If you are using the Eten Glofiish X500, I guess the last ROM update came in May 2007, when Eten released the ROM with WM6. Since then, almost 5 months later, there has been no more updates or even patches. Actually there was a patch released sometime in June or July, that supposedly fixed the missing POP3 and PIN issues, but as we now know, it does not really solve the POP3 problem and it brings with it the problem of no more flashing LED. So what do you do?

The Reason Why We Need Constant Updates?

You might have been in the same situation with another device as well. I was, with the O2 Exec (HTC Universal variant), and it’s getting to me. It is not that I want the latest software in my device (although that would be much welcomed). It’s that I want the problems with my device fixed. Even Microsoft supported Windows 95, which was released over a decade ago, until a couple of years back because they claimed that they have patched the system that there are no more securities loopholes with it. Why can’t the manufacturers do it with the devices? Even if there are no more problems with the device, is it too much to ask these manufacturers to provide us with the latest AKU when it comes out?

Their Reasons?

I guess the main reason would be that people change their mobile phones frequently. I am not too sure what is the average lifespan of a device with a user but I am sure there are many users out there still using devices running on Windows Mobile 2003. With such a belief, it could be that they feel that supporting such a small number of users might not be an effective user of resource. But the problem is that, there are still a substantial number of users still using these older devices and yet the support starts to disappear less than a year after a device is launched. This means that if your device was launched today, by this time next year, there would be no more fresh (official) ROMs for you. Doesn’t matter if there are still problems with your device. You will just have to live with it.

Possible Solutions

There are several ways around this, the first that comes to mind is what I suppose these manufacturers would tell you as well: to get a newer device. But what if this is not what you have in mind? Especially if your device still works great? Then you might want to consider these other solutions:

Cook Your Own ROMs

This is a grey area and you would definitely need some expertise in this area. But the advantage(s) to this method is that you get a ROM that is (almost) perfect for you. It has the programs you want and none of those you do not need. It fixes your problems and so you can run the device in almost an almost trouble-free fashion.

Use Other’s Cooked ROMs

Again, there are some legalities involved so proceed with caution. You get to use a ROM created by someone so it would be fresher than the one you have. However, the problem with these ROMs are that they are usually unstable. My experience in this area is that some important functions tend to not work or work intermittently. While the support for such ROMs are one of the best I have seen, if you are not willing to go through the problems, then it might not be for you.

Using Windows Mobile Update

If you are running WM6, you might have noticed an Windows Update icon in your Programs folder. However, since June 2007, I have not been able to access the server to check if there have been any updates. I am not sure what the reasons are but I do hope that it gets fixed soon. This is a really cool program if it works, because, just like the updates you receive on your Windows PC, you can download such updates on your PDA and install it on the spot, without waiting for the manufacturers to release their own version.

Find Software Or Hacks

This is your last resort for softwares with problems. If the previous 3 options do not work or you are not willing to try, then your last option to making your device better after support has been stopped is to find software that would fix the problem. For example, if your device keeps losing its POP3 accounts, then you might want to try another software such as FlexMail for your email needs. It would not solve the losing of POP3 accounts with the default email manager but at least you still have a software that allows you to perform those functions.

In The End

Once the manufacturer decides to pull the plug on ROMs for your device, there is really nothing much you can do. What is left are community sites such as this blog, where you might be able to find alternative solutions to your problems and will constantly be supporting you as long as there are people who need that support.

What are some of your suggestions in this situation?

Tags: opinion