# To Droid or not to Droid? Android in the real world.



## pastadude (Feb 6, 2012)

Hello all, I am a long time lurker and first time poster here on rootz wiki and I come with a question.

I've had my touchpad since the firesale and I use it rather sparingly as a "lite" computer for things lime browsing, e-reading and checking email. I would love more use out of it but WebOS doesn't offer nearly as much as my android phone, although it is a slick and friendly experience. I am pretty familiar with rooting android phones and know enough about it to use multiple roms on my Incredible so I'm intermediate level rooter.

My question is, is it worth it to install CM9 now in alpha phase or is it just a headache? For my touchpad (which I mostly consider a "toy" and not a necessary tech toolset) will it be a worthwhile mod or just a nuisance now? Some real world input would be nice on using it in school/work and problems I might see so I can weigh its worth right now. I do plans to install it after the alpha of course, but is it really that buggy now?

thanks in advance for the comments and I'm typing this on my touchpad right now in class growing irritated with the unresponsive keyboard... My answer might be right in front of my face.


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## mooja (Aug 25, 2011)

unless you care about hardware accellerated video(hd youtube, netflix, etc) and the camera/mic i dont see why you wouldnt. cm9 is pretty sweet imo.


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## nevertells (Oct 29, 2011)

I'm sure I will receive a lot of disagreement on my position. CM9 is still in the early stages of development. Much earlier than the first release of CM7. If you want a version of Android that is much more configurable, much more mature and had most of the bugs worked out of it, I would suggest using CM7. CM9 seems to work fairly smoothly for some folks, but for others, it has several touch screen issues, wifi issues. no hardware acceleration, audio issues, rebooting issues and more. I am using CM9..0.0 on one of my TouchPads and after a couple of fixes for UI and battery charging issues, I am very comfortable with it. My other TouchPad still has CM7.2.1 on it and I am not in any hurry to upgrade that one to CM9. I sit back and read of all the problems that many folks are having with CM9.0.5 and .6 and really makes me want to wait for further releases. You might want to do a lot more reading before deciding especially if you have not read 20 to 30 pages of this forum.
You can also learn a lot from this link: http://rootzwiki.com/topic/15509-releasealpha06-cyanogenmod-9-touchpad/

I think a lot of reading will help you decide on which version to try, CM7 or CM9.


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## situbusitgooddog (Sep 3, 2011)

It's a dual-boot install so you can easily have your cake and eat it, you don't have to choose one or the other. Worst case scenario you decide CM9 isn't ready for you just yet, then you just boot into WebOS and continue exactly as you did before.

Personally I haven't loaded up WebOS since the very first Alpha of CM7 and the move to CM9 has just been flawless for me. It's surely got to be worth a try.


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## Brawlking (Aug 28, 2011)

While I do like CM9, I'm having too many issues with battery and charging. WebOS lasts me a few days, where CM9 is dead after one, and there are some charging issues that I have run into, but not everyone has them. I have it installed, but I'm not using it heavily right now, waiting for some more releases.


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## TenderloinShadow (Nov 4, 2011)

I would wholeheartedly encourage you to install Android. While the CM9 build is still in the early stages and there are a few features that don't work, overall it's a very solid product that is much higher quality than you would expect from an alpha. The key point, though, is that installing Android creates a dual boot system. The only thing you're sacrificing is maybe another 2-3 gigs of disk space because whenever you choose you can boot up webos and still have everything you're enjoying right now. As for the extra 2-3 gigs, as the owner of a 16gb touchpad I can tell you that it still leaves you with about 10.5 gigs free to load stuff on. If you have a 32gb model it'll be even more.

Most importantly, installing Android gives you access to the Android market, and all the thousands of apps that it contains. While a few won't work because of compatibility issues, those are a distinct minority and I can only think of one app off-hand that hasn't run for me.

I also encourage you to ignore NeverTells and install Alpha 0.6 of the CM9 version. Sorry NeverTells, not trying to rip on you or anything but I'm a big fan of CM9. I think you've been reading too much into the bugs on the forums. Running it on my own Touchpad, I find it to be superior to the CM7 port in most ways. The most common bug I'm hearing reported is the touchscreen, but honestly the problems with the touchscreen existed in CM7, and I feel that the stock Alpha 0.6 CM9 driver has vastly improved the touchscreen issues over the CM7 build (specifically, I could never type properly on CM7 the way I can on WebOS or CM9). Ignore the experimental touchscreen drivers that get talked about, they're a work in progress that will eventually yield an amazing improvement to the ROM, but it's just not there yet.

Oh, and pastadude, I know I talked a lot about the touchscreen problems there, but they're really more minor than I made them sound. The only time they cause me grief is when I play a game like Aftermath or GTA III, where occasionally I'll have an unresponsive control. The rest of the time I don't even notice it.

Lastly, I'm gonna throw you a big bone, pastadude. Rather than having to read through the whole CM9 forum (which is almost 250 pages by now), I'm going to sum up the major bugs still in this release right now. I should say that there is way more that works than doesn't on this rom, and none of these bugs are a dealbreaker at all.

1) The Touchscreen. I already touched on this before, but there are some touchscreen sensitivity issues. At the end of the day, though, the issue has been vastly improved through the last few updates, and there is an ongoing, concerted, and very experimental effort to modify the drivers to perfect it. Don't worry, those, those mods aren't included in the official release (because of their hit-or-miss nature). Once they achieve a serious improvement, however, it will probably be integrated into a release.

2) The Camera. WebOS will have to remain your source for video chatting, because Android on the Touchpad does not have a working camera in any way, shape, or form. A lot of unofficial Ice Cream Sandwich ports have an issue with the camera due to changes Google made to the camera driver in the new version, and Dalingrin, the lead dev, has stated that the camera is not a priority for him at this time.

3) Wifi. The Wifi has been an up-and-down battle since the first CM7 Alpha dropped. The main problem is that it will randomly drop connection, requiring you to toggle the wifi off and then back on again. Because Dalingrin had to write all the hardware drivers from scratch, some work better than others, and the wifi driver is one of the more buggy ones. That's not to say it doesn't work, in fact I have very few wifi issues when I'm at home. According to the rumors and reports delivered by thousands of users, the wifi issues are very dependent on the frequency, the channel, and the security settings on your router. In my case, at home, I have a WPA2 passcode, standard frequency and automatic channel settings and I have very few dropouts. But the problem is there, and it's something you'll have to deal with on your own if you make the plunge.

4) Hardware Accelerated Video. As Dalingrin has stated, basic hardware acceleration for the UI works fine, but the codecs to play back HD video have issues. What this means is that you won't get HD resolution with video playback, not from files on your device, not from youtube, and Netflix in general just refuses to work because of this bug. However, the only part of that which (in my mind) is a serious problem is the loss of Netflix (not that you have it to begin with in WebOS). Non-HD video playback is still capable of a high enough resolution that, while it won't look as crisp as HD, is still pretty damn solid.

That about covers it for my schpiel. Trying to be as helpful as possible. Like I said at the beginning, I would really encourage you to take the plunge. You loose nothing; WebOS will still be there waiting to be switched back to if you want it.


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## pastadude (Feb 6, 2012)

Well its good to see that as far as real world usage goes its not all doom and gloom. Don't get me wrong, I use all kinds of experimental mods on my Incredible (I used to use the nightlies of CM7.1 but I just kinda got lazy updating) but I just wanted my TouchPad to simply work. I barely use the camera and I look forward to using Netflix when that problem is finally solved(I can't believe HP let it ship without the ability to watch Netflix!) but mostly I just didn't want to deal with more software headaches that hacking and modding comes with, glad to see that's not the case.

I adore modding, I really do. I love to hack and tinker with all kinds of devices (computer and otherwise) but sometimes, SOMETIMES, you just want something to just do its job. I guess thats why everyone is so gaga for Apple stuff. It makes sense now, it's still just not for me at all.

Anyway, thanks for the input. Any other tips for installing or fixes that I should consider? Also, does anyone have any input on a Linux distro on the TouchPad?


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## touchpadwill (Feb 1, 2012)

If you want some polish- install the HD ICS start up video. In the Modding section.

CM9 is gold though, it definitely doesnt feel like an alpha0 version.


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## T-Keith (Oct 15, 2011)

Sounds like you are a good candidate for installing Android. If you must have everything working then stick with webos, but since you only use it sparingly Android will be good for you. Personally I have had a much better experience with ics than any of the cm7 roms. I'm on bricked v4 and other than video, the camera and a few options it works well. OK wifi still has its problems but better than cm7. The best part is you can still go back to webos.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using RootzWiki


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## VolcanicSkunk (Oct 20, 2011)

I use my Touchpad almost every day for school. I connect to my Touchpad BT keyboard and take notes for most of my classes. For a while I was using WebOS since all the keyboard buttons work natively. I used QuickOffice to take all my notes, but sometimes I would type too fast, or delete too fast and it would freeze the app a little bit and corrupt my file. I lost almost a whole class period of notes one time and that sealed the deal. Wrote my own keylayout for my keyboard and I couldn't be happier! I'm using ClassicNerd's Buttah ICS rom and I love it! Only thing I have to say I miss most about the CM7 roms was ad hoc tethering. But other than that I love my ICS tablet. Blows away the WebOS experience.


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## bobloblaw1 (Jul 2, 2011)

Pet peeve (sorry): "droid" is a Verizon marketing term and doesn't really mean much of anything aside from that the the device is on Verizon's flagship line. As this isn't a Verizon device it has nothing to do with the "droid" brand. However, as you correctly state, the touch pad can be made to run the Android operating system.

Moving on from collateral matters, if you consider your touchpad a toy, are comfortable tweaking it and modding it, and don't mind potentially losing data then go for it. The biggest current glitch is wifi which can usually be worked around. Of course, you can always boot back into WebOS (cyboot in preware to set moboot default) should you decide that you would like to wait until Android gets a little more bug fixin' lovin'. Honestly, the alpha build is quite good and most people will be rather happy with it in its current state.


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## pastadude (Feb 6, 2012)

to boblolaw: I'm aware of the droid moniker as a Verizon marketing tool, but it sounds much smoother than "android" when asked rhetorically.

so I made the plunge and I'm using the Bricked Kernel Rom. I am experiencing the "death sleep" but its not a huge issue. I would love a fix (I tried setting the CPU minimum to 384 but it keeps reverting to 192 for some reason) but its not a deal breaker, seeing that its alpha and all. So far so good though.


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## Motoki (Dec 30, 2011)

pastadude said:


> Well its good to see that as far as real world usage goes its not all doom and gloom. Don't get me wrong, I use all kinds of experimental mods on my Incredible (I used to use the nightlies of CM7.1 but I just kinda got lazy updating) but I just wanted my TouchPad to simply work. I barely use the camera and I look forward to using Netflix when that problem is finally solved(I can't believe HP let it ship without the ability to watch Netflix!) but mostly I just didn't want to deal with more software headaches that hacking and modding comes with, glad to see that's not the case.


Netflix runs fine on CM7. For that matter, so does Hulu if you make a small modification to Flash or get a pre-modified version.

I know a lot of people think Gingerbread should not be on a tablet etc., but for the most part it works really well. The OS is very configurable, so you can get a different launcher, make things bigger/smaller etc. It doesn't have to look like a phone.

That said there are some nice tablet based apps on ICS, mostly sort of magazine/catalog stuff like Google Currents, Distro and the tablet version of Zinio (though you can still use Zinio in CM7, it just has a simpler interface). ICS Gmail is nice too. It reminds me a bit of the WebOS mail program actually.

Still, overall I think you can do most things you need to do on a tablet in CM7. If you are frustrated by the lack of options in WebOS and video services like Netflix are important to you I'd say go for CM7.

The upgrade process to change to CM9 later really isn't that bad so you aren't forced into it forever. IMHO it's better to get use of your device now then sit around waiting for something else. There's always something better around the corner but WebOS, as nice of a try as it may be, is just really limited.


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## pastadude (Feb 6, 2012)

So this is my first complete day on Android (CM9) on my TouchPad and I must say it is really beyond useable. I am posting from it right now actually and there are quite a few improvements from webOS on this particular device (namely the keyboard). A few things are sorely lacking, hardware accelerated video and. So on and so forth, but otherwise it runs fantastically. More updates and actual experiences as time goes on.


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## nevertells (Oct 29, 2011)

pastadude said:


> to boblolaw: I'm aware of the droid moniker as a Verizon marketing tool, but it sounds much smoother than "android" when asked rhetorically.
> 
> so I made the plunge and I'm using the Bricked Kernel Rom. I am experiencing the "death sleep" but its not a huge issue. I would love a fix (I tried setting the CPU minimum to 384 but it keeps reverting to 192 for some reason) but its not a deal breaker, seeing that its alpha and all. So far so good though.


What did you use to set your cpu speed to 384? There should be a check box to "Set on Boot" that you probably forgot to check.

For your sleep issue, go to settings/display and set the time to sleep to 30 minutes. When not using your TP and you are not going to turn it off, tap the power button to put it to sleep and you should not have any more problems.


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## pwlorraine (Oct 19, 2011)

ICS alpha 0.6 is for hobbyists today. It is a wonderful piece of work from some people who have been very generous with their time and expertise. It will let you play around and do most things you want short of camera / video functionality. But this isn't finished by any means. I wouldn't give this to a non-enthusiast. One of the big successes of the IOS devices is how polished the overall experience is - ICS isn't there yet. This is accurately described as an "alpha" release.

Still fun if you don't mind the issues.

Peter


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## TouchpadBoss (Jan 19, 2012)

pwlorraine said:


> ICS alpha 0.6 is for hobbyists today. It is a wonderful piece of work from some people who have been very generous with their time and expertise. It will let you play around and do most things you want short of camera / video functionality. But this isn't finished by any means. I wouldn't give this to a non-enthusiast. One of the big successes of the IOS devices is how polished the overall experience is - ICS isn't there yet. This is accurately described as an "alpha" release.
> 
> Still fun if you don't mind the issues.
> 
> Peter


The android operating system of ICS is there and has been there. It is only the Touchpad's version is not yet polished due to the fact it is still in alpha 0 stages.

But with my experience with alpha 0.6 is amazing, it does everything I want it to and more! I can watch my movies just fine with MX Video Player and browse the web as I please.


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