AngelArs
Well-Known Member
Do you have your phone with you, or does the dealer have it?
What kind of phone is it (model)?
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What does "ROOT" mean
- Thread starter Mewkiss
- Start date
Do you have your phone with you, or does the dealer have it?
What kind of phone is it (model)?
I have an Optimus slider from VM. I have it here. I finally got it activated with my ported number. It worked for about 2 hours, I was able to get on FB, google etc. Then I did nothing but charge it and now I cannot get on the internet. When I try to get on FB it says cannot connect try later. If I try to use Google it takes me to the VM site.
I sent an email to VM and they have escalated after I waded through a bunch of idiots. They are epically stupid.
This is on top of the screen not dimming 2x. First was less than 24 hours and today when I tried to activate it and it wouldn't let me. Both times I removed the battery and it was fine.
VM says take the phone back to Radio shack. People here say it is the nature of android. I don't know if the 2 problems are related. If the internet connection problem is hardware. It worked and now it doesn't so I"m not sure.
Thanks.
AngelArs
Well-Known Member
This might sound weird but where were you (physically) when you were on google, f b, etc? You might have been connected via wi-fi and now you're not.
It can be frustrating I know. Always best to learn as much about your phone yourself so that you don't have to deal with them. This takes time but it can also be fun
There is no worse place on this planet to deal with than radio shack! Did you buy the extended warranty? If not then they won't even try to help you. I had to get the BBB involved once to straighten them out. I would never buy a phone from them. They should not be in the cell phone business.
I'm pretty sure your phone has wi-fi. I'll have to download your owners manual to see what features it has.
This might sound weird but where were you (physically) when you were on google, f b, etc? You might have been connected via wi-fi and now you're not.
It can be frustrating I know. Always best to learn as much about your phone yourself so that you don't have to deal with them. This takes time but it can also be fun
There is no worse place on this planet to deal with than radio shack! Did you buy the extended warranty? If not then they won't even try to help you. I had to get the BBB involved once to straighten them out. I would never buy a phone from them. They should not be in the cell phone business.
I'm pretty sure your phone has wi-fi. I'll have to download your owners manual to see what features it has.
Ok, I was sitting on my sofa the entire time. I did not budge. One minute it worked then it didn't.
I bought it from RS cuz of a great price. I still have until Jan 28 to do something and I'm not worried about dealing with them. I take no prisoners with stuff like this. I have a bad phone give me a new one. But the problem is, is this hardware or not?
I find VM to be totally incompetent for the most part. It takes talking to 3 people to get one who has a brain. They first said 3 days to fix this now they say 5 with their canned insincere apology.
I'll give them til Tues and see how it goes before I decide what to do. I usually use an IP relay when I use the phone, I wanted this for texting, so calling them is going to be a chore for me.
As for the manual, it made my eyes bleed. The problem is they don't know what to tell you if you have problems The phone has wifi which was off when I did this. I don't know why I have the wi fi to be honest. I did turn it on and it didn't make any difference but I had 5 full bars when I did this that is not it.
If there is another company with no contract that has reasonable monthly fees, this is $35/month for text and internet I'd be willing to eat the $35 I paid to get this going and just take this phone back. But I have to have a physical keyboard.
I'm done for the night. Thanks for the help. Bye
jefboyardee
Extreme Android User
AngelArs
Well-Known Member
LOL... I once asked a salesperson at walmart if they had a 2 hour phone card. She looked at me and said "I don't know about a 2 hour card, but we have these 120 minute cards"....
true story
Haha! so true
LOL... I once asked a salesperson at walmart if they had a 2 hour phone card. She looked at me and said "I don't know about a 2 hour card, but we have these 120 minute cards"....
true story
That's Hilarious.
I just called Radio Shack using an IP Relay. The guy thought it was a joke and said he was too busy. I said are you kidding me? I have a defective phone from you.
Then he had all the time in the world and ended up kissing my butt.
There was another reason besides price and RS is more geographically desirable for me than Best Buy. I am disabled and RS is just around the corner so it is just easier. I don't mind dealing with idiots face to face, but I do if they hide behind phones where they can disconnect you that really annoys me.
I just saw a show on CNBC called Customer (dis)service. So true.
I'm going to look into other phones while I decide. They make it so hard to figure out plans and then they have no way to email.
Later
jefboyardee
Extreme Android User
In most cases.. There are 3 things that are most important on your phone..
Contacts
Schedule
Pictures
The first 2 are totally taken care of by Google.. Have it syn with Google. You get that info on Google website.. And when ever you reset your phone or replace it, Google will quickly move all information right back to the phone.
Pictures? On sdcard.. You should always copy them to a safer location. Check out my signature for one great solution
Everything else can be found again
Rooting.. Don't even worry about what it is.. Till you know basic android better...Then you might find the limits and why you might want to step past it... Then you are ready to learn what is rooting
Contacts
Schedule
Pictures
The first 2 are totally taken care of by Google.. Have it syn with Google. You get that info on Google website.. And when ever you reset your phone or replace it, Google will quickly move all information right back to the phone.
Pictures? On sdcard.. You should always copy them to a safer location. Check out my signature for one great solution
Everything else can be found again
Rooting.. Don't even worry about what it is.. Till you know basic android better...Then you might find the limits and why you might want to step past it... Then you are ready to learn what is rooting
jefboyardee
Extreme Android User
Agree wholeheartedly. I
fofjjsr
Member
Best choice you ever made! While I can be considered a Apple hater
, I will also admit they make great product. But I am glad you decided NOT to get an Iphone! Welcome to the Android Community!
fofjjsr
Member
Please don't be intimidated by your Mac or your Android phone Mewkiss. They won't bite you. Everyone here had to go through the same learning process. Take it day by day. It's not as mysterious as you might think. Macs are extremely user friendly, and so are Android phones. I would recommend that you get a good backup program for your phone. It's good insurance to have. My Backup Pro is one of the more popular backup apps because it is very easy to use, but any good backup program is fine. Then if anything happens to your phone you are protected. Any questions about anything just let us know. We'll be more than happy to help you sort everything out. Pretty soon you'll be answering questions for others. Enjoy
This is a great post. Being intimidated is not a bad thing. Use the intimidation to your advantage. Learn the most you want about your Android, so you can use it to your max ability, and so it functions as you want it to function. I am a Computer nut, and love learning about anything I can. My love for learning about computers all started from being intimidated by the first computer I ever got a chance to play with, a DOS based system my parents bought.
Hi all, thanks for the great info. Right now all is hold since after working for 2 hours I can no longer connect to the internet.
I contacted VM and they say hopefully they will have an answer in 5 days. I don't know if hardware or software at this point and they don't either.
I think I might be more comfortable exchanging my phone and hope the next one isnt a lemon but I will see what they say.
My getting this phone was because I thought I had to take my mac in for repairs. last time I almost had a breakdown without it so I wanted a toy. The only reason, sorry to say I didn't get an iPhone was because my use is so limited I didn't feel like spending $80/month. VM had the best plan with the best phone for me.
I still don't quite get the synching with google but don't explain now. I do know I was able to use it and I think I might be set up but again, no internet so....
Thanks again.
Oh when I try to get on the net it tells me it is unable to and try again later. When I click on Market it immediately says session timed out try again and then nothing happens. FYI
I contacted VM and they say hopefully they will have an answer in 5 days. I don't know if hardware or software at this point and they don't either.
I think I might be more comfortable exchanging my phone and hope the next one isnt a lemon but I will see what they say.
My getting this phone was because I thought I had to take my mac in for repairs. last time I almost had a breakdown without it so I wanted a toy. The only reason, sorry to say I didn't get an iPhone was because my use is so limited I didn't feel like spending $80/month. VM had the best plan with the best phone for me.
I still don't quite get the synching with google but don't explain now. I do know I was able to use it and I think I might be set up but again, no internet so....
Thanks again.
Oh when I try to get on the net it tells me it is unable to and try again later. When I click on Market it immediately says session timed out try again and then nothing happens. FYI
I already called and they have a new one. No way would I take a refurbished when I paid for new. I'm going to wait to hear from VM as to why I cannot connect to the internet. I want that solved first. Meanwhile my crappy Samsung Seek did more than this is doing now. (but I see some cool things about my android that I will like).
I'm going to wait until about Thursday and then decide.
AngelArs
Well-Known Member
AngelArs
Well-Known Member
I remember how a hard drive back then used to be a cassette
You'd wait forever as you rewound it to get somewhere on the cassette
saddampirzada
Lurker
If you've done any Internet searching on the topic of Android, you've most likely run across either forums or articles discussing "rooting" your Android phone. While this article is not intended to show you how to root your phone nor to convince you to or not to root, it is intended to provide an impartial summary of the advantages and disadvantages of rooting an android phone.
The Android phone that you have learned to love and enjoy is running an operating system that was designed for commercial and private use. Like most any operating system, several features have been disabled, either for future use or to prevent the casual user from causing permanent damage to the operating system. "Rooting" is the process in which the limitations are removed and full-access is allowed. Once rooted, the Android phone owner will have more control over many settings, features and performance of their phone. Basically, "rooting" means to get to the root of the operating system and to have the ability to make global changes.
Disadvantages
There are two main disadvantages to rooting and Android phone;
Rooting immediately voids your phone's warranty-Once rooted, don't try to bring your phone back for service or warranty work. You are on your own!
Rooting involves the risk of "bricking" your phone-In essence, a "bricked" phone is no better than carrying around a brick in your pocket. The phone is dead when it has been "bricked."
Other potential disadvantages, though less severe, are still worthy of consideration;
Poor performance-Though the intention of "rooting" a phone is to give the phone more performance, several users have found that, in their attempts to speed up the phone or add additional features, that their phones lost both performance speed and features. Remember that when you "root" your Android phone, you are making changes to the stock operating system.
Viruses-Yes, even phones can get viruses. A common practice that people do with "rooted" phones is to flash their ROM's with custom programs. Whenever you make changes to the code of a software, you run the risk of introducing a virus.
Advantages
"Rooting" your Android phone does afford you numerous benefits, including;
Running special applications-Superuser is an app that can only be run on a rooted Android phone. This allows you to control which apps have access to the "root" system. Another popular application that "rooting" affords is the ability to tether a computer to your Android phone so that the computer can access the Internet using the phone's data connection. Another program can allow your Android to be used as a WiFi Hotspot without having to pay your provider for the feature.
Freeing up memory-When you install an app on your phone, it is stored on the phone's memory. "Rooting" allows you to move installed applications to your SD card, thus freeing up system memory for additional files or apps.
Custom ROM's-This is the most powerful feature of "rooted" phones. There are hundreds of custom ROM's that can do anything from speeding up the processing speed of your phone to changing the entire look and feel of your phone.
Summary
The decision to "root" your Android phone is one that should not be rushed into. Though the allure of having an unlocked phone is powerful, having a "bricked" phone is, trust me, not very much fun.
The Android phone that you have learned to love and enjoy is running an operating system that was designed for commercial and private use. Like most any operating system, several features have been disabled, either for future use or to prevent the casual user from causing permanent damage to the operating system. "Rooting" is the process in which the limitations are removed and full-access is allowed. Once rooted, the Android phone owner will have more control over many settings, features and performance of their phone. Basically, "rooting" means to get to the root of the operating system and to have the ability to make global changes.
Disadvantages
There are two main disadvantages to rooting and Android phone;
Rooting immediately voids your phone's warranty-Once rooted, don't try to bring your phone back for service or warranty work. You are on your own!
Rooting involves the risk of "bricking" your phone-In essence, a "bricked" phone is no better than carrying around a brick in your pocket. The phone is dead when it has been "bricked."
Other potential disadvantages, though less severe, are still worthy of consideration;
Poor performance-Though the intention of "rooting" a phone is to give the phone more performance, several users have found that, in their attempts to speed up the phone or add additional features, that their phones lost both performance speed and features. Remember that when you "root" your Android phone, you are making changes to the stock operating system.
Viruses-Yes, even phones can get viruses. A common practice that people do with "rooted" phones is to flash their ROM's with custom programs. Whenever you make changes to the code of a software, you run the risk of introducing a virus.
Advantages
"Rooting" your Android phone does afford you numerous benefits, including;
Running special applications-Superuser is an app that can only be run on a rooted Android phone. This allows you to control which apps have access to the "root" system. Another popular application that "rooting" affords is the ability to tether a computer to your Android phone so that the computer can access the Internet using the phone's data connection. Another program can allow your Android to be used as a WiFi Hotspot without having to pay your provider for the feature.
Freeing up memory-When you install an app on your phone, it is stored on the phone's memory. "Rooting" allows you to move installed applications to your SD card, thus freeing up system memory for additional files or apps.
Custom ROM's-This is the most powerful feature of "rooted" phones. There are hundreds of custom ROM's that can do anything from speeding up the processing speed of your phone to changing the entire look and feel of your phone.
Summary
The decision to "root" your Android phone is one that should not be rushed into. Though the allure of having an unlocked phone is powerful, having a "bricked" phone is, trust me, not very much fun.