Just go to 4.3U, there's nothing hindering about it
The latter is true (if you update using a disc or connecting to online), but if you have a wii edition that can install bootmii as boot2, you can ALWAYS install that as boot2. I can't remember if I had to reinstall it, though...I heard 4.2U and 4.3U do something to cripple bootmii from boot2, and installs stubbed IOSes, that's why I've stayed on 4.1U
duffmmann says it: the theoretical best firmware is 4.1 with an additional IOS58. However, with letterbomb there is no need for bannerbomb anymore, so it's pretty much unimportant.
USB loading is certainly better than using discs, even if the drive isn't broken. It's more convenient and loads faster.
The WODE was one of the first hardmods that allowed for (proper) gamecube games on USB, but since then, DIOS MIOS pretty much does the same but on a softmod-only basis. Instead of DIOS MIOS, there is also devolution, but while this is slightly better, you will have to verify your original gamecube games (which will be hard with a broken DVD drive).
The latter is true (if you update using a disc or connecting to online), but if you have a wii edition that can install bootmii as boot2, you can ALWAYS install that as boot2. I can't remember if I had to reinstall it, though...
Sorry...I perhaps didn't make myself clear enough: 4.1 is certainly good enough. And yes, 4.2 and 4.3 offer nothing but anti-homebrew (okay, and IOS58...but you can install that easily enough). It was just that the bootmii crippling thing isn't correct.I just don't see any benefits of 4.3 compared to 4.1 It seems as though 4.2 and 4.3 were just last-minute anti-piracy/anti-homebrew updates.
It doesn't cripple it, but it needlessly updates boot2 which removes BootMii so you have to reinstall it and aren't protected from a bad update.Sorry...I perhaps didn't make myself clear enough: 4.1 is certainly good enough. And yes, 4.2 and 4.3 offer nothing but anti-homebrew (okay, and IOS58...but you can install that easily enough). It was just that the bootmii crippling thing isn't correct.