[Q] New to Android.....

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I'm new to all this Android stuff. Had Blackberrys forever. What exactly ist it to root the phone, how "dangerous" is it, and what exactly are the benefits to doing it?
I now have two Android devices, the LG Revolution, and a Dell Streak 7.
Thanks for your patience.

Originally Posted by twillet50

I'm new to all this Android stuff. Had Blackberrys forever. What exactly ist it to root the phone, how "dangerous" is it, and what exactly are the benefits to doing it?
I now have two Android devices, the LG Revolution, and a Dell Streak 7.
Thanks for your patience.

Rooting the phone gives you access to the protected areas of the phone. As far as how dangerous it is, that depends on the ability of the end user to carefully follow directions :P

The advantage is that you can customize your phone as you see fit. The manufacturers place certain software on your phone that may actually hinder you from using your phone to its full potential (i.e. Microsoft Bing, and Verizon Navigation).

Once you remove these additions, you can add the Google counterparts (for free) that make your phone far more functional, and eliminates the need to pay third parties (like Verizon for Navigation).

You can also install new images on to your system that does most of this work for you (meaning you don't have to be a developer to get rid of those services as someone else has done it for you). With some ROMs, it increases speed (overclocking), gives you functionality you didn't previously have (wireless tether - the free kind), and allows you to skin the parts of the interface that can't be skinned with a home app replacement.

Typically speaking, if you are using a stock home-screen, and the original firmware, you are getting the worst experience from your phone. Counting on developers, however, can have it's down side. Since they are working for you to get the perfect phone, but aren't perfect by nature, there can be bugs and flaws as they are in the development process. Most developers want to release a quality product, so they continue working on their product until it is as close to perfect as conceivably possible.

The trickiest part is getting your phone rooted and putting CWM recovery on it. If you can follow the directions to a 't' without skipping or ignoring portions of the instructions, you will usually be home-free to do whatever you want with your phone.

Originally Posted by twillet50

I'm new to all this Android stuff. Had Blackberrys forever. What exactly ist it to root the phone, how "dangerous" is it, and what exactly are the benefits to doing it?
I now have two Android devices, the LG Revolution, and a Dell Streak 7.
Thanks for your patience.

DUDE!!! you are in the exact same boat as me, and with the same devices! though i came from iphones.

I agree with majorpay. love the revolution and the streak7. i can never go back to ios now.

Ad Free! And console controllers!

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Major, great explanation. I guess the thing I would add is the use of apps that remove ads. And something that kind of big right now is using a console Bluetooth controller, like the sixaxis (PS3) and wiimote apps. My wiimote syncs up perfectly with my rooted Droid 1. Gotta try the PS3 app. Neither worked on my stock LG Revolution.

As to what root exactly does...

"root" is the "Administrator" so to say in Linux and UNIX. You can do anything as root, and it technically (from a secure point) should never be used.

If you own root, you own everything. When you root your phone, you gain the ability to access the root user, which most providers do NOT want you do.

As majorpay said before, you have the ability to remove bloatware, and apps like Bing and Verizon apps which come pre-installed on the phone. This takes up space, uses memory, and you can't uninstall them. With root you have the ability to override Verizon's apps (per say) and delete them, then reinstall them with Google's non 3rd party apps which are free.

If anyone is familiar with "jailbreaking" it is the exact same thing, gaining access to the root user for the iPhone / iPod touch.

I have never used BB before, so I don't know if there is something similar to rooting...

TL;DR - It lets you do anything you want