Motorola Tells Customer to “Buy Elsewhere” if They Want Custom ROMs

[Dusty]

Don't laugh too hard at what I'm about to say...

I actually think one of the more interesting developments in the tech scene is (get ready...) Windows Phone 7.

Seriously, think about it... back before the iPhone the most customizable and open platform was Windows Mobile. The hardware and software blew hot chunks but there were people making crazy apps for it back in the day. Microsoft didn't give a *Censored* about what you did with it. I don't know what the state it's in now other than it being just about dead, but I really think it could be interesting as far as having potential for truly open development. The upcoming hardware will be on par with what's out there and even if it catches on a little bit it might blow up. Also, they don't exactly have a difficult road ahead as far as the business crowd goes.

Yes the chances are slim because they're SOOOOOO far behind, but if the hacker community is looking for a capable platform it could lure some talented people. And if they produce the "perfect storm" things could get VERY interesting.

I just don't think Moto should be so cocky. Geek Cred built this beast and they shouldn't bite the hand that pulled them from the flames.

Good Lord... I can't believe I have an open mind about WP7.



What? It COULD happen!

 

[styx]

They messed with the bootloaders on satellite cards too so they couldn't be hacked. Then they built these. http://www.dm800sim2.com/sim2/content/53/20100102/images/270_600.jpg Eventually they did find a way to lock them down. Only the really skilled can get into them and they no longer share.

 

[brando56894]

This definitely annoys me, almost to the point where I may not buy another Moto device come November. I love the build quality of my droid but I need to be able to mod my next device.

Why am I saying this? Because taking measures to ensure that only approved software is able to run is vitally important if Android devices want to compete with RIM/Blackberry devices in the corporate/government environment. And with RIM continuing to lose market share; I suspect this is EXACTLY what they are up to.

If thats the case why dont they sell some devices that are unlocked and some are locked? Or maybe "special order" (un)locked versions of a specific model. I feel that every carrier/brand should have atleast one developer phone that isnt locked down at all.

 

[hookbill]

Don't laugh too hard at what I'm about to say...

I actually think one of the more interesting developments in the tech scene is (get ready...) Windows Phone 7.

Seriously, think about it... back before the iPhone the most customizable and open platform was Windows Mobile. The hardware and software blew hot chunks but there were people making crazy apps for it back in the day. Microsoft didn't give a *Censored* about what you did with it. I don't know what the state it's in now other than it being just about dead, but I really think it could be interesting as far as having potential for truly open development. The upcoming hardware will be on par with what's out there and even if it catches on a little bit it might blow up. Also, they don't exactly have a difficult road ahead as far as the business crowd goes.

Yes the chances are slim because they're SOOOOOO far behind, but if the hacker community is looking for a capable platform it could lure some talented people. And if they produce the "perfect storm" things could get VERY interesting.

I just don't think Moto should be so cocky. Geek Cred built this beast and they shouldn't bite the hand that pulled them from the flames.

Good Lord... I can't believe I have an open mind about WP7.



What? It COULD happen!

You told us not to laugh to hard. I did it anyway.

Just looking at those Windows phones from AT&T on commercials makes them laughable. I'd take my old Blackberry Storm over one of those things.

 

[Dave12308]

If thats the case why dont they sell some devices that are unlocked and some are locked? Or maybe "special order" (un)locked versions of a specific model. I feel that every carrier/brand should have atleast one developer phone that isnt locked down at all.

Because like I said, we represent probably ~1% of the total market. It would make absolutely NO sense for them to waste time and money releasing 2 seperate versions of a device for different markets. And they're DEFINITELY not going to do that for such a small percentage of users.

 

[Sports1131]

I'm more annoyed with the arrogant tone of that Twitter message than the fact that the bootloader is going to be locked, but this still sucks.

Is the Thunderbolt that much more flexible? Can we install vanilla Gingerbread on there without HTC Sense? I'm still leaning towards the Bionic but if that is possible I may reconsider.

 

[UltraDroid]

Moto is going to be locking down their devices even harder now. The Moto Droid 1 is truly one of a kind. A collectors item if you will.

This is life guys. It is what it is. I don't like it but this is the wave of the future.

Don't be surprised to see the other manufacturers following suit.

I have been saying for some time now that Motorola is The Evil Empire - this just confirms my argument that they have a deep seated *hatred* for people who root their phones.

-Mike

 

[ilikemoneygreen]

I'm more annoyed with the arrogant tone of that Twitter message than the fact that the bootloader is going to be locked, but this still sucks.

Is the Thunderbolt that much more flexible? Can we install vanilla Gingerbread on there without HTC Sense? I'm still leaning towards the Bionic but if that is possible I may reconsider.

If you want vanilla your going to need to get Nexus S or go back to an older phone. (or buy a cheap device made by an offshore company) Htc has sense integrated into the Operating System. Maybe a nexus 3 will come dual core.

 

[porkbrains]

I think its a marketing strategy, if you lock the boot-loader then it enables the company to stop making software updates in the future such as gingerbread or honeycomb and forces the consumer to spend more money to buy the companies newer phones --- what apple does. If I wanted the new ios on the first generation touch I cant get it hence they are forcing an upgrade. =)

Unfortunately, I think this is the case on some level.

It would be a good compromise in my mind to send out an update that "unlocks" the bootloader once they decide to stop supporting the device with OTAs. I wouldn't mind dealing with Blur for a while if I knew that the bad news that my phone is on the EOL list would actually be good news because my phone has been set free... "Run away little phone, be who you always wanted to be!" dancedroid

Coming from an Eris user's perspective, I understand the rationale behind not spending boatloads of resources to support entry-level devices after their prime, but after personally witnessing the magic of Froyo and Gingerbread on my phone, it is insane that I'm not "allowed" to extend the life of my phone if a similar situation happens in the future with a Moto device.

Again, I get that Moto is almost happy for my phone to lose function so I have to buy a new one, but my loyalty to a company that would make it possible to extend the life of my phone which no longer receives OTAs would be unshakable.

I'd mention the 2-year contract aspect, but honestly, anyone who doesn't spring for the extra $70 to get a 1-year contract is a fool in present circumstances.

 

[Dusty]

You told us not to laugh to hard. I did it anyway.

Just looking at those Windows phones from AT&T on commercials makes them laughable. I'd take my old Blackberry Storm over one of those things.

I know, I know.... I facepalmed myself just for saying it!

But all this talk about lockdowns made me miss the good old days with my Mogul. You could literally hop onto a forum and ask one of the chefs to whip up a piece of code that could do one thing or another and within days they'd put something together to get the job done... right out of the box. No hassles not lockdowns... nothing!

Of course no one could keep the phone from stalling like a rented mule. But hey! That was the cost of doing business back then!

 

[pc747]

Bootloader Feedback Policy | Facebook

Bootloader Feedback Policy


by Motorola on Wednesday, January 19, 2011 at 4:22pm

We apologize for the feedback we provided regarding our bootloader policy. The response does not reflect the views of Motorola.

We are working closely with our partners to offer a bootloader solution that will enable developers to use our devices as a development platform while still protecting our users' interests. More detailed information will follow as we get closer to availability.

 

[rivera82falcon]

I enjoyed the custom roms but after a while the performance and functionality of my D1 dropped. I don't mind the stock rom as long as I can root. That's my own opinion though.

Sent from my Droid using DroidForums App

 

[Sports1131]

I'm more annoyed with the arrogant tone of that Twitter message than the fact that the bootloader is going to be locked, but this still sucks.

Is the Thunderbolt that much more flexible? Can we install vanilla Gingerbread on there without HTC Sense? I'm still leaning towards the Bionic but if that is possible I may reconsider.

If you want vanilla your going to need to get Nexus S or go back to an older phone. (or buy a cheap device made by an offshore company) Htc has sense integrated into the Operating System. Maybe a nexus 3 will come dual core.

Thanks for the clarification. I guess I'm a little confused on the difference between the operating system and a ROM then.

I'm still stuck on a BlackBerry (waiting as patiently as possible to switch to an LTE Android phone), but I always thought that a ROM contains the operating system so something like a base Gingerbread ROM would be possible. I figured Sense and Blur are basically software overlays that cannot be removed without flashing a new ROM to the device.

 

[Haloman800]

What exactly does a locked bootloader mean? There are ROMs on the DX which has a locked bootloader, so what does it mean?

If ROMs are possible on the DX even though it has a locked bootloader, will they be possible on the BIONIC?

 

[ilikemoneygreen]

I'm more annoyed with the arrogant tone of that Twitter message than the fact that the bootloader is going to be locked, but this still sucks.

Is the Thunderbolt that much more flexible? Can we install vanilla Gingerbread on there without HTC Sense? I'm still leaning towards the Bionic but if that is possible I may reconsider.

If you want vanilla your going to need to get Nexus S or go back to an older phone. (or buy a cheap device made by an offshore company) Htc has sense integrated into the Operating System. Maybe a nexus 3 will come dual core.

Thanks for the clarification. I guess I'm a little confused on the difference between the operating system and a ROM then.

I'm still stuck on a BlackBerry (waiting as patiently as possible to switch to an LTE Android phone), but I always thought that a ROM contains the operating system so something like a base Gingerbread ROM would be possible. I figured Sense and Blur are basically software overlays that cannot be removed without flashing a new ROM to the device.

A Rom is basically the OS but the new Sense has many files which would take a while to go through to get it vanilla. Its possible but if my memory is right, when the Thunderbolts Rom leaked they found out that its not just one file. Thats from a bad perspective though as i do not own an htc, i just read up every now and then. Im sure someone might be more informing than me on the that topic.