confused about rooting? Please help!

[jamjr74]

OK I have had my DI since launch and have never rooted but I keep having the urge too, lol. I am semi-technically savy and would be able to do the root but as far as overclocking and adding kernels I am not so sure. My big question is why do people root????? I see that I can use free hotspot and tether but I dont really use that now. My phone runs fast enough for me now so I have no need to overclock. What else does root offer? Thanks guys.... Also will root help battery life?

[tweebee]

Rooting in itself will not help battery life. Rooting essentially give you superuser rights to the phone where you can remove bloatware that otherwise you cannot uninstall from your phone.

Once rooted, you can then flash on ROMs and they come in different flavors. Virtuous, for example, are pretty close to stock with a lot of bloatware already removed. Redemption is also close to stock with some bloatware removed, but the developer also baked in his own kernel to help improve battery life. And even though we all have Inc, different ROMs yield different results for people. It all depends on your likes and dislikes in addition to what you have on your phone, ie, apps, widgets, settings, etc. So you have to try some to see which you like best.