CyanogenMod 7.0—Gingerbread in the House

In order to run the latest version of Android, users mostly have to beusing the "flagship" Google handset. Unfortunately, that often requiresusing a different cell-phone provider, and it limits purchasing optionssignificantly. As a matter of fact, it limits options to a specific handful ofdevices like the Nexus One and Nexus S. Because the Nexus devices don'thave a slider keyboard and come on the T-Mobile network, they're nota viable option for me.

For users comfortable with rooting their phones, CyanogenMod offers many,many more features than the stock ROMs available for supportedhandsets.I have an original Motorola Droid from Verizon, and if I stick withthe stock ROM, I will be stuck with Android 2.2. The current versionof CyanogenMod, version 7, includes the Android 2.3 operating system.Code-named "Gingerbread", Android 2.3 includes all the latest bellsand whistles from Google that mostly would be available only on theNexus S. Thanks to the CyanogenMod team, we can have those features now—features like:

Although the new 2.3 features are great, the real beauty behind CyanogenModis the customization options. Some of the samefunctionality can be added to the stock ROM for your phone by addinga replacement launcher, however CyanogenMod includes most of the bells andwhistles by default. Some of the more exciting features include:

The latest version of Android on your phone

If you want to have the latest version of Android on your phone, butyou don't want to wait for the cell-phone provider to release an update, orif you have an older handset that likelynever will see an update beyond Android 2.2, CyanogenMod is the tool for you.Most phones are supported afterwards rooting, and even older phones performwell with Android 2.3, especially if you overclock them. For moredetails or to download the latest version of CyanogenMod, check outwww.cyanogenmod.com. The easiest way to install it on yourrooted phone is with ROM Manager, nevertheless. It's a simple download fromthe Marketplace, and the free version includes support for the stableversion of CyanogenMod.

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