Newb question: What exactly is a ROM?

[The Weez]

What is a ROM, what will it do for me, why should I install one, what should I look for in a ROM, what are the benefits/downfalls/risks/etc?

If somebody could break it down for me in "PCC for dummies" terms, that would be great.

I have a Sprint Touch, by the way.

[snovvman]

Oh dear. You probably should start here first:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rom

To ask "What exactly is a ROM?", you should try to understand generically what a ROM is.

Try to research, the answers are out there, all over. By asking to be spoonfed, you likely won't get the response you seek. Just look around and start reading. Try to be more self-sufficient. After some resarch, then ask more specific questions. People are likely to answer more specific questions.

Good luck.

[The Weez]

Well, I know that ROM means read-only memory, but I'm not sure how something like "bill's awesome ROM v2.85.8946" pertains to a pocket PC. Is it an application?

[Stoney60]

Originally Posted by The Weez

What is a ROM, what will it do for me, why should I install one, what should I look for in a ROM, what are the benefits/downfalls/risks/etc?

If somebody could break it down for me in "PCC for dummies" terms, that would be great.

I have a Sprint Touch, by the way.

A ROM is used to update/upgrade the PPC's operating system and/or radio. For example, the current rage is the leaked ROM from sprint that upgrades the touch phone to wm6.1. Stock was 5.something. It also upgrades the radio to give you Rev A (Faster connection rates for EVDO, activates the built in GPS). The OEM (I use OMJ's OEM custom ROM cuz it has almost everything I want other than weather panel and a theme I like) roms provide the software your phone uses to do myriad number of tasks. Read the this forum thoroughly to better understand all this. You don't need to use a custom OEM ROM, but it makse installation of all those goodies really simple.

Now that simple little explanation took me all of 3 minutes and hopefully leaves a better taste in his mouth than y'all leave everyone else with every time you tell someone to use the complicated search function in these forums, or to read several thousand pages of messages to get a little information.

[imdarkside]

stoney, thanks from another newbie. this stuff that comes easy to you geeks is overwhelming for us newbies. but man its cool...

[Griswalds]

Originally Posted by Stoney60

A ROM is used to update/upgrade the PPC's operating system and/or radio. For example, the current rage is the leaked ROM from sprint that upgrades the touch phone to wm6.1. Stock was 5.something. It also upgrades the radio to give you Rev A (Faster connection rates for EVDO, activates the built in GPS). The OEM (I use OMJ's OEM custom ROM cuz it has almost everything I want other than weather panel and a theme I like) roms provide the software your phone uses to do myriad number of tasks. Read the this forum thoroughly to better understand all this. You don't need to use a custom OEM ROM, but it makse installation of all those goodies really simple.

Now that simple little explanation took me all of 3 minutes and hopefully leaves a better taste in his mouth than y'all leave everyone else with every time you tell someone to use the complicated search function in these forums, or to read several thousand pages of messages to get a little information.

Hear, Hear, I agree...

Searching does indeed tire one's self and ends up making someone just quit altogether.

[bostonshaker]

Originally Posted by Stoney60

A ROM is used to update/upgrade the PPC's operating system and/or radio. For example, the current rage is the leaked ROM from sprint that upgrades the touch phone to wm6.1. Stock was 5.something. It also upgrades the radio to give you Rev A (Faster connection rates for EVDO, activates the built in GPS). The OEM (I use OMJ's OEM custom ROM cuz it has almost everything I want other than weather panel and a theme I like) roms provide the software your phone uses to do myriad number of tasks. Read the this forum thoroughly to better understand all this. You don't need to use a custom OEM ROM, but it makse installation of all those goodies really simple.

Now that simple little explanation took me all of 3 minutes and hopefully leaves a better taste in his mouth than y'all leave everyone else with every time you tell someone to use the complicated search function in these forums, or to read several thousand pages of messages to get a little information.

Finally the voice of reason. Thanks for not making us look like a bunch of overbearing geeks or newbies who never get the answer they are looking for. These forums ar clogged by smart alecks and know it alls and just plain rude people. Answering a simple question is more constructive than slamming the OP for not searching. Before I was a searchaholic, I asked questions and got a lot of negative responses. Made me be a lurker for some time.