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Power of Twitter and the 2.0.1 update.

kennyidaho said:
Looking through your posts you seem to have something against people who have any critical view on the HTC Hero....
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No, not really, but that is your opinion and you are entitled to it.

so first off let me say that my goal is not to bash the Hero, HTC or Sprint. I happen to really like HTC, so much so that have shelled out thousands of dollars on their phones. Unlocked GSM phones, full price Sprint locked phones etc etc all HTC ( I did defect to Nokia for the n95 but that only lasted 3 months - and the Pre - lets not talk about that). Personally I think Sprint is a great carrier and they give me exactly what (except EVDO) I want for a great value. The Hero, my hero, in my humble opinion happens to be the greatest phone ever. I never find myself saying "Oh it's a good phone but I wish it had feature/option X from phone Y I used to own".
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If this is TRUE, then you are shouting into the Grand Canyon and KNOW that neither the Device Manufacturers or Carriers are going to make a commitment on an update.

Do I need reassurance? If you happen to look at my posts on this site and others you may notice that I have never posted once asking about the update prior to this thread being created. You may notice that I have made some post attempting to help people understand the update process, the difference between HTC updating GSM phones and Sprint requesting updates from HTC for it's branded phones. I know that if Sprint and HTC never release an update for the Sprint Hero the xda community will eventually, using a combination of the Droid Eris ROM and GSM Hero ROM, will provide us Sprint users with a 2.x ROM.
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No update, but a hacked ROM to replace what is on the phone... sometimes better than what is offered by the manufacturer or carrier for sure. :)

So lets talk about that, I am a big fan of the XDA community and custom roms. On my previous HTC devices I was constantly flashing new ROMS or cooking my own (I never released any because they were all built to fill my own specific needs). The XDA community has already worked wonders on the current 1.5 ROM and I give them mad props for that. However having an official Sprint/HTC ROM will only further the capabilities of the XDA community. This means better custom ROMS for us rooters and flashers. I have yet to flash my Hero for a few reasons - I normally do not unlock/root my phones right off the bat, I like to experiment with the stock ROM for a while, until I am completely sick of it. With the Hero at this point I don't see a lot of reasons to start yet.....however I am starting to feel the ITCH.
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No reason to talk about it... The phone is out here in the US a little over a month. There are so many posts about it that the subject is boring and quite frankly there were enough already on the forum that it didn't require another. You could've jumped on any other and expressed your opinion there too.

If Sprint and HTC never update this phone that's fine by me, a little disappointed in them I would be, but it would not be the first time I have experienced this. Personally I am entirely positive that this phone will be updated to 2.x, my only question is how long. Sprint has a history of dragging these things out as long as possible. Typically HTC releases an update to their GSM device and then MONTH later an update appears for the CDMA version. I am fine with that though I really am.

So I know what you are thinking now....

"Mr. Idaho, if you are completely satisfied with your phone, happy with the current iteration of the operating system, and a rooter/flasher who does not *NEED* an official update because they enjoy the XDA community, then why are you attempting to get everyone to twitter bomb Sprint and HTC, why are you running around on this and other forums spouting off a bunch of rhetorical crap trying to get people to follow you?"

Let me break it down for you:

To make people like you happy. Yes you people who throw a hissy fit everytime someone says "Where is the update?" or a speculation thread pops up. With a confirmation from Sprint a lot of those posts will die down.

To give an outlet to everyone who is not happy about not being able to run new Google Maps or Google Goggles - why fill this forum up with posts about that when those angry people can just direct their anger @sprint and @htc.

To help ensure that non technical users, who may not be inclined to root their phones, get an update. In the greater scheme of things those of us who can root and flash are a small minority. The other users who only know that "Verizion has 2.x and I don't - **** sprint - this phone sucks!" are the users who will make or break the platform. More Sprint Hero's on the market, the better support we get, the more XDA movement we get, more apps tailored for Hero's. It's a win win situation.

I also thought frankly it would be fun. Fun to see if we as a community of Sprint/HTC/Android users spanning many different websites could band together and force Sprints hand on something.

Sadly the idea has received more flack and resistance on this web forum then any other I posted it in. Honestly I don't know why - it's easy if you twitter right a quick message to sprint and htc. It's harmless, it might not accomplish anything - but then again it might (See the BAW forums and find the petition for MMS on Windows Mobile phones and see how that turned out). If you don't twitter or don't want to sign up an account to twitter, or think it's dumb - cool don't do it.
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Personally, I get more satisfaction on point. If I have a problem with Sprint, they know about it. I have received GREAT satisfaction AND have been compensated for both my TIME and TROUBLES when I have pushed the issue and not backed down from them. I don't have a hissy fit and if you READ my posts you would see I have had my share of troubles, especially on my last PALM phone with WinMo which I had to hack to death to get to work correctly. I am confident they will (update)and like you, I made a decision to purchase this phone. Primarily I did so, knowing the open platform would allow me to make changes to the OS(ROM) in the future if in the event Sprint or HTC didn't support it.

Google maps works fine on my phone... and I can use the search (Google) to locate an address and usually it will have a link to click which will open Google maps... am I the only one who has this? All my GPS and location services on the phone work fine. Or is it that you feel we should have the newest due to someone else having it? It all just doesn't make sense to me to gripe about it so soon.

Anyway...

I'm confused though... COOK your own ROM's??? Then why are you needing THEM to do it for you? Write your own and be done with it, hell, if yours is better I might even buy it from you, lol... but I just don't get your post, it's intent, or the continual dialog on the responses. That is why I responded in the first place, because you posted an idea and had something to say to anything opposed to it as well! Totonka had a legitimate and reasonable reply and which I responded to your reply to that, is all... no need for the MANIFESTO! lol... SMILE :)

Have a nice day!
:cool:
 
this was posted on htc's twitter page

Believe it or not, I STILL can't say anything more about Eclair coming to Hero. Working as fast as we can, promise!
 
gulu said:
this was posted on htc's twitter page

Believe it or not, I STILL can't say anything more about Eclair coming to Hero. Working as fast as we can, promise!
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Yup I seen that. They also replied to someone talking with this:

@Social_Selleck Fair point. The carriers have a big say in updates as well :)
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Ladies and gentlemen this highlights the entire point of the twitter bombing.

Not to get HTC to say something...because HTC will make a ROM if Sprints asks them to and ONLY if Sprint asks them to. So far there seems to be ZERO evidence that Sprint has confirmed or denied they will provide an provide. Myself and many others merely want SPRINT to come out and say "Yes, the Sprint Hero will be getting updated to Android 2.x"

Verizion has confirmed this for the Eris, just asking for Sprint to confirm as well.
 
kennyidaho said:
Yup I seen that. They also replied to someone talking with this:

Ladies and gentlemen this highlights the entire point of the twitter bombing.

Not to get HTC to say something...because HTC will make a ROM if Sprints asks them to and ONLY if Sprint asks them to. So far there seems to be ZERO evidence that Sprint has confirmed or denied they will provide an provide. Myself and many others merely want SPRINT to come out and say "Yes, the Sprint Hero will be getting updated to Android 2.x"

Verizion has confirmed this for the Eris, just asking for Sprint to confirm as well.
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I fully agree with you....it is not too much to ask.
 
Everyone please start twittering to @sprintcare it seems to be a sprint twitter feed that responds to customer problems. It's a lot more active then @sprint.
 
I've tried repeatedly to send a message via the stock app Peep to @sprintcare @sprint and @htc. All return an error from twitter.com telling me "Cannot send message to this user"
 
smarkham604 said:
I've tried repeatedly to send a message via the stock app Peep to @sprintcare @sprint and @htc. All return an error from twitter.com telling me "Cannot send message to this user"
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You are not the first person to report this with the peep app. I wonder if its a block built into it.

Well we have elicited responses from both HTC and Sprint:

From HTC (htc) on Twitter

@Social_Selleck Fair point. The carriers have a big say in updates as well :)
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and

Believe it or not, I STILL can't say anything more about Eclair coming to Hero. Working as fast as we can, promise!
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Sprint via sprintcare (sprintcare) on Twitter

Thanks for all the inquiries about an Android update. We have no info right now, but, we suggest that you keep an eye on our forums
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They have also respond to a few other's basically saying no dates, watch forums.

Sprints community admin wengla02 on Sprints Buzz about Wireless forums had this to say:

Hero by HTC:Power of Twitter and the 2.0.1 update.
We can't acknowledge an upgrade until HTC confirms one - and they're still being coy:

Twitter / HTC: Believe it or not, I STILL ...

The process is:

Google -->> HTC -->> Sprint -->> You. Google is done, now HTC has to write the SenseUI overlay and test the CDMA radio. Then Sprint has to certify the update and schedule it for release.
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So both companies do not want to be forth coming with information and seem to be almost pushing it off on the other side. We already know HTC has access to the Android 2.1 update (Google has not publicly released it yet, it's rumoured to be released December 11th) and probably have for sometime because a GSM Hero ROM running SenseUI overtop Android 2.1 is already in the wild.

Thanks for everyone's effort, and feel free to continue twittering it's clearly getting noticed by both companies.
 
Companies have actually failed because they promised an upgrade to a product line. They set a date, then nobody bought the current stuff because everyone was waiting for the updated product to come out. A couple of snags in development, with no new cash coming in because everyone's waiting to buy, and then boom, end of the company.

Osborne effect - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 
big_z said:
Companies have actually failed because they promised an upgrade to a product line. They set a date, then nobody bought the current stuff because everyone was waiting for the updated product to come out. A couple of snags in development, with no new cash coming in because everyone's waiting to buy, and then boom, end of the company.

Osborne effect - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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I think I've already once said in this thread that I am clearly aware of the reasons companies do not release information. I have a fledgling home business and I avoid providing customers ETA's like the plague. Considering I bill at an hourly rate there is a lot of pressure from customers to provide time frames.

However I think it's fun to play devils advocate (I honestly would really hate to see Sprint say something and then not follow through) and I find the idea of using social networks and media to the customer advantage fascinating. More often then not it's the companies blitzing consumers with these mediums; why not turn the tables?
 
big_z said:
Companies have actually failed because they promised an upgrade to a product line. They set a date, then nobody bought the current stuff because everyone was waiting for the updated product to come out. A couple of snags in development, with no new cash coming in because everyone's waiting to buy, and then boom, end of the company.

Osborne effect - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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In reading your link, I find it amusing that "The Osborne Effect" is actually the "Osborne MYTH". That Osborne DID NOT get put out of business due to an announcement, but a better competing product took away their sales, as well as their inability to deliver a competitive next gen product.

Also, we should probably take into consideration, from that same article, the "REVERSE Osborne Effect" which leads to INCREASED sales.

But the big thing to remember, as we look at the affects on a company from announcing NEW products, that this is not what we are doing here at all. We dont want an announcement on a NEW product, we just want to know when/IF our product will be updated to current.

And, I think the best lesson here, is that if you have a point to make, probably best not to link to an article that will completely rip your point apart. I call that "The Reverse Wiki Effect".
 
If you had read the whole article, you'd have seen other examples of the effect (Sega and Northstar), and that the "reverse Osborne effect" deals with a company announcing what is perceived to be an inferior product as a replacement for a current one, which is not really all that relevant here.

My point wasn't that it did or did not happen to Osborne, but that the effect is recognized enough to have a name.
 
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