

Daarken
Rara Avises
Premium Member
join:2005-01-12
Southwest LA

Daarken

Premium Member

hahahaha

ArrayList
DevOps
Premium Member
join:2005-03-19
Mullica Hill, NJ

ArrayList to jca2050

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to jca2050
thank god that that is possible (rooting).

but, the principal of the thing is that you shouldn't have to do that.

The only fix I can see is for phone manufactures not letting the cellular companies sell/modify the phones.

i just want a vanilla smartphone. none of the value-added crap. let me add my own value too it.

Krisnatharok
PC Builder, Gamer
Premium Member
join:2009-02-11
Earth Orbit

Krisnatharok to jca2050

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to jca2050
I can't believe this story in light of the Library of Congress determination on jail-breaking.

When I receive my new Droid X (upgrading from BB Storm 1) in a couple weeks, I'll be back here for instructions on how to unlock all these features.

aztecnology
O Rly?
Premium Member
join:2003-02-12
Murrieta, CA

aztecnology to Daarken

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to Daarken
lol, I guess droid doesn't, afterall...
openbox9
Premium Member
join:2004-01-26
71144

openbox9

Premium Member

Actually, it does. It just needs a quick root and an application downloaded from the Market and wireless hotspot is ready to go.
openbox9

1 recommendation

openbox9 to ArrayList

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to ArrayList
said by ArrayList:

The only fix I can see is for phone manufactures not letting the cellular companies sell/modify the phones.
Or continue utilizing open platforms so that users can do what they want with the devices regardless of where they're purchased from.
openbox9

openbox9 to Krisnatharok

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to Krisnatharok
said by Krisnatharok:

When I receive my new Droid X (upgrading from BB Storm 1) in a couple weeks, I'll be back here for instructions on how to unlock all these features.
It's called root, and it will be your friend if you want more control over your DX.

gattaca
Premium Member
join:2003-05-28
USA

1 recommendation

gattaca to openbox9

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to openbox9
said by openbox9:

Actually, it does. It just needs a quick root and an application downloaded from the Market and wireless hotspot is ready to go.
Doesn't that negate the Droid's argued benefit of being more "open" than the iPhone, though? I mean, people bashed the iPhone for lacking MMS at one time, but a simple Jailbreak added that functionality, as well as tethering.

If we begin to accept that hacking needs to be done for a phone to have any feature that it really should have from the manufacturer, then it becomes "everything does" rather than "Droid does."

Lark3po
Premium Member
join:2003-08-05
Madison, AL

Lark3po to ArrayList

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to ArrayList
said by ArrayList:

i just want a vanilla smartphone. none of the value-added crap. let me add my own value too it.
You have that option. Buy a phone *not* subsidized by a wireless provider.

en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA

1 edit

1 recommendation

en102 to gattaca

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to gattaca
said by gattaca See ProfileDoesn't that negate the Droid's argued benefit of being more "open" than the iPhone, though?
:

In theory, no. Android itself is more 'open' than the iPhone.
This doesn't stop carriers from using that 'openness' to lock down Android.

I think Google should have a Copyleft on this stating that any Android OS that is essentially locked down can not be sold under the Android name as Android.
openbox9
Premium Member
join:2004-01-26
71144

1 recommendation

openbox9 to gattaca

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to gattaca
said by gattaca:

Doesn't that negate the Droid's argued benefit of being more "open" than the iPhone, though?
Nope. The platform is still open for device manufactures to use. Many choices exist for consumers to pick the device and carrier that meet their requirements. That's the openness that is Android's bragging right over Apple's iPhone.
said by gattaca:

If we begin to accept that hacking needs to be done for a phone to have any feature that it really should have from the manufacturer, then it becomes "everything does" rather than "Droid does."
How so? The flexibility of the Android OS creates an environment that allows consumers to get what they want. The openness of the platform is exactly what enables hackers to do what we desire. What did a majority of phones look like a mere three years ago before a viable, open platform was introduced by Google? Or even before Apple's relatively restrictive iPhone was introduced? How much flexibility did we have? Not a whole lot from what I remember.
openbox9

openbox9 to en102

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to en102
That seems kind of counterproductive and would have potential to further splinter the Android device environment. Do you think Android would be where it is today if Google restricted it as such?
xenophon
join:2007-09-17

xenophon to openbox9

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Android is open in terms of licensing but it's not open in terms of access. webOS is far more open in access but not in licensing. You don't need a hack to get to root and Palm not only allows getting into the root mode, they made it easier. Since Palm allows this and the carriers don't care and Google Nexus One didn't, you'd think it's Google that has root restriction, not the carriers.

The need for root hacking is the only thing that frustrates me about Android. If webOS had the same app library (and larger screen), I'd switch back to webOS.

ArrayList
DevOps
Premium Member
join:2005-03-19
Mullica Hill, NJ

ArrayList to Lark3po

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to Lark3po
where do I get that? especially for 3g/4g phones they have to be tied to the individual carrier just because of the technology. the entire situation is fubar

Lark3po
Premium Member
join:2003-08-05
Madison, AL

Lark3po

Premium Member

said by ArrayList:

where do I get that? especially for 3g/4g phones they have to be tied to the individual carrier just because of the technology. the entire situation is fubar
Google is your friend.
patcat88
join:2002-04-05
Jamaica, NY

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said by openbox9:

What did a majority of phones look like a mere three years ago before a viable, open platform was introduced by Google? Or even before Apple's relatively restrictive iPhone was introduced? How much flexibility did we have? Not a whole lot from what I remember.
2 words, Windows Mobile

Shack
join:2002-01-17
Bloomington, IN

Shack to ArrayList

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»www.amazon.com/Unlocked- ··· 83273011

en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA

1 edit

en102 to openbox9

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to openbox9
Its not a restriction, just branding.

Android = Google's Android OS, open
*droid = Google's Android OS, bastardized / crippled.

Not much different than the old days of CPU sales, using 'Pentium/Xeon' vs. 'Celeron'.

I suspect that in the end, you'll have to root most new devices to get a clean(er) Android build w/o bloatware/crippled functionality.

Jim Kirk
Premium Member
join:2005-12-09
49985

Jim Kirk to Shack

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to Shack
Oh really? I don't see any recent Android phone there, aside from the Nexus One. No Droid X, Droid, EVO.
dynodb
Premium Member
join:2004-04-21
Minneapolis, MN

dynodb to patcat88

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to patcat88
said by patcat88:

2 words, Windows Mobile
This is a family friendly site. Please refrain from posting such dirty words.
openbox9
Premium Member
join:2004-01-26
71144

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to patcat88
Wow. I guess, but the few WinMo, WinCE, or whatever other names MS gave it, were nothing to brag about IMO.
sonicmerlin
join:2009-05-24
Cleveland, OH

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to Lark3po
said by Lark3po:

said by ArrayList:

i just want a vanilla smartphone. none of the value-added crap. let me add my own value too it.
You have that option. Buy a phone *not* subsidized by a wireless provider.
Even if you bring your own phone you still pay stupidly marked up "subsidized" price.

Shack
join:2002-01-17
Bloomington, IN

Shack to Jim Kirk

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to Jim Kirk
That was not the question. Those are available in time not always via amazon.

Lark3po
Premium Member
join:2003-08-05
Madison, AL

Lark3po to sonicmerlin

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to sonicmerlin
said by sonicmerlin:

said by Lark3po:

said by ArrayList:

i just want a vanilla smartphone. none of the value-added crap. let me add my own value too it.
You have that option. Buy a phone *not* subsidized by a wireless provider.
Even if you bring your own phone you still pay stupidly marked up "subsidized" price.
What do you mean? I was in contract with ATT using the Fuze. Got tired of the Fuze and got the N1. I put my sim card in the N1 and was in business. No price changes...

Selenia
Gentoo Convert
Premium Member
join:2006-09-22
Fort Smith, AR

Selenia

Premium Member

He means the subsidy is actually a loan and sometimes as much as says so in some mobile contracts. The monthly fee you pay the carrier for service includes an amount to pay this subsidy back, over the course of your commitment. Often times, the carrier will charge someone who brings their own phone the same rates. You can sometimes haggle some companies to at least partly drop this, but you have to ask for it and sometimes insist. Some companies(like VZW, from what I hear) won't do this, period. Is that any clearer?

Lark3po
Premium Member
join:2003-08-05
Madison, AL

Lark3po

Premium Member

said by Selenia:

He means the subsidy is actually a loan and sometimes as much as says so in some mobile contracts. The monthly fee you pay the carrier for service includes an amount to pay this subsidy back, over the course of your commitment. Often times, the carrier will charge someone who brings their own phone the same rates. You can sometimes haggle some companies to at least partly drop this, but you have to ask for it and sometimes insist. Some companies(like VZW, from what I hear) won't do this, period. Is that any clearer?
I appreciate the response.

I still don't get the "marked up price" thing though. Maybe it's a VZW thing?

Selenia
Gentoo Convert
Premium Member
join:2006-09-22
Fort Smith, AR

Selenia

Premium Member

Possibly, or the subscriber not asking for a new plan. That is one reason besides coverage I chose to stay with AT&T-I got a lower price by checking what's available to me over their website. A phone that had 1 years fulfilled even got a price reduction-paying $10 less for unlimited voice than I was for 1350 minutes. An old phone I brought to them previous was even cheap for the time. If I had not looked, I would be paying the price I was on day 1 right now. So, you have to look for it and/or ask. I have heard similar stories with T-Mobile.
stridr69
join:2003-05-19
San Luis Obispo, CA

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WinMo wasn't all that great. Still, I like to play with my HTC Wizard now and then.