GTXperience CookieHomeTab ROM - DOWNLOAD
By fiendz (Review based on Version 6.3 BETA)
Summary: 3/5
DeepShining is a Windows Mobile 6.5 ROM with Cookie HomeTab.
Setup: 4/5
Design: Unique
Features: 4/5
Stability: 0/5
Speed: 5/5
Installed Programs: 4/5
User Experience: 3/5
Overall Advantages
Speed - Super fast Start Menu
Cool new GTX theme
Overall Disadvantages
Severe stability issues
MMS Fix required for T-Mobile (easy fix)
Keyboard Fix required for T-Mobile/AT&T (easy fix)
Microsoft Voice Command not installed (easy fix)
Review
Setup - 4/5
Everything is basically ready to use out-of-the-flash for T-Mobile. After flashing, you MUST go to the Comm Manager (in your Start Menu) and TURN ON the PHONE since the ROM boots with the phone connection disabled after flashing. Then, it will configure your internet connection for T-Mobile without any manual entries required. However, you will need to install the MMS Fix if you want to be able to send/recieve pictures without having them compressed to a rediculously small size. Other than the MMS Fix, the only thing you'll need to do if you're on T-Mobile is install the Keyboard Fix, and you'll be running perfectly.
Design - Unique
The GTX theme is a complete reworking of the traditional Windows Mobile theme. Essentially, all the colors are inverted so that Windows Mobile is a interface featuring black text on a white background. This might look a bit weird in the screenshots, but when it's on your device, it actually looks pretty neat. Plus, the change is refreshing, it feels like a whole new phone.
Features - 4/5
This ROM has a plentiful amout of features, including the latest Sense 2.5 and CookieHomeTab. It has the HTC Notification manager, an Action screen, a long-press End key menu, and plenty of Sense tabs to explore. Cookie HomeTa gives you full customization over the homescreen tab. The Start Menu is changed into a single column list view menu, which actually speeds up the operation of the Start Menu greatly. However, it is lacking some common things such as a task manager on the homescreen. It is also missing Microsoft Voice Command and the HTC Messaging Client, but Voice Command can be easily installed if you need it. To explore the features included in Sense 2.5, look through This Page (The ROM does not feature the Call History, TV, eBook, Documents, Footprints, or Programs tab).
Stability - 0/5
Okay let's be fair, this ROM is a beta as it says on the ROM page. But here's the issues: Music won't play through the speakers, at all. In addition to that, when you try to start playing a song, it seems to briefly switch your phone into Airplane mode. More importantly, audio in a phone call doesn't work! I couldn't hear the person on the other end of the phone call, whether they could hear me or not was a mystery, but nevertheless, this is a major problem. Also, holding down the power button doesn't bring up a menu to turn off the phone. Instead you have to go to the Action menu on the homescreen and press the Shutdown button.
Speed - 5/5
In addition to Sense 2.5 being quite fast, the Start Menu is blazing fast! Thanks to the single column layout that it is set to, folders open up instantly (a big change from the usual lag Windows Mobile has), and scrolling is snappy. I actually thought that the chef of the ROM replaced the Start Menu with a different program since it worked so well, but it's actually the normal WM 6.5 one!
Installed Programs - 4/5
One of the first things you'll notice is that the only web browser installed is Internet Explorer Mobile! Opera Mobile hasn't been pre-installed on this ROM, so pick your favorite Opera version and install it yourself. Otherwise, the ROM features the usual programs, minus any of the games Windows Mobile normally comes with.
User Experience - 3/5
The stability issues of this "beta" impact the overall user experience. Not being able to play music really hurts your impression of this ROM. Then when you get a phone call and can't hear anything, your experience really comes to a drag. Text messages are also set to turn on the screen when you recieve a new one, which can be annoying if you don't use a lockscreen (you can however reverse that setting with This CAB). But besides those points, everything else is rather smooth. Contacts are suggested perfectly when you're writing a new text message, and the XT9 correction on the keyboard works well except it doesn't pick up conjunctions like "it's".
View Specifics - View Screenshots - ROM Page/DOWNLOAD - Tweaks