Perma-droid

I've taken the last step with my HTC HD2 phone and flashed it to Android, a version named HyperDroidGBX.  I did some research on xda-developers.com for a few hours to make sure I had all the information I could capture (there are many write-ups on how to flash the HD2 over, and sometimes they conflict a bit, but I was able to pull a rationalized set of steps out fairly easily).  And then I flashed, and it only took an hour or so to get it all completed.  Very easy once all the information from the helpful posters on xda are compiled in one place.

To do the research*, I started with my specific device in the forum made for it, compared the offerings for NAND ROMs, researched the flashing a ROM sections and FAQs, ...and now I have a supremely quick and powerful phone with a truly huge amount of applications I can run on it.  It feels new again after 1.5 years after purchase (a rare thing).

Will I miss Windows Mobile 6.1?  
No.  It was a dated, and barely functinoal OS.

Will I run Windows Phone 7 sometime in the future? 
No.  Its own OS seems to conflict with the Windows 8 direction towards HTML5 tools, it will likely get a rework or be discontinued in favor of a newer mobile OS (such as Windows 8 for ARM...)


*standard disclaimers apply: I'm not giving out exact instructions on how to flash your phone's ROM, you should read all the material and be aware of the risks and benefits.

This Was The Droid I Was Looking For...

I purchased an HTC HD2 ([Leo] TMobile US version) when it first came out last spring.  A Snapdragon gigahertz processor, HTC's UI, a 4.3 inch screen, ...and all the kings horses and all the king's men couldn't keep WindowsMobile 6.x from ruining that phone for me.  WinMo was an ok OS 10 years ago, but hasn't done much for non-corporate-sphere users for quite a while.

And I thought I'd be fine with that until Windows Phone 7 came out and could be flashed onto the phone...that is, until Microsoft announced that the HD2 "didn't have the correct hardware button configuration", or some such.  Even with that news hitting after I purchased the phone,  I knew that bootleg versions would probably be available pretty quick after wp7's release so didn't panic.  And the place to get them would be on this fantastic site xda-developers.com which used to be pretty much a WinMo site, and has grown to embrace most of the phones out (though they favor Android and wp7 now).

So just before SXSW I began the install of a bootloader and an Android OS on the SD card of the phone (no flashing of ROMs, nothing permanent so I could turn back if I needed to).  It was a bit of a risk as I'd need my phone for email, txt'ing, web access, and even calls while at the conference...but I was willing to take the chance.  This Android stuff was looking better and better to me.  The install went fairly smooth (I didn't read the fine print and missed the part about the long initial startup due it being from the SD card, after which its fairly snappy every time).  Since I did that I haven't run WinMo once, and I won't be looking back.  The community and wealth of applications, both good and bad, are astounding and worth it alone to switch.  Take into account the OS is modern, solid, and so well suited to running on a device, and the decision to switch is overwhelmingly pointed towards Android.  If you have an HD2 (or a whole slew of other phones), I'd recommend checking the xda-developers site out, specifically this post to get started.

My phone before...

...and now much improved.