A technical question about language for i900

[Guest Cpt_Chaos]

I am considering getting an i900 when my old contract is up next month. The question I have is with language on this phone. I had asked if it is customizable and the answer I got back was that You can't select the language per se, other than flashing on a different regions ROM....To be honest, I am not sure what this means.

Is it possible or not, in simple idiot terms? The reason I ask, is that I have always been using a Palm OS based Treo and I would like to expand my horizons into a much broader world. Plus the fact that I am living in Germany and German isn’t so much of a problem because I can speak it and understand it but when it comes to technical things I would like to be able to make a adjustments and change settings in this phone (which I will know nothing about and start from the ground up) without blowing a gasket trying to think about what the German means in English.

I would appreciate a simple straight up answer from those of you who are veterans to the WM world and who have had the privilege of having this phone for a bit.

Thanks!!!

[Guest Paul (MVP)]

That was me :D

On a Pocket PC such as the i900, the system only has one language for the main OS. You can switch the keypad dictionary to different languages for predictive text, but on the whole, the device language is fixed.

The only exception to that is if, say, you bought a device in Germany, in German, then 'flashed' and English version of the ROM, which would theoretically be possible.

P

[Guest Cpt_Chaos]

That was me :D

On a Pocket PC such as the i900, the system only has one language for the main OS. You can switch the keypad dictionary to different languages for predictive text, but on the whole, the device language is fixed.

The only exception to that is if, say, you bought a device in Germany, in German, then 'flashed' and English version of the ROM, which would theoretically be possible.

P

Thanks. What does it mean to "flash" English version ROM? I dont understand.

Thanks for having a patience with someone who is leaving the world of Palm OS

[Guest LoveGod]

Thanks. What does it mean to "flash" English version ROM? I dont understand.

Thanks for having a patience with someone who is leaving the world of Palm OS

a ROM is the firmware(software, everything related to phone OS, settings, etc). So if you got your phone in GERMANY(german ROM), you would probably have german language and preinstalled german operator settings. Now if you want to change that, you have to download the ROM from this website(DXHH1 witch is the ROM in english) and "flash it"(use a utility to erase you're german rom and put you're english one).

So basically, download some files, connect you're phone and press "start", after 10 minutes you're phone will be in english.

Edited September 4, 2008 by LoveGod

[Guest Cpt_Chaos]

a ROM is the firmware(software, everything related to phone OS, settings, etc). So if you got your phone in GERMANY(german ROM), you would probably have german language and preinstalled german operator settings. Now if you want to change that, you have to download the ROM from this website(DXHH1 witch is the ROM in english) and "flash it"(use a utility to erase you're german rom and put you're english one).

So basically, download some files, connect you're phone and press "start", after 10 minutes you're phone will be in english.

Thanks for your insight. I have also been reading up a little bit on a thread I found about flashing and as they always say, a little knowledge is more dangerous than no knowledge.

So what I would like to know is that from what I have read, the rom contains several parts. Do I have to replace the whole thing from German to English or could I just do part of it? For example the PDA part? I can read and understand German but the more technical it gets, the more frustrating German gets and I dont want to be trying translate while trying to configure phone settings, gps, etc.

Plus is there a way to back up the original rom to restore to default as it were? Plus is it possible to recover a bricked phone? I have been reading about some who have tried to switch the ROM and their phone went "tits up"

I thank you all for putting up with me.

[Guest Fuego72]

Plus is there a way to back up the original rom to restore to default as it were? Plus is it possible to recover a bricked phone? I have been reading about some who have tried to switch the ROM and their phone went "tits up"

I have your same problems. I live and work in Germany but I do not speak a word of German ( ;) ). I just bought the Omnia thinking I could have easily set it up in English!...Surprise! No way. I am a little bit reluctant in flashing the ROM since I do not want to loose the warranty, unless there is a method that allows me to backup the current ROM, and then installing the English version.

Any response on the matter would be very much appreciated. :wacko:

Thanks