So, I have tried twice before to install a custom firmware onto my phone. The last time, I almost made my phone unusable, but after hours of work, I was able to get it back to the stock firmware.

Today, I decided to try again, and was finally able to install Cyanogen Mod 7, the most popular custom firmware for the model of phone that I own. I was super excited about getting it set-up as I had heard so many good things about Cyanogen Mod, and it has become super popular online.

After two hours of work to get it up and running, I am finally using what amounts to a new operating system on my phone. I expected it run faster, feel more modern. It uses a more modern version of Android, but it feels like I’m trying to shoe-horn an independent version of Android onto a phone that it wasn’t meant for.

Since getting it set-up, I’ve experienced nothing but bugs, issues, and delays. Instead of feeling cutting edge, I feel more like I’m playing with a beta or prototype. Instead of feeling modern and cool, I feel like I’ve gone back over two years to when I first got this phone, and the Android OS that Bell gives me has improved a lot since then.

I really don’t get the appeal of CM7, and while I will give it some time this weekend, I have a feeling that my time was wasted and that I’ll go back to using the stock firmware.

Update: So I tried to fix some of the bugs by installing some fixes/patches listed in the forum for my phone, and now it won’t boot. I’m trying to restore it to factory defaults, but I’m having no luck. I knew this was a possibility, but I might be going into Bell tomorrow to pick out a new phone… *grumbles* I guess it serves me right.

Update 2: I’m back to stock firmware. I have lots of software updates to do on the apps, and I have to configure everything again to my personal preferences, but at least I don’t have to run and buy a new phone tomorrow.