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Newbie needs help from experts with HTC on Orange

H

htchero123

Member
hi guys,

i've just ordered a htc hero on orange and i have 7 days to try it. I will receive it on tuesday, so whilst i'm waiting i have many questions that i would like help with. My computer knowledge is good, but with mobiles i'm almost useless, so apologies if i end up asking questions which may sound pretty straightforward to many of you.



1. The hero will come with orange firmware, but i assume its a lot slower than custom firmwares, so what is the latest and the best known firmware at the moment and what is the procedure on installing it?

2. Since I have 7 days to test out the phone, i want to try it with the latest firmware, but i'm nervous and i want to play it safe and need to protect the original orange firmware, so what is involved in making a FULL BACKUP of the orange firmware and if i decide i want to put the orange firmware back onto the htc, how do i do this?

3. Is there any risk involved in the above procedures where i could mess up the phone and not be able to fix it again?

4. If I replaced the phone with the current latest firmware and at a later date Android 2.0 came out, will i be able to upgrade to the latest operating system without problems?

5. Lastly many say the call quality is very poor on the HTC, but then many say its fine...what is your experience? Is it as bad as they really say it is?


Many thanks again
 
I also have a Hero on Orange. The first thing I did was to upgrade the ROM to the latest version from the HTC website. This makes the phone smooth with none of the lag that seems to come as standard with earlier ROM versions. I have found no problem with call quality or signal strength with Orange.
I must admit that I have no other plans to upgrade the phone any more, except when Android 2.0 gets released. I like to tinker but I don't want to brick a great device which seems to work perfectly well.

Good luck, and I am sure you will enjoy your Hero, and these forums which are both brilliant.
 
well thank you for your reply brigsteer. I'm eventually wanting to update to the latest custom firmware, so i would be most grateful if you or anyone could help me with the rest of questions such as best full backup software and procedure.

Are there any links to tutorials i can follow?

thanks
 
The newer phones coming out from Orange have the latest firmware version installed. I had to upgrade mine, but my brother who bought his a month later did not have to.
Forget about the firmware and enjoy the phone, and some apps and get on with it. It aint broke and it doesn't need fixed.
The call quality is fine, which is to say no worse than any other mobile, depending on location etc.
 
The only lag issue is that when you turn the phone to use it in landscape mode it is not as quick to adjust the screen as an iPod is. That just seems to be a fact whatever firmware you have, maybe the accelerometer is just not so effective. I have no other lag issues at all worth worrying about.
 
The best custom ROM can be found over at xda-developers, it is MoDaCo's ROM. Having said that, I don't really know about how to go rooting your phone, I have updated to the latest offical firmware and haven't found the need to change it (My touch pro however was a totally differant kettle of fish!)

You can revert your phone back to stock, and there are some detailed tutorials on how to do so if you do a quick google, and I haven't yet heard of someone irretrievably bricking thier phone if the follow the proper steps. However that is not to say it can't happen, so make sure you really need to do it first.

I would advise you to just play with the phone on the stock firmware for a week. You'll probably find that you don't need to root and reflash, but also you'll waste a day backing up, rooting, flashign a custom firmware, then having to reverse it all at the end of the week.

If your coming for a win mo phone, I can understand the itch, but they needed to be flashed with custom ROM's because they were so slow (and with the advent of newer versions of touch flo and windows mobile with no backwards support, it was the only way to get the latest software). I have found the android software to work out of the box, it is quick, useable, customizable and easy without need any special software.

Just try it, ya never know you might like it. You can always root it in a weeks time if you really feel the need.
 
well guys thank u so much for all ur help...i really do appreciate it :)

one final question is that if the phone does not have the latest orange firmware and i flash it with the orange update from HTC's site, then do i lose the orange web or any other orange settings?

I shall wait for my phone to arrive sometime today, so hopefully i'll be firing most questions tonight. Thank u so much again.
 
htchero123 said:
well guys thank u so much for all ur help...i really do appreciate it :)

one final question is that if the phone does not have the latest orange firmware and i flash it with the orange update from HTC's site, then do i lose the orange web or any other orange settings?

I shall wait for my phone to arrive sometime today, so hopefully i'll be firing most questions tonight. Thank u so much again.
Click to expand...

You should still have the settings (I did with the T-Mobile update) but even if you don't you can go to the orange website, type in your number and it will send you all the settings for MMS, Internet e.t.c.

TO check if you have the latest software (in case you didn't know) go Settings > About Phone > Build Number.

If it starts with 2.73 then your ok, you have the latest update. Anything starting with 1 and you need to update.
 
Hi there.

I have an Orange Hero too.

I have been using it very heavily for work and play for about 3 months now I think.

Hasn't let me down just yet - I have tried the rooting and custom ROM thing, but to be honest, now I just have the official Orange ROM running, and I can't fault it.

As with you laptop, or PC - if you open lots of apps at once, it'll slow down a bit. Normal, if you ask me.
It's not all that apparent how to "close" apps down - so install taskiller from the market. It'll just help you keep a nice clean phone and keep things whizzing along swiftly.

Be sensible about your widgets - don't have them for the sake of it. They will use upo resource (obviously), so a full screen weather app isn't a great move. Especially in the UK where it's always shit weather anyway!

You'll love it. I haven't found anything it won't do yet.
 
well guys, i've got the phone! hurray!!

First all good news is that the firmware on it is the latest orange update 2.73. Now my questions are:-

1. Whilst doing a certain task, for example dialing a number, I keep accidently pressing other functions...do i have to live with this?

2. Which button allows me to definately exit a program as i can't tell if i have quited anything?

3. Also i heard there is a program called task something that you can from the market and it allows you to kill apps, but where is the option for the market?

4. The screen and phone seem very fragile, will they be safe in my pocket? Can i do anything to protect them?

I'll leave it at that for now, but this phone definately looks assuring
 
htchero123 said:
well guys, i've got the phone! hurray!!

First all good news is that the firmware on it is the latest orange update 2.73. Now my questions are:-

1. Whilst doing a certain task, for example dialing a number, I keep accidently pressing other functions...do i have to live with this?

2. Which button allows me to definately exit a program as i can't tell if i have quited anything?

3. Also i heard there is a program called task something that you can from the market and it allows you to kill apps, but where is the option for the market?

4. The screen and phone seem very fragile, will they be safe in my pocket? Can i do anything to protect them?

I'll leave it at that for now, but this phone definately looks assuring
Click to expand...

1. You may have to explain a little furthur, I haven't experianced this problem at all

2. Pressing the home button usually closes the app down, but if you get taskiller you will be able to see for yourself (see 3)

3. Taskiller is the most propular task manager, but there are several out there. Just search task manager

4. The phone itself is well built, it shoudl be fine (unless you throw it in with your keys). If your worried about the screen I would suggest buying a screen protector, invisibleSHIELD is always popular.
 
I don't.

I use the the taskiller WIDGET on my homescreen and give it a double-tap every now and then.

Make sure you set it to ignore apps you want to stay running..........
 
oh ok. i'll give it a try. although killing all tasks at once makes me feel nervous, like i'm committing a crime.
 
trick202 said:
I have mine set up to ignore twidroid and sense.
Click to expand...

how many apps do you let appear in taskiller before killing them all at once?

mines set to ignore the following-

touchflo
battery widget
mail widget
mail
google mail
clock
better keyboard
astrid
3g watchdog
messages
calender
 
htchero123 said:
well guys, i've got the phone! hurray!!

First all good news is that the firmware on it is the latest orange update 2.73. Now my questions are:-

1. Whilst doing a certain task, for example dialing a number, I keep accidently pressing other functions...do i have to live with this?

2. Which button allows me to definately exit a program as i can't tell if i have quited anything?

3. Also i heard there is a program called task something that you can from the market and it allows you to kill apps, but where is the option for the market?

4. The screen and phone seem very fragile, will they be safe in my pocket? Can i do anything to protect them?

I'll leave it at that for now, but this phone definately looks assuring
Click to expand...


2: Use Force Close Button app, I use this and its fantastic. it just adds a button in your notification are to close the app you are currently in, its basically an Exit button for every app.

3. I find killing tasks pointless, if you use force close button you shouldnt need this (I also rate TaskPanel higher)

4. I have a slim case and screen protector, but its not fragile at all..
 
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