Comparisons and Pros/Cons

[djfujiyama]

There are now a ton of options for various roms and kitchens so I thought i'd start a thread so that people don't have to sift through 2000 pages of posts to figure out the differences. I'm by no means a ppc guru though, so any corrections or updates are welcome. I guess this should really be a wiki but this will have to do for now. I will update this post when new information becomes available.

Definitions:

ROM: A pre-compiled firmware that you can "flash" your device with to improve speeds/functionality/battery life/etc. Pre-Compiled ROMs arent as flexible as kitchens (you can't pick and choose which apps you want preinstalled), but the latest/beta developments are often available only in ROM format.

Kitchen: An application where you can "cook" your own ROMs by selecting the options and pre-installed apps you want. The application (BuildOS) then compiles everything and installs it to your device. Incredibly convenient, but doesn't support the latest development. Also note that preinstalled apps via kitchen are NOT uninstallable. You often must reflash in order to upgrade or uninstall the apps. Using Tiermann's AutoInstaller is recommended to install CABs which will likely be uninstalled or upgraded in the future.

** AutoInstaller works great EXCEPT with cabs that require user intervention. Specifically, SPB Products and Magicall.

Main Custom Firmware Options:

No2Chem's 5060 Kitchen (nueROM 2.0 basekit):
Kitchen: http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread...815#post239815
ROM: http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=17219

According to No2Chem, this is the last known "stable" build running from the 3.35 base and featuring WM6.1 (including threaded SMS), GPS support, and EVDO Rev A. However, most people are using 5067+ now.


No2Chem's 5067 Kitchen (nueROM 2.1 basekit):
Kitchen: http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=27063
ROM: http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=25065

No2Chem's latest kitchen based on Sprint's unofficial 3.49 (WM6.1) ROM. Has been rock solid in my experience, although Threaded SMS (part of windows mobile 6.1) and general text input CAN be laggy and slow. Memory management is also improved over previous versions.


No2Chem's 5069k ROM:
ROM: http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=25065

No2Chem's last update before starting the 5070 preview builds. Contains misc fixes and updates from 5067 but unfortunately is not available via kitchen. Note: 5069a-j contains a timebomb bug so if you're going to install a 5069 build, make sure it's version k.

If anyone knows what major fixes and updates 5069k encompasses, please post them and i'll update.


No2Chem's 5070 Preview ROM (nueROM 2.2)
Discussion: http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=32232

This is the 'preview' for nueROM 2.2, featuring improved memory management and speed. I believe it's based on the new (now official) Sprint ROM 3.56 and Radio 3.42 (See below). Early adopters are saying that it's the fastest ROM they've used and that GPS is now primed by default. No2Chem is also working on including functionality to customize what the wifi switch controls. It's still in pre-alpha stages of development so it's mostly a test build, but it's a great preview of what's to come.

Titan 19588 Kitchen
Kitchen: http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=30509&page=4

New kitchen based on the diamond ROM (thanks gguruusa). Not sure what the specific advantages/disadvantages are.

Sprint Firmware Options:

Official Sprint ROM 3.35.651.2; Radio 3.35.04
ROM: http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=20705
Note: Also available as a kitchen. See www.ppckitchen.org

The latest official sprint ROM available at www.htc.com. First appearance of Rev A and GPS support. This ROM is now the default firmware on new Sprint Mogul devices.


Unofficial Sprint ROM 3.49 (wm6.1); Radio 3.39.10
ROM: http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=26119
Note: Also available as a kitchen. See www.ppckitchen.org

This unofficial "test" rom was leaked into the PPC community and featured WM 6.1 which included native threaded SMS. Sprint TV was included here along with random miscellaneous fixes (including better mem mgmt). Most people consider the No2Chem 5067 kitchen to be superior to (and more versatile than) this ROM.


Official Sprint ROM 3.56.651.0 (wm6.1); Radio 3.42.30
Discussion: http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=32277

This is the official ROM now on HTC. It marks the first official 6.1 release for the Titan. I believe it's also the base for no2chem's 5070 ROM. GPS is auto-primed in this release, meaning you shouldn't have to use 3rd party tools to have TomTom or iGo recognize the GPS.

[djfujiyama]

Updated.

Can someone clear up some of the questions (marked in yellow) so that i can update this post with that information? Thanks...

[gguruusa]

No2Chem's roms get released as basekits that are then turned into true kitchens as they achieve a satisfactory stability level.

Basekits are developer versions of minimal kitchens...they generally are very poorly supported. Unless you know what you're doing, wait for a kitchen.

19588 refers to the build version of WM. In the specific case of 19588, it was a Diamond rom. The 19588 kitchen is the first kitchen to cover mulitple devices (prior kitchens are all device specific). It was released by the PPCkitchen team.

You can find release information for kitchens (not basekits) and OEM packs at www.ppckitchen.org.

[djfujiyama]

Updated