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Why the "ICS" update may not be a good idea

S

Satires

Android Expert
I'm the type that has specific uses for my phone. I own two bionics and will be ordering another one!

I don't need Quad cores and gigs of ram, just a smartphone that does what I want. The Bionic wound up fitting the bill.

With the ICS update there are risks (This is only my opinion and not proven).

I've heard the risk of losing native adobe flash in the browsers as adobe said they are quitting support, chime in if you can clarify this. That's the whole friggen reason I even got into android phones. Flash just isn't about video, other online content uses flash such as mp3 web players amongst other things. With out flash, the desktop experience will be crippled.

The next risk? Maybe I'm just a shrude person, but... The webtop will no longer have Mozilla Firefox. The HD dock has effectively replaced my home internet connection and computer. There's all kinds of things a "Full" browser can do that a mobile browser (Even with flash) cannot do. Webtop, the way it is now is the closest thing to free tethering! You can watch Hulu or even upload music to the music cloud on amazon. I was amazed Verizon even allowed a full web browser with all their whining about a data crunch.

Next, and this is just my paranoia talking. What if tje bootloader gets changed? There would be a tremendous possibility of having no way back if you didn't like ICS for any reason. There's rumor that the ICS will get an unlocked boot loader, I'm not holding my breath.

With this post in mind.

If you use the Bionic as I do, you may want to hang back and avoid the update to ICS till the chips fall and you know for sure you can always re-flash to gingerbread.
 
Good points.
Currently though you can try it and if you don't like it getting back to gingerbread is pretty easy. Don't even have to root.

I'm loving it.

As far as flash, yes I cant get it to work embedded, but its on the way out soon, and the higher res camera is a plus.
 
It's my understanding that flash is supported on ICS but not JB. I think we're safe there at least as far as ICS is concerned.

I share the same thoughts about the full browser on the old webtop build. I'll really miss it especially regarding hulu. :(

I'm not sure how the official build will be for the Bionic but so far so good. Based on the leaks I can't see myself going back to GB. But that's entirely my opinion. The performance upgrades on 4g and overall speed is enough for me to give up my full firefox browser.
 
xmr405o said:
It's my understanding that flash is supported on ICS but not JB. I think we're safe there at least as far as ICS is concerned.

I share the same thoughts about the full browser on the old webtop build. I'll really miss it especially regarding hulu. :(

I'm not sure how the official build will be for the Bionic but so far so good. Based on the leaks I can't see myself going back to GB. But that's entirely my opinion. The performance upgrades on 4g and overall speed is enough for me to give up my full firefox browser.
Click to expand...

I understand your point of view. It's all in what the individual wants out pf their phone. :)

For what I'm doing and everything working fine, I can pass on speed. It would be nice of they unlocked the boot loader, that way, some developer could make the old version of webtop available in the official ICS build. :D Given the chance to overclock? I would. :)
 
mhome said:
Good points.
Currently though you can try it and if you don't like it getting back to gingerbread is pretty easy. Don't even have to root.

I'm loving it.

As far as flash, yes I cant get it to work embedded, but its on the way out soon, and the higher res camera is a plus.
Click to expand...

I hear ya. :)

I was just concerned that with the official OTA ICS (Not the leaked ICS) that the bootloader could be modified. Probably not likely, but we never know.
 
Satires said:
some developer could make the old version of webtop available in the official ICS build.
Click to expand...

I was thinking sorta the same thing. Haha. That would be really nice if a dev can get that firefox browser working on the new webtop.
 
I think Flash is going away completely in jellybean, I'm sure websites and developers will work around/replace it.
Though a few apps wont yet work in ICS, I wouldn't even think about going back to Gingerbread.
 
I really miss a full browser. Even to the point I might go back to .905. Only problem is ICS fixed all my 4g issues.

Best case is a dev builds a ICS rom with the full browser.
 
How can anyone miss the old webtop setup it was soooo slowwww. I was hardly ever using my lapdock because of how slow it was. Webtop 3.0 is amazing but I never use anything like Hulu so not having the full Firefox browser doesn't bother me. Can't you just download some other browser app that will still work with Hulu?

As far as flash yes it is being phased out but it's not like mobile phones are just not going to have access to online media from now on, flash is just going to be replaced by HTML5. So I guess there's a bit of a gap between flash no longer being supported and whenever HTML5 is going to be ready but at some point we will have a replacement.

Also since updating to ICS build 230 it seems like flash objects work at least a little more often than when I was using 2233. It's still not perfect but at least more videos are playing now.
 
Bankswood said:
I really miss a full browser. Even to the point I might go back to .905. Only problem is ICS fixed all my 4g issues.

Best case is a dev builds a ICS rom with the full browser.
Click to expand...

From my understanding (Which I could be wrong), webtop 2.0 is baked into the kernal. It would seems to me that if the bootloader is locked, there is no way to modify ICS at the kernal. :(

That's why I think it may be a good idea for those of us that love and or need a full browser to hang back for awhile and wait till others post in the forum about it when the official OTA comes out. :)
 
I need help guys. I am on stock 905. I have the latest motorola drivers, rsd lite 5.7, and the 230 file. I cant flash it. It keeps saying something like, Please check input file. Either XML format is wrong or image files associated with it are missing.

Not sure if I am doing something completely wrong, been a while since I flashed. I redownloaded the file again i thought maybe it got an error downloading, but its the same thing.

Also, when I hook my phone up to my pc, its booted in the volume down/power method right?
 
Gordz24 said:
I need help guys. I am on stock 905. I have the latest motorola drivers, rsd lite 5.7, and the 230 file. I cant flash it. It keeps saying something like, Please check input file. Either XML format is wrong or image files associated with it are missing.

Not sure if I am doing something completely wrong, been a while since I flashed. I redownloaded the file again i thought maybe it got an error downloading, but its the same thing.

Also, when I hook my phone up to my pc, its booted in the volume down/power method right?
Click to expand...

Some downloads of the 230 leak had the installable .zip and a .crc file included within the main downloaded zip.

If this is what you have only flash the zip within the zip, ie download the file, sxtract contents then flash the .zip.

Just realized what you're doing. The update is not flashed with rsdlite. Download the aformentioned zip to your sd card and install via stock recovery.
 
mhome said:
Good points.
Currently though you can try it and if you don't like it getting back to gingerbread is pretty easy. Don't even have to root.



So If I install this leak Wil I still be prompted when the real ics ota happens?
Click to expand...
 
Joe Eris said:
Pardon my ignorance but could you please explain or post a link to a"how to " try ics without rooting.
Click to expand...


if you want to try the ICS leak is very easy but you have to understand that if you install this leak or any leak you will be off of the official update path and will have to use a program called rsdlite to flash the ginger bread file to get your self back on it and that will most likely erase your data.

you have to be on the latest ota 5.9.905

If you want to do it grab the latest leak here. https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B_E2nNO3bl-pXzMzSF92QkZPelk
put it on the external sd card (SD-EXT)
turn your phone off
press and hold both volume buttons and then the power button. when the menu appears use the volume down button to get to recovery and then volume up to select it.
wait till the adroid with the ! appears and press both volume buttons at the same time. you are now in recovery
use volume down to install update from zip then power button to select.
find the ics leak where you put it on your sd-card and select it again with the power button. let it install and then select reboot. it will take a long time the first time it boots up.
 
Joe Eris said:
So If I install this leak Wil I still be prompted when the real ics ota happens?
Click to expand...

No you will not be prompted if you install a leaked ICS stock rom. The current leaks allow you to flash back to gingerbread using the rsd lite tool but that can change from leak to leak.
 
Satires said:
If you use the Bionic as I do, you may want to hang back and avoid the update to ICS till the chips fall and you know for sure you can always re-flash to gingerbread.
Click to expand...

I think what you are doing is very healthy. Assume NOTHING and when the ICS OTA comes out see what was actually released.

I'll give you an example. My Bionic is un-root-ed. My Droid X is root-ed. The last OTA of the Droid X removed root and there was no apparent way to restore it. It made no sense.

Be prepared for the senseless.

You can let the "less conservative" ones experiment and give you their report. When it is clear what you are jumping into ... jump.

I'm not on ICS. I assume it is going to be GREAT. I also think it is highly likely you will jump into it.

(Flash ... on the way out.)

... Thom
 
I thought it was with Jelly Bean that Flash was on the way out over and that Adobe was going to end making any new versions of Flash for any Android version?
 
Just to echo what Satires and Thom are saying...

It doesn't matter if it's a leak or an official release by Motorola, tread carefully when installing new software. Read and research is the best advice anyone has gave me and I relay the same message to everyone. We don't know what each leak or release brings so it's up to each individual to research. There are plenty of "testers" around such as a couple of devs. If they yell foul, heed their warning and step away from the Bionic. :p

Don't assume that you can back out of a leak or official build, you might get burned.
 
wildkitten said:
I thought it was with Jelly Bean that Flash was on the way out over and that Adobe was going to end making any new versions of Flash for any Android version?
Click to expand...

You're right but there are still issues being reported with Flash on ICS devices. It's a little flaky especially with embedded videos in websites.
 
I am tempted to take the 230 plunge, but then again I may just wait another week or two. Too many bugs yet. I am sure once ICS is out, JellyBean will be right behind it.;-)
 
I hate o burst your bubble, but there are far fewer bugs in the ICS leaks than there are in the current stock version of GB - particularly when it comes to connectivity.

While I agree with some of the sentiments professed here in this thread, I'd have to say that connectivity is even more important to me than anything else - I am a Masters student, plus running a side business, starting a second business, and I need connectivity - both data and voice.

ICS leak has been a godsend for me on this phone. I'd rather be forced to use a browser not of my choosing (I'm a FF freak - my desktop always has the latest nightly channel versions, both 32bit and 64bit), but I'd rather be forced to use the default android browser on a connection that works rather than have my choice of FF on a connection that is spotty.
 
johnlgalt said:
I hate o burst your bubble, but there are far fewer bugs in the ICS leaks than there are in the current stock version of GB - particularly when it comes to connectivity.

While I agree with some of the sentiments professed here in this thread, I'd have to say that connectivity is even more important to me than anything else - I am a Masters student, plus running a side business, starting a second business, and I need connectivity - both data and voice.

ICS leak has been a godsend for me on this phone. I'd rather be forced to use a browser not of my choosing (I'm a FF freak - my desktop always has the latest nightly channel versions, both 32bit and 64bit), but I'd rather be forced to use the default android browser on a connection that works rather than have my choice of FF on a connection that is spotty.
Click to expand...

There's no bubble to burst, I'm happy with MY phone the way it is. Once or twice a day I have to go into airplane mode and back for the data.

Like wise, you're intitled to have YOUR phone just as you like. :)

This post was posted for those that may hold the same sentiments as myself, I've been burned by the 'OTA' updates in the past.
 
Thom Little said:
I think what you are doing is very healthy. Assume NOTHING and when the ICS OTA comes out see what was actually released.

I'll give you an example. My Bionic is un-root-ed. My Droid X is root-ed. The last OTA of the Droid X removed root and there was no apparent way to restore it. It made no sense.

Be prepared for the senseless.

You can let the "less conservative" ones experiment and give you their report. When it is clear what you are jumping into ... jump.

I'm not on ICS. I assume it is going to be GREAT. I also think it is highly likely you will jump into it.

(Flash ... on the way out.)

... Thom
Click to expand...


I'm not likely to jump on "ICS". :) A full browser is what I bought this phone for. :)

I too had a droid x, the gingerbread update destroyed it... I had to flash back to froyo, then go back to the "2 file" gingerbread method to root it. Somehow, the very act of rooting it cleared up all of the problems! lol :)
 
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