The Stumblebum

Happy Father’s Day! I normally don’t do ROM reviews here (actually, this is the first), but I felt that I should sing the praises of this new MightyMike and Silence ROM. Built on Windows Mobile 6.1, this ROM is all about speed. It’s about as stock as it can get… no bloatware, no carrier installed apps, no crazy visual tweaks. But this ROM is freakin’ fast.

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I have had a Windows Mobile device for over a year now, yet have never had the urge to flash to a new ROM or to unlock the device. You may be asking yourself, “what is he talking about flashing and ROM- is he a streaker?!?” No, I do not streak (that often), but I just unlocked my current device, a Sprint-branded HTC Touch Pro. Before I continue, I want to cover 3 terms you will need to know: ROM, Radio (not FM or AM), and bootloader (nothing to do with hush puppies).

To quote from a great website of Windows Mobile goodness, XDA,

Q: What is a ROM?

A ROM contains the operating system and often additional software which can be “installed” to your mobile device. Most ROM’s provided by the chefs (people who create cutomized ROM’s) just contain the operating system and additional applications. Shipping ROM’s (ROM’s provided by the manufacturer or official providers) also contain a Radio ROM and a bootloader.

Q: What is a bootloader?

A: A bootloader contains information about your device. It is quite similar to a computer’s BIOS. Official bootloaders also have a security option called CID (Carrier-ID) which allows you just to install ROM’s from the provider of your phone. So, if you want to flash another ROM, you first have to turn off this security option by “CID-unlocking” your device. Check the flashing instructions below on how to do this.

Q: What is a Radio ROM?

A: The Radio ROM contains the drivers for the communication devices of your phone. Some ROM’s need one or more specific Radio ROM’s to work properly. Usually the chef, who created the ROM recommends a Radio ROM. But don’t mind, if your Radio Rom does not match, you can always flash another without needing to flash the ROM containing the Operating System (OS) again.
You can check the version of your Radio ROM when you click Start > Settings > System > Device Information or booting your device (there will appear three lines of red text. The Radio ROM version is the number after the R:.
Flashing a Radio does not delete any files on your device’s ROM.

Now that we have those terms taken care of, I want to warn you that THAT ROM FLASHING AND UNLOCKING WILL POSSIBLY VOID WARRANTY AND THAT IT WILL DELETE ALL FILES AND CAN INCUR A SITUATION CALLED ‘BRICKING’, MEANING YOUR PHONE IS WORTHLESS EXCEPT AS A PAPER WEIGHT. USE CAUTION AND AT YOUR OWN RISK

Now that the harsh bold words are taken care of, I have decided to flash my phone and flash to a new ROM. But first I need to unlock my device. Since I have a CDMA Touch Pro, I used the ‘CDMA Hard-SPL’ unlocker, which can be found here on PPC Geeks. The actual procedure was quite easy, as all I needed to do was connect my Touch Pro to the computer and run the program. The instructions and details are listed in the thread that I linked to. All in all, it took about 5 minutes. Very simple and easy.

Now in pt. 2 of this tale, I will decide what ROM I will flash to. If you have any personal choices, I implore you to please post in the comments below.

I came up with the idea of doing these interviews as a way to profile individual members of the PPCGeeks.com community. I am happy this week to be able to spotlight part of the backbone of PPCGeeks… Mindfrost82. As a very active member and admin of the forums, he is constantly working to make sure that the PPCGeeks family is able to have the best experience possible while visiting the site. From stopping spammers to implementing features suggested by all of us, Mindfrost82 is dedicated to providing a safe, stable and fun environment for us all.

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I’m pretty stoked. Juicy has agreed to do a featured interview for thestumblebum.com, and he suggested that I open some of the questions up to the PPCGeeks community. I think that’s a great idea… so I’m going to wait a few days to give you time to submit any questions you may have.

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It’s nice to be able to kick off this site with an interview. Especially when that interview happens to be with someone as well known and respected as MightyMike, the “chef” (designer)  behind the amazing MightyROM series of custom modifications for the HTC Diamond and Touch Pro PocketPCs. Read the rest of this entry »

This will serve a dual purpose, it can be my “About Me” page, and my introduction to anyone out there who has a few minutes to kill on my nifty new web site. Normally this blog is going to be dedicated to new technology, Pocket PC optimization, tips, tricks, tweaks, training, tutorials, and so many other things that start with a “T” it’ll make your head spin.

But not this post. This post is my opportunity to earn your trust. I’ll do my best. Read the rest of this entry »