vjm0430

[vjm0430]

I am a 42 y/o that actually lived in the times of the earliest cell phones{the bag phone}. I don't see myself as a techno caveman until I spend long periods of time with me teenage sons. I have no idea what the difference is between jellybean and gingerbread if that tells you anything at all. Ive heard both good and bad about "rooting" my phone. Can anyone possibly give me a step by step so I don't have an expensive paperweight when its all said and done? please?



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[leeshor]

Welcome to the forum

Some like to tinker but know what they are in store for and may make a suggestion to do so. Mine is to wait until you a) know more and b) have a good reason

 

[dezymond]

I'm with leeshor. What are you trying to accomplish with root? There may be ways to do so without rooting.

The difference between Gingerbread and Jellybean is more than just the name and version. Gingerbread gives you a peek at what Android used to be and Jellybean shows you how far the OS has come. The difference is night and day both in looks, features, and everyday use.

 

[smalltowngirl13]

Hello and welcome to the forum!

I definitely agree with those above me ...decide what you want from root and if it is worth it too you to do it ...good luck!

 

[Shadez]

Welcome Aboard!

 

[SFGate]

Welcome to the site. DancingNexus

 

[FoxKat]

Agreed with the above. Rooting gives you a certain higher level of control over the phone, but if you don't need that control it's a waste of time. You should decide what it is about rooting that is drawing you towards it and whether it will really benefit you. For some it's the ability to hack the Verizon Hotspot on their phone so they can do Wireless WIFI tether, but there's programs on the Play Store that can provide nearly the same level of functionality without rooting.

Another reason people root is to "freeze" or "delete" certain system apps and "bloatware", however the OS gives you the ability to "disable" them right in the phone, so unless you're running out of memory it's not necessary. Also if you happen to either "freeze" (or even worse "delete") a system app and then go to do an upgrade you'll find it won't take. If you've deleted them and can't get them replaced you run the risk of bricking your phone.

There are other, more obvious reasons for rooting such as flashing new, custom ROMs, but again - unless you feel you need that level of customization Android has evolved such that for most the stock OS is both snappy and extremely convenient. For what it's worth, some will either run their phones at reduced clock speed to conserve battery power, or the opposite - overclock to gain additional speed and reduce or eliminate lag. Again, with the newest phones having multiple cores, and with the larger RAM in them, lag has become much of a non-issue too, except for the real power-users who install lots of apps, run lots of Widgets, and have many background tools to do various things while the phone is both awake and asleep. For them, even the solutions above may not be enough.

Finally, if you don't know the difference between Gingerbread and Jelly Bean, you may find yourself deep over your head in the rooting world and if you're unable to swim with the big fish, you may be overcome. I would warn you to learn more about the system. Become VERY familiar with the phone and its stock capabilities, and then read up on Rooting and what it provides in benefits and risks BEFORE you consider jumping in feet first (or head first as the case may be).