We don't usually cover the ins and outs of ROM-cooking community for several reasons. No. 1, it's huge. No. 2, cooked ROMs are updated seemingly daily, especially for HTC phones. And No. 3, it's a little nefarious, and Microsoft should be commended for giving it a nod and a wink.
All that said, let's talk cooked ROMs for a minute.
The first official releases of Windows Mobile 6.5 in the United States have come on the AT&T Pure and Tilt 2, and the Samsung Intrepid on Sprint. As we discussed in our review of Windows Mobile 6.5, the builds we're seeing largely have the same look and feel of what was first announced nearly eight months ago. Meanwhile, we've seen newer and newer builds leak out, dubbed Windows Mobile 6.5.1.
Now, stock ROMs hardly ever are a fun time. Carriers load them up with their own customizations and programs that you might or might not use. (We call that bloatware or crapware.)
I picked up an AT&T Tilt 2 on Sunday. The stock ROM lasted exactly six hours. Now, I'm running what is considered a Windows Mobile 6.5.1 ROM (Build 23071.5.3.0, from NRGZ28 of XDA Developers fame). Whatever ROM you use, remember that a cook is only as good as his or her ingredients, and so kudos to Microsoft for improving Windows Mobile 6.5 even as it was being released.
But, like we said, we're not going to dive into the ins and outs of custom ROMs. However, we will say this: You want Windows Mobile 6.5.1 (or whatever it ends up being called). And for you HTC users out there, you'll want the newer versions of TouchFLO 3D and the Sense UI. And HTC, Microsoft and the carriers should (and in all likelihood will) bring them to us in an official capacity as soon as possible.
Will it change your life? Nope. But it'll make your experience with Windows Mobile 6.5 much more enjoyable as we all hold our breath for Windows Mobile 7.
