[Hands0n]

Good news everybody :D Well, only for those with an HTC Magic.

As I have been using Android 2.1 on the Google Nexus One I can certainly vouch for that release of the OS. My only niggling doubt relates to how this would run on the HTC Magic with its lower powered CPU and smaller RAM. Although the upside is that the independent distributions of Android 2.1 for the T-Mobile G1 run very well - giving that ageing (!?) handset a new lease of life in the performance and capability stakes.

But certainly, for those who do not want to go to all the trouble of rooting and loading different ROMs from the independent developers this will be a welcome update.

Hopefully this will be the Android 2.1-update1 version that is the latest.



For our UK fellows who are on the Vodafone network and using HTC Magic, I have good news for you. Today, Vodafone announced that HTC Magic will get an Android 2.0 update soon. Well, its not 2.0, but at least it is 2.something. No word on a release date of the update yet, But its is expected to get launch sometime in Q1. So guys stay tuned with us. We will keep you updated if any news about the update hits the web.

So UK fellows, are you happy now?

Source: Androidspin.com (http://www.androidspin.com/2010/02/24/android-2-0-update-coming-for-vodafone-htc-magic/)

[The Mullet of G]

Being able to "root" the device and load a custom OS via a ROM file appeals to me quite a bit. I don't own an Android phone, and have no real intention of buying one...that said I might consider picking up a cheap older model phone to play around with. I recently read that someone had gotten Ubuntu running on an N900, normally Ubuntu isn't something that excites me, but being able to run it on a phone that it wasn't intended for does excite me, I'm weird that way. Is it possible to run another OS besides Android on Android hardware?

[Ben]

Well, it's good news that this is happening, obviously. I do worry, though, what incentive manufacturers (and operators?) have to keep the devices updated? All Android handsets should automatically receive the latest version of the OS - anything less will result in a completely fragmented development platform and disenfranchised customers.

[Hands0n]

All Android handsets should automatically receive the latest version of the OS - anything less will result in a completely fragmented development platform and disenfranchised customers.

Considering that the Android technology seems to be aimed at competing with latter day smartphones (yes, you know what I mean) then they will need to compete with keeping the hardware suitably updated with OS improvements also. The bar has been set, the manufacturers can choose whether to rise to it or now.

But that said, there is absolutely no guarantee of an Android manufacturer keeping up with the OS releases. Samsung, for instance, with their Galaxy initially chose not to update it beyond Cupcake. But the howls of protest seems to have shifted their thinking, eventually. Other manufacturers devices will not be updated.

I suppose the good thing about the Google Nexus One is that it would be daft of Google not to update it beyond Android 2.1.

[miffed]

I'd love to think that a 2.0.1 update is just around the corner , but lets be realistic - I suspect come July/August us Magic owners will be still waiting for said update !
I won't charge the Magic just yet :D

[miffed]

Well , here we are in April and no closer to a decent ROM !! Wonder when Vodafone will get their finger out ?

I deeply regret upgrading to the 1.6 ROM as it has rendered the Magic unhackable (or probably more to the point , no one can be bothered to )

Don't get me wrong , it is a nice little handset in its own right ...... But whats the point of an Android handset you can't update ? ,

[Hands0n]

I deeply regret upgrading to the 1.6 ROM as it has rendered the Magic unhackable (or probably more to the point , no one can be bothered to )

Hey why the long face? Lets turn that frowny :( into a Smiley :)

You can indeed get around the 1.6 ROM by going through the steps of downgrading, rooting and then updating.

I think that one of the best places to start is with the CyanogenMod ROM - it is a superb effort and although the developer has turned his primary focus to the Nexus One - because he bought one - he still maintains the G1/Magic ROM because his wife still has one. Also don't forget to load up the application CM Updater, available from Android Market. That will help keep you up to date with the latest releases he makes, all OTA and with previous versions kept on the SD card so you can move forwards and backwards through the CyanogenMod versions. Its all very clever stuff.

Of course once you've rooted (again) you are free to try out other versions of Android such as OpenEclair

Start off with the CyanogenMod - there is a comprehensive and well maintained thread with links on the opening post here --> http://androidcommunity.com/forums/f56/rom-cyanogenmod-no-you-cant-have-pony-stable-4-2-15-p-26146/

Enjoy.

[miffed]

No , you cant !!

Every time this point is raised in any of the relevant places , all the developer roll their eyes , flap around and say " Why are you asking this ?? It's easy !! we have already solved this problem "

....then , if they actually get round to trying it themselves , they admit that it is not possible to "roll back" the Vodafone UK magic as there is no SappIMG.nbh (the spanish one floating around simply doesn't work ! ) .basically if you have a UK magic and updated to 1.6 officially you are screwed

OH , there is one method that is rumoured to work , but it seems longwinded and I simply don't have the time or knowhow - here is the simple instruction guide - remember this is siimply to roll back , you still have to mess around flashing after all this !!

http://theunlockr.com/2009/08/14/how-to-root-your-mytouch-3g/

(TBH I'd rather just bin the Magic and by a hero than mess about to these lengths :D ! )

[Hands0n]

There are difficult and easy ways of doing almost everything. I can't vouch for this but there appears to be a "six minute hack" to implement CyanogenMod ROM here --> http://androidandme.com/2009/08/news/root-a-t-mobile-mytouch-3g-or-g1-in-6-minutes-and-flash-cyanogens-rom-with-donut-crumbs/

The actual process is here --> http://androidandme.com/2009/08/news/how-to-root-a-t-mobile-g1-and-mytouch-3g-android-phone/

I know that XDA Forum can be a bit geeky - the entire HTC Magic section is here --> http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=493

There is a very specific discussion on UK Vodafone HTC Magics here --> http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=610496

It does seem that the "Gold Card" method is going to be the back stop for anything else. If the "six minute" version does not work then it looks like you're in for a few hours work to get the damn thing rooted - although once done, the world is your oyster.

[miffed]

Cheers mate !

That XDA dev is a classic example of what I am talking about , the guy is explaining the situation over and over and over and over again , but they are all missing the point and thinking he must be following the instructions wrong , or assume he hasn't even tried , or there must be a problem with his PC , I love it when he say's "Will you lot PLEASE listen to me !!" [:)] - echoed my sentiments exactly having spent a whole weekend following walkthroughs to the letter and getting nowhere !

The stumbling point for me (on the goldcard method) is that I have never installed the Android SDK on my Windows machine , and the whole proccess sounds like a huge pain in the backside !

[Hands0n]

The Android SDK does appear to be the proverbial "sledgehammer to crack a nut" but in some cases that is all there is because it talks to the handset at a very low level that you cannot get to from on the handset itself. The G1 is a little easier with its mechanical keyboard but still a chore and impossible in some cases.

The trouble is each Gold Card seems to be individualised to the specific handset - so you cannot use someone elses!

The problem with the XDA devs is that many of them are the mental age of children, if not children themselves, being semi-articulate and very intolerant of so-called noobs. You'd have to forgive them for thinking that they didn't learn the same way, from nothing to where they are now. Not that in the great scheme of things their knowledge counts for poop. Its not as if its brain surgery or suchlike! Still, golden nuggets of information are there - the problem is making some coherence out of them all.

I can't try out any of that stuff as I already rooted my HTC Magic some time back - although I do believe it was after the Donut 1.6 update, at least the first one. I ran a Hero ROM on it for a while, but it was so slow I got fed up and put Donut 1.6 back on.

Personally, I can see Google locking all of this down for once and for all in the not too distant future. They are already nervous about fragmentation of the Android OS and the only way to prevent that is to lock it down. We can't win, it seems :)