My phone has been rooted, and the first course of action was to install the LMT Launcher that gives the phone pie controls. I've wanted this for a while, so I'm super excited that it's up and running. Moving round my phone feels super fast now, and after playing with a few other gripes (turning of Tag Buddy in the Gallery, for example) everything feels much faster than the out of store product.
But damn it's annoying how much effort this requires! It's great that Android it so customizable, but we've got a long way to go before most of the general public can appreciate these advantages. PC users were never able to clasp this - apps like GeekTool are used by a select minority because of the painful time investment in creating aesthetic desktops. But with mobile, I hope that this problem can be solved.
On mobile, there shouldn't really be as many barriers. Custom ROMs aren't exactly required either - a lot is achieved with launchers. What we do need however is a collection of launchers that don't offer customization and flexibility, but instead force settings and icon choices on the phone. Most people will be happy with this, and it will encourage people to see a new personality in Android. You can choose your own case for your phone, and if you get Android you can choose your own style of OS too. And while I know little about the challenges that may be ahead of designing a launcher this way, I suspect it will be a well rewarded effort.
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