Just Installed Android on my HD2

[harsaphes]

While its nothing new and has been available for awhile, I decided my morning project would be to try this out....and wow..it works really well and looks great...Im totally happy with it and plan to give my HD2 a second go-round.

 

[Bahamut]

Yep, I recently acquired an HD2 myself for a decent price and have had nothing but fun with it since I started mucking around with custom WM6.5 ROMs and Android builds of all kinds from over at XDA-Developers.com. That place is wall to wall with talent and creativity, I swear.

The HD2 is arguably the best Windows Mobile device ever made at this point. I know it's finally replaced my Axim X51v as my device of choice, and being able to play around with Android without actually owning a factory Android device just makes it infinitely more valuable.

I posted a link in the "Windows Phone 7 vs Android" thread showing someone working on a Windows Phone 7 port to the HD2 also. It'll be a while before more info and a working build get released, but I'm betting that in time we'll see WP7 working on the HD2 just as easily as WM6.5 and Android does.

Fun times ahead...

 

[harsaphes]

Heres the link to the original Nexus One ringtones, which I just installed on my android build.
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=Y9GK1M3U

 

[Bahamut]

It's funny you mention the Nexus One since the Android build I use currently (HyperDroid by pongster) runs about 40-45% faster in benchmarks on this HD2 running from a Class 4 microSD card than it does on the actual Nexus One itself running Android directly from the device's NAND...

This thing is truly amazing.

 

[greeneye]

Just make sure when your running 'Android' off your memory card (SD) to try and switch off anything that will drain your battery (It drains it twice as fast for me..)

WiFi
Google Locations
Display

Little things like that. Its runs absolutely perfect on the HD2, especially with OverclockWidget >: )

Recommended Programs:

ADW Launcher
Shazzam
AlarmPro
and XDA Market

btw what ROM are you running?

 

[MrkXCeL]

HD2'S are no longer available anywhere at carriers are they? I know when I picked ur my EVO at sprint their display was gone but was still there early September

 

[Bahamut]

btw what ROM are you running?

HyperDroid v1.6 by pongster at the moment, no issues noted, battery life is fine on my end. Thinking about getting an extended battery with a kickstand at some point. I don't use it as a phone so that aspect isn't a drain on the battery at all...

 

[harsaphes]

HyperDroid

 

[harsaphes]

HD2'S are no longer available anywhere at carriers are they? I know when I picked ur my EVO at sprint their display was gone but was still there early September

still listed on the Tmo web site.

 

[greeneye]

I purchased a second battery because i found the HD2 battery life isnt really as long as i expected even on WindowsMobile. And the fact i will only run Android on it now.

I think im running HyperDroid 1.6 aswell, or 1.5 not sure. I have over 25-30 different Android roms on my PC, so far this ROM has been excellent.

 

[harsaphes]

I want to change the dpi of the device and i need to edit the "prop" file. What program do i need to open that with?

 

[Bahamut]

I use Resco Explorer for such purposes, it has a Registry Editor that allows for making easy Regedits. Was going to provide a link but for some oddball reason their website or their domain is toast or it's been hijacked, no idea.

 

[harsaphes]

So i edited the file according to xda and changed my screen to 240...HUGE difference for me....before, after installing Android the icons and text were way to small...this is much better.

 

[criccio]

I want to change the dpi of the device and i need to edit the "prop" file. What program do i need to open that with?

Do you mean the "build.prop" file? Thats just a text file. I allow it to be written with Root Explorer then open it with any text editor on your phone.

 

[harsaphes]

Yes thanks...I changed the build prop file.

 

[YeuEmMaiMai]

if you are not happy with current battery life just buy the extended battery almost double the capacity and reports state 2+ days of heavy usage.

 

[Sorce]

Pictures/video of HD2 ruinning Android, plz. Sounds pretty cool.

 

[Bahamut]

Pictures/video of HD2 ruinning Android, plz. Sounds pretty cool.

They're all over YouTube, just do a search for "hd2 android" and you'll find tons of 'em.

 

[marylandman]

So i edited the file according to xda and changed my screen to 240...HUGE difference for me....before, after installing Android the icons and text were way to small...this is much better.

to you mean from 240? I thought 240 was the default

 

[YeuEmMaiMai]

The HD2 sucks battery down when running android off of the SD card. Power usage would be better if it was ran from the ROM instead

 

[harsaphes]

My battery lasts all day.

 

[ShadowStriker]

Yep, I recently acquired an HD2 myself for a decent price and have had nothing but fun with it since I started mucking around with custom WM6.5 ROMs and Android builds of all kinds from over at XDA-Developers.com. That place is wall to wall with talent and creativity, I swear.

Sometimes XDADevelopers creeps me out, there's way too much where you go "That's not possible." then someone makes it happen and you go all crazy.

 

[Bahamut]

Yah, but that's what makes the place so great. You can almost always find someone doing something with a device that is considered to be "obsolete" and not worth the trouble anymore. My Axim X51v was given up on by Dell many years ago, and even though I've never had issues using it with the factory WM5 installation on it, you do get bored to some degree when the new stuff comes out and the company that produced the device has done just that: given up on it in favor of new new new and forgetting about the old old old.

Hell, HTC built the X51v for Dell, could have something to do with it still being so damned useful.

At least now that I finally do have a replacement for it, it's just another excellent product by HTC themselves which just makes it that much better I suppose.

The HD7 info I found yesterday after the Windows Phone 7 intro is interesting but, I don't see any massively compelling reason to get one at this point. The HD2 is nearly perfect for the things I do and that 4.3" screen was something I'd wanted for a long long time without having to get some other device.

I did have plans on getting an Archos 43, serious honest plans to buy one but I sent off several emails to Archos itself asking for some solid info and specific dates of availability here in the US - 3 emails in a week - and they never responded to any of them so, I took the money I'd saved up and grabbed the HD2 and I don't regret it for one second.

The problem with Archos devices, like most others (iPod touchs/iPhones/iPads, etc) is them being so locked down and basically you end up being "trapped" with not much you can do. For the average Joe consumer that's fine, I suppose, but for those of us that love tinkering and getting inside and seeing what the hardware is truly capable of, that's just not going to work.

So I ended up taking the long way around I guess and with all the crap I've put up with over the years with all the phones, smartphones, PocketPCs, PDAs, mp3 players, etc, I've come right back to another PocketPC basically (since I don't use the HD2 as a phone).

Funny how things work out sometimes...

 

[harsaphes]

So I have to say after a week or so of using my Android HD2, its my favorite Android device since my Nexus One.