I have to admit, I made the assumption that people mod it because they want to install software on the phone that they would otherwise pay for.

Are you saying that this is never the objective of someone who wants to mod their phone ROM/Hardware?

Pirated app's are available on almost any phone with any rom (some block app installs outside of the market).

A person puts a custom ROM on for new features, new android version, improved speed/stability or just for fun.

So, does this phone block app installs outside of the market, and would tampering with the ROM/Hardware bypass this?

The original Droid allows for outside market installs. I am not sure about the X.

Since it is a feature in vanilla Android ROM's, it would be included in most every custom ROM.

edit - But seeing as Moto doesn't make money from the Market, their locking down the phone does not seem to be app piracy related. In fact, not allowing app installs from outside the market make it hard to developers to test their app's on this phone.

Is there anything to this but unsubstantiated rumor though?

http://www.droid-life.com/2010/07/15...-talk-already/

I bet someone over at apple started this lol

*Waits to hear official report*[xmascool]

Very interesting but I am really not big into modding my phone. I still plan to go and get my Droid X because it has all the features I want to use.

In the end all I care is that I am able to still install the latest official version of droid that comes out which I believe will be 2.2

Which you won't be able to since the Droid X runs moto blur. If you were to root it, you could put regular 2.2 on it.

People really have misconceptions about what rooting does. Piracy and loading non-market apps has nothing to do with rooting.

So then why is VZW and Motorola publicly saying Droid X gets 2.2 late summer?

HTC uses "sense" blur isn't much different.

It will be 2.2 with motoblur. In comparison my rooted Droid (1) has had stock 2.2 for weeks. No need to wait until whenever motorola decides to grace me with it.

Have you used it? Worlds apart, but I dislike sense as well TBH.

Yes I have used it, by "not much different" I meant in that it is an addon developed by the phone maker. True...I would have to wait for Motorola to gift me with their version of 2.2 not the end of the world.....?

What about when motorola loses interest in updating a phone that's more then 6 months old? My Droid Eris has been discontinued and I bought it in January. Forever stuck on 2.1 if it hadn't been rooted. (Not that it was even given the full features of 2.1- only the ones the manufacture deemed useful)

Then it will be like my blackberry? http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...ies/laugh1.gif (agreeing with you btw)

To be honest if you can get it to 2.2 it's not too bad, considering that apparently android revisions won't happen as often as they used to. Still sucks if you know your phone COULD run a new firmware that improves phones by a truckload and you can't get it http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...ilies/sad1.gif (/me Looks at his Spica)

AFTER 3.0 Gingerbread this holiday season. http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...es/tongue1.gif Rumors are that 3.0 will require Nexus One level hardware to work, but its just a rumor.

If BB 6 isn't any good im going to buy a evo...

So I am very seriously considering an android based phone. Lets say I get the ATTs version of the Galaxy S, the Captivate.

Currently it is a 2.1 (or when released) and samsung has SUCKED at phone support, and ATT puts tons of crap on it, blocks side-loading (I want to try making my own apps).

If the Captivate can be rooted, can you just go to a site and get a vanilla 2.2 and it just works? Or does someone need to make a custom ROM to load the OS?

When 3.0 comes along, since my phone is rooted, can I just load on the vanilla 3.0? It is like a PC where you just load the OS and it works with different hardware? Or is something custom needed? akin to drivers?

I would probably get the Captivate on day 1, root, load vanilla 2.2 if I could, and if I knew I could do it again with 3.0.

To Answer your question - by default, Android does not block out of market installs. The only carrier that blocks out of market installs is AT&T.

Also, the bigger thing to point out, is that out of market does NOT equal pirated. Programs like the currently running Swype beta were distributed outside of the market, so the Swype makers could better control who is testing it.

As others have pointed out, the reason for rooting is to have total control of the phone. Once rooted, you can load custom ROMs on your phone, that will change the functionality of the phone. Some will allow overclocking, and others may actually unlock certain features (the Nexus One for instance, has a 720P capable camera, that was unlocked with custom software).

The other big issue, is that you can update your phones software well after the maker has stopped supporting it. The original G1 is officially stopped at 1.6, but custom ROM makers have sucessfully made 2.2 work for the classic device. Even new devices like the HTC Incredible have 2.2, even though HTC has not yet released that update.

The heart of the matter is this - I own the hardware, I should have every right to modify it with the available, FREE, open source software as I see fit. No, i don't expect warranty, but otherwise....

How soon is soon? I'm thinking of just buying an iPhone 4 on AT&T selling that and getting a Nexus One.