ICS 4.04 disapointment ...

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oldblue910

Senior Member
Jan 1, 2011
4,248
3,156
Durham, NC
You know, there are lots of fixes for any problems this device had at one time, but many require rooting and installing custom roms/kernels/recoveries and certain non-stock apps. I realize that some people like staying stock as much as possible...I don't. I want to get root immediately and start customizing. That's just me. Some people don't like to eat meat...I do. Some people can't imagine not driving everywhere...I've never owned a car. We're all different. But sometimes you just have to understand that your desire to stay all stock comes at a price. Lag exists. That's why custom roms exist...to eliminate lag, among other brilliant things.

That's all fine and well, but I never stick with custom ROMs because, as you said, we're all different, and I want one that has a UI that mimics stock 100%. I don't want to see anything in settings that isn't in stock, I don't want anything in the launcher that isn't stock, absolutely NOTHING in the UI that isn't found in stock. They can tweak the kernel or the back end for performance if they want, but I don't want to see one single UI change that isn't in the stock ROM. Also when it comes to gapps, I don't want to see a single app that wasn't pre-installed on stock (except for Superuser obviously). For instance, on the Motorola Xoom, most gapps packages include the "News & Weather" app that's found on phones. That app has never been pre-installed on any Xoom stock ROM ever.

I have no idea if there's a ROM like that for the Galaxy Nexus, but there sure wasn't when I owned a Nexus S. If there were a ROM like that for the GN, I might consider using it.

Some people say "Well then why not just run a custom kernel with the stock ROM?" I've tried that too but I like to keep kernels and ROMs matched as I've had issues mixing and matching ROMs and kernels in the past. Plus, I think a small part of me gets nervous about running a kernel made by someone who doesn't have access to documentation for the hardware they're developing for. Let's be honest, only Samsung and Google truly know what this hardware can do and what its limitations are.
 
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okantomi

Senior Member
Feb 20, 2011
3,020
709
Boston, MA
OK, so I'll check the custom ROMS ... Can anyone specify which ROM is the best for fluidity ?
Well, my signature shows what my Xoom is running...I'm extremely happy with it. Note, however, that I'm running EOS wingray nightlies...there is some experimental aspect to any nightlies, but this rom is superb for a daily driver. No complaints. There are other good custom roms available, but I haven't tried them so can't recommend.
 

dizzy33

Senior Member
Apr 27, 2007
408
24
That's all fine and well, but I never stick with custom ROMs because, as you said, we're all different, and I want one that has a UI that mimics stock 100%. I don't want to see anything in settings that isn't in stock, I don't want anything in the launcher that isn't stock, absolutely NOTHING in the UI that isn't found in stock. They can tweak the kernel or the back end for performance if they want, but I don't want to see one single UI change that isn't in the stock ROM. Also when it comes to gapps, I don't want to see a single app that wasn't pre-installed on stock (except for Superuser obviously). For instance, on the Motorola Xoom, most gapps packages include the "News & Weather" app that's found on phones. That app has never been pre-installed on any Xoom stock ROM ever.

I have no idea if there's a ROM like that for the Galaxy Nexus, but there sure wasn't when I owned a Nexus S. If there were a ROM like that for the GN, I might consider using it.

Some people say "Well then why not just run a custom kernel with the stock ROM?" I've tried that too but I like to keep kernels and ROMs matched as I've had issues mixing and matching ROMs and kernels in the past. Plus, I think a small part of me gets nervous about running a kernel made by someone who doesn't have access to documentation for the hardware they're developing for. Let's be honest, only Samsung and Google truly know what this hardware can do and what its limitations are.

That's also why I didn't want, until now, to try custom ROMs ... I always thought nobody would know better Android and the Xoom hardware than Google itself. To my point of view, a custom ROM may be better in the way they may purpose default apps in ROM which are more useful than the ones in the stock ROM, plus may be a few tweaks to correct bugs or add missing functions. But I really don't see how a custom ROM may be more fluid than the stock ROM, except if overclocking the Xoom which I don't want to do.

In my history of mobile devices owner, beginning in 1996 with a 3com Pilot and then owning multiple Windows Mobile devices followed by the iPhone, I always changed the running ROMs by custom ROMs. The only time where I could see performances increase is when the custom ROMs removed background running applications added by the third party company selling the Windows Mobile phone (Orange for exemple was always adding apps running in background which let the devices run slower, then it was interesting to run a custom ROM which would have remove these apps).

Is there a custom ROM for the Xoom for which we can say : this ROM is more fluid because something (like a driver for exemple) has been improved from the stock ROM ?
All I can see about custom ROMs is informations like "in this ROM you will find these apps which were not in the stock one..."
 

okantomi

Senior Member
Feb 20, 2011
3,020
709
Boston, MA
That's also why I didn't want, until now, to try custom ROMs ... I always thought nobody would know better Android and the Xoom hardware than Google itself. To my point of view, a custom ROM may be better in the way they may purpose default apps in ROM which are more useful than the ones in the stock ROM, plus may be a few tweaks to correct bugs or add missing functions. But I really don't see how a custom ROM may be more fluid than the stock ROM, except if overclocking the Xoom which I don't want to do.

In my history of mobile devices owner, beginning in 1996 with a 3com Pilot and then owning multiple Windows Mobile devices followed by the iPhone, I always changed the running ROMs by custom ROMs. The only time where I could see performances increase is when the custom ROMs removed background running applications added by the third party company selling the Windows Mobile phone (Orange for exemple was always adding apps running in background which let the devices run slower, then it was interesting to run a custom ROM which would have remove these apps).

Is there a custom ROM for the Xoom for which we can say : this ROM is more fluid because something (like a driver for exemple) has been improved from the stock ROM ?
All I can see about custom ROMs is informations like "in this ROM you will find these apps which were not in the stock one..."
I wish bigrushdog or solarnz were here to answer you, but hey! they're busy developing real goodness for our Xooms. My phone is rooted with tweaked ICS leak rom, and it's smooth as silk, but it's still a small screen. The Xoom has a giant screen to display and similar hardware as my phone. Xoom hardware is still great! but we need all the customizing we can get to try to match the speed and smoothness of a small screen...you would not believe how much improvement there is in the EOS family of roms over stock ICS...not to mention the many, many functional improvements and user choices it gives. But as I said, we are all different....
 

dizzy33

Senior Member
Apr 27, 2007
408
24
Now I just met another bug ... I was adding a widget on the desktop, then Android freezed before I could do it (I nether saw the 3.2.1 freezing). So I rebooted the Xoom, then the available memory dropped down from 510Mb to 360Mb ... I don't understand anything but I keep thinking that ICS is more buggy than Honeycomb ...

EDIT : and now.... ANOTHER BUG !!!! When you force OFF the screen rotation in landscape mode, if you lock the Xoom and put it in portrait position, when you unlock the Xoom the display will be in portrait, then right after the Xoom will be unlocked it will go back to Landscape mode. This bug didn't exist in Honeycomb.

Also trying to position the cursor exactly where you want on text to select it is now a nightmare ...

I'm using ICS for only 3 days now and I already discovered much more bugs than I ever found in Honeycomb (see the first post of this thread, I update it every days !).

I'm already tired of using the stock ICS, it is so far from what I expected. I think more and more that I may try a custom ROM but I can't believe that non-Google developpers may have corrected these bugs.
 
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okantomi

Senior Member
Feb 20, 2011
3,020
709
Boston, MA
Now I just met another bug ... I was adding a widget on the desktop, then Android freezed before I could do it (I nether saw the 3.2.1 freezing). So I rebooted the Xoom, then the available memory dropped down from 510Mb to 360Mb ... I don't understand anything but I keep thinking that ICS is more buggy than Honeycomb ...

EDIT : and now.... ANOTHER BUG !!!! When you force OFF the screen rotation in landscape mode, if you lock the Xoom and put it in portrait position, when you unlock the Xoom the display will be in portrait, then right after the Xoom will be unlocked it will go back to Landscape mode. This bug didn't exist in Honeycomb.

Also trying to position the cursor exactly where you want on text to select it is now a nightmare ...

I'm using ICS for only 3 days now and I already discovered much more bugs than I ever found in Honeycomb (see the first post of this thread, I update it every days !).

I'm already tired of using the stock ICS, it is so far from what I expected. I think more and more that I may try a custom ROM but I can't believe that non-Google developpers may have corrected these bugs.
Be logical...Google develops ICS for a Samsung device. It has to also ensure that a whole lot of android devices can run it. Developers who know the Xoom inside and out can do a better job fixing bugs and increasing functionality than Google can.
 

ZeroXoom

Member
Apr 18, 2012
9
0
Wow, sorry to hear you are having all these bug issues! I have to say I am very happy with ICS 4.04 stock on the Xoom I just got. I think its actually pretty slick and love being able to customize my screen/widget and more open programs. I have an iPad thats going to be handed down...and was looking to upgrade to the new iPad when I found the Xoom. I really can't complain. Its fast, does what I want and has been very useful this week (i've only had it for 4 days). I've had a few app (mainly the browser and play market) crash, where the program abruptly terminates and I end up being back in the home screen. But every time I've been able to just restart the app and go back to work. On IOS, it seems that the app crashes happen too - but in IOS I usually have to restart the iPad to get the app to run again. So to me that has been a huge plus. But anyways, I digress .... I hope you find fixes for the bugs you've encountered. I'm assuming you are running stock, and have not done any rom flashing?
 

dizzy33

Senior Member
Apr 27, 2007
408
24
My ROM is a stock ROM, but I had to flash it as my Xoom is french and in Europe we still didn't receive the ICS update.
But I am now considering to flash a custom ROM, I'm actually checking the custom ROMs threads to see if one may be good for me but I don't want to waste too much time trying many ROMs to see which one is the more fluid and the less buggy so I may decide to keep my stock ROM and hope that Google will correct this soon ...
 

dizzy33

Senior Member
Apr 27, 2007
408
24
Be logical...Google develops ICS for a Samsung device. It has to also ensure that a whole lot of android devices can run it. Developers who know the Xoom inside and out can do a better job fixing bugs and increasing functionality than Google can.

If I'm correct Google bought the mobility part of Motorola, so now our Xoom is officially a Google device. Plus the Xoom received the ICS update before the Galaxy Tabs. If they would know the Samsung better I guess they would produce ICS on the Galaxy tabs first, which was not the case.
 

petrossa

Senior Member
Dec 1, 2010
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menton
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My ROM is a stock ROM, but I had to flash it as my Xoom is french and in Europe we still didn't receive the ICS update.
But I am now considering to flash a custom ROM, I'm actually checking the custom ROMs threads to see if one may be good for me but I don't want to waste too much time trying many ROMs to see which one is the more fluid and the less buggy so I may decide to keep my stock ROM and hope that Google will correct this soon ...

Been running the EOS rom now since whenever and it's great. I can recommend it,
 
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brent0r

Senior Member
Jan 27, 2011
112
7
Gold Coast
You know, there are lots of fixes for any problems this device had at one time, but many require rooting and installing custom roms/kernels/recoveries and certain non-stock apps. I realize that some people like staying stock as much as possible...I don't. I want to get root immediately and start customizing. That's just me. Some people don't like to eat meat...I do. Some people can't imagine not driving everywhere...I've never owned a car. We're all different. But sometimes you just have to understand that your desire to stay all stock comes at a price. Lag exists. That's why custom roms exist...to eliminate lag, among other brilliant things.

This is why iOS is miles ahead of android. Its so much more faster and CONSISTENT. I prey that one day the overall speed between various apps is improved. I read a few pages back about the person browsing these forums and the experience was slower. I can't agree more, but sadly its just the way android is. You notice it between different websites with longer pages or more images, its annoying. I agree that we are lucky to be able to tweak and install custom files this is the best thing about android... but having to do this because the apps are coded wrong is bull****. Could you imagine how **** it would be without that option.
I have my Xoom set to 1600mhz minimum which can help with some websites and the os snappyness but I'm still not that impressed with ICS.
 

dizzy33

Senior Member
Apr 27, 2007
408
24
This is why iOS is miles ahead of android. Its so much more faster and CONSISTENT. I prey that one day the overall speed between various apps is improved. I read a few pages back about the person browsing these forums and the experience was slower. I can't agree more, but sadly its just the way android is. You notice it between different websites with longer pages or more images, its annoying. I agree that we are lucky to be able to tweak and install custom files this is the best thing about android... but having to do this because the apps are coded wrong is bull****. Could you imagine how **** it would be without that option.
I have my Xoom set to 1600mhz minimum which can help with some websites and the os snappyness but I'm still not that impressed with ICS.

I totally agree. I own a 3 years old iPhone 3GS (600Mhz !) which is a lot more fluid than my Xoom running ICS. It's a big disapointment for me, I would think that with ICS which is now GPU accelerated for the 2D apps my Xoom would be at least as fluid as my 3GS, but it's not (a few apps are now running perfectly fluid with ICS, but most of them have only been improved a bit).
All of this due to the fact that too many different hardwares exist for the Android platform, making things hard for Google to optimize the O.S., but also because Android apps developpers don't take care of optimization. Some apps (but only a few) are really perfectly fluid, some others are laggy as hell.

As a tablet I will not buy an iPad because of what we all already know here, but that's hard for me not being able to find a single android tablet which would be perfectly fluid, like the ipad is, whatever you do with it.
I also tried the Transformer Prime thinking that maybe the Tegra 3 power would avoid lags and would make Android perfectly fluid, but I really didn't notice any 2D performances improvements compared to the Xoom (I guess Tegra 3 is only better for 3D games and 1080p videos reading).
So I'll have to keep my Xoom for at least 2 years more and see if Google could finally make a perfectly fluid O.S. with the futur tablets hardwares on the market.
 
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dizzy33

Senior Member
Apr 27, 2007
408
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Been running the EOS rom now since whenever and it's great. I can recommend it,

Thanks, I'll check it.

EDIT : I checked the EOS thread, but I couldn't find any clear indications of performances increase, compared to the stock ROM, due to kernel or drivers improvements. The only thing close to it is the overclocking possibility which I don't want to use because of the battery autonomy and the processor life.

The problem is that when we talk about fluidity, 2 different people may have a different opinion about the exact same configuration. Some people are very sensible to fluidity (like I am), some other would not notice the difference between a 50Mhz LCD TV and a 200Mhz TV for exemple ...
I would be glad to find a video, on youtube or whatever, of a stock ICS Xoom compared to a custom ROM Xoom by running the exact same apps on both at the same time, but I couldn't find any.
So my only solution is to try all the different ROMs, but as I don't want to loose too much time with it, and as I don't really believe that a custom ROM will be more fluid than the stock ROM, I will just leave my Xoom as it is and hope Google will improve things in futures ICS releases.

Thanks anyway for your help to everybody !
 
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dizzy33

Senior Member
Apr 27, 2007
408
24
waooow ! Finally I discovered something great with ICS : I just tried Opera Mini, and now when running ICS this browser is a lot more fluid than the stock one. With the stock browser when displaying some pages with big pictures in it, it sometimes became slow. Opera Mini absolutly fluid whatever you display with it, just as good as on an iPad !!!! Exactly what I was searching for !
The only problem is an annoying bug : when you switch to another app, if you go back to Opera all previously opened tabs are closed, just like if you were running Opera for the first time.

But I feel better now that I know we can have a very fluid web browsing experience on our Xoom running ICS.
Note : I also tried Opera Mobile and Dolphin but they are slower than the stock browser. Opera Mini is really the best regarding the fluidity.
 

flippingout

Senior Member
Aug 27, 2010
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To each their own I guess but a couple of things in response to your issues.

First, the amount of memory (RAM) shouldn't be a factor. In fact, the more available memory means the OS has to swap more memory which is slower than the program already loaded. More available memory is a sign of an inefficient OS. If you are actually using an app killer you are just burning cycles unnecessarily.

Second, iOS is so smooth mostly on the home screen because it is a static image that is scrolled. Those icons are just part of an image hence the incredibly smooth scrolling. I have used the iPad and I've experienced several apps with lag in them. It all depends on how good the developer is.

Don't force 2D acceleration. My understanding is that setting will likely hinder most apps.

For the browser try Chrome Beta. It's not perfect but it does seem snappier than the stock Honeycomb browser.

If you are having app issues it is likely that app and not ICS. I have been running Team EOS 4G ICS ROM and it is very smooth all around.

I have a second Xoom that is still stock and once that gets the ICS update from VZW I'll better be able to judge what stock ICS is like on the Xoom.

Hope you can get your issues sorted out because I really like ICS on the Xoom.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
 
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timrock

Senior Member
Dec 10, 2010
1,330
185
I am running stock ICS on a US wifi xoom, and i couldnt be happier. I have no issue to report at all. I use Dolphin HD as my default browser, and also have ISC+ installed. Both handle the job well.

Movies run smoothly, no lag when switching apps or screen (stock launcher). To be honest, i was thinking about getting another device before ICS came along. Now i no longer have the need to (but i will be getting the Transformer Infinity, just because, and i wont get rid of my xoom).

I used to get random reboots as well, but that is no longer an issue. I use my xoom more than i use my PC.
 

dizzy33

Senior Member
Apr 27, 2007
408
24
I have a second Xoom that is still stock and once that gets the ICS update from VZW I'll better be able to judge what stock ICS is like on the Xoom.

Thanks a lot, this would be very interesting.
Regarding the "force 2D acceleration", I didn't know it could be a problem for some apps, I thought the only potential problem would be the battery life.
I'll try to disable it, I just hope the smooth apps will then remain smooth ...

Now that I can have a perfectly fluid web browsing experience with Opera Mini, and because web browsing is 70% of my Xoom activity, I can say I love ICS !!!
I just hope some other web browsers will be updated to be as smooth as Opera Mini (I would love to see the stock browser as fluid as Opera Mini because Opera misses some of the stock browser functionalities).
 
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dizzy33

Senior Member
Apr 27, 2007
408
24
I tried to disable the 2d acceleration. I had one failing app (a C64 emulator) which now works without the acceleration. So yes, the 2d acceleration may let crash some apps, but I only have one failing app.
In the other hand, a lot of apps became laggy without the 2d acceleration. So I'll keep it enabled.
 

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    There will always be people taking personaly what you say about their toy ! This kind of people should just open their eyes, and stop being agressive.

    No.

    Most of the stuttering is caused by apps which are written by developers who don't really understand Android,

    Seriously.

    Pay attention to which apps aren't responsive. Look at memory use, wake locks, watch for unnecessary services and background threads.

    Eliminate apps one-by-one until stuttering in menus and the desktop stops. Don't run live wallpapers.

    Factory reset. System settings from prior Android revisions can cause problems.

    I have fixed many of my friends' Android devices when they blamed the device or OS for lag.

    Stock 4.04 is quite responsive and fluid. If yours isn't, it's probably the apps you've installed or settings conflicts.
    2
    To each their own I guess but a couple of things in response to your issues.

    First, the amount of memory (RAM) shouldn't be a factor. In fact, the more available memory means the OS has to swap more memory which is slower than the program already loaded. More available memory is a sign of an inefficient OS. If you are actually using an app killer you are just burning cycles unnecessarily.

    Second, iOS is so smooth mostly on the home screen because it is a static image that is scrolled. Those icons are just part of an image hence the incredibly smooth scrolling. I have used the iPad and I've experienced several apps with lag in them. It all depends on how good the developer is.

    Don't force 2D acceleration. My understanding is that setting will likely hinder most apps.

    For the browser try Chrome Beta. It's not perfect but it does seem snappier than the stock Honeycomb browser.

    If you are having app issues it is likely that app and not ICS. I have been running Team EOS 4G ICS ROM and it is very smooth all around.

    I have a second Xoom that is still stock and once that gets the ICS update from VZW I'll better be able to judge what stock ICS is like on the Xoom.

    Hope you can get your issues sorted out because I really like ICS on the Xoom.

    Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
    1
    My ROM is a stock ROM, but I had to flash it as my Xoom is french and in Europe we still didn't receive the ICS update.
    But I am now considering to flash a custom ROM, I'm actually checking the custom ROMs threads to see if one may be good for me but I don't want to waste too much time trying many ROMs to see which one is the more fluid and the less buggy so I may decide to keep my stock ROM and hope that Google will correct this soon ...

    Been running the EOS rom now since whenever and it's great. I can recommend it,
    1
    This is why iOS is miles ahead of android. Its so much more faster and CONSISTENT. I prey that one day the overall speed between various apps is improved. I read a few pages back about the person browsing these forums and the experience was slower. I can't agree more, but sadly its just the way android is. You notice it between different websites with longer pages or more images, its annoying. I agree that we are lucky to be able to tweak and install custom files this is the best thing about android... but having to do this because the apps are coded wrong is bull****. Could you imagine how **** it would be without that option.
    I have my Xoom set to 1600mhz minimum which can help with some websites and the os snappyness but I'm still not that impressed with ICS.

    I totally agree. I own a 3 years old iPhone 3GS (600Mhz !) which is a lot more fluid than my Xoom running ICS. It's a big disapointment for me, I would think that with ICS which is now GPU accelerated for the 2D apps my Xoom would be at least as fluid as my 3GS, but it's not (a few apps are now running perfectly fluid with ICS, but most of them have only been improved a bit).
    All of this due to the fact that too many different hardwares exist for the Android platform, making things hard for Google to optimize the O.S., but also because Android apps developpers don't take care of optimization. Some apps (but only a few) are really perfectly fluid, some others are laggy as hell.

    As a tablet I will not buy an iPad because of what we all already know here, but that's hard for me not being able to find a single android tablet which would be perfectly fluid, like the ipad is, whatever you do with it.
    I also tried the Transformer Prime thinking that maybe the Tegra 3 power would avoid lags and would make Android perfectly fluid, but I really didn't notice any 2D performances improvements compared to the Xoom (I guess Tegra 3 is only better for 3D games and 1080p videos reading).
    So I'll have to keep my Xoom for at least 2 years more and see if Google could finally make a perfectly fluid O.S. with the futur tablets hardwares on the market.