Newbie ready to Sink or Swim with my Droid

[CNEL65]

Hello All,
I have had my D1 for about three months and so far have loved every mistake I have made with it. Now, I guess it is time to start getting it right!
I selected the D1 over a BB Bold and now I need to fine tune to support my work. I am not into installing 10K of apps, nor music. I just need a solid WIFI hot spot to support my PC while I work in the field.
I have successfully rooted per regardless of OS version, along with loading Astro File manager, ROM manager, Titanium Backup and performing a nandroid backup? So now It appears I am ready to select and load a ROM?
At this time all I am looking for is a good ROM which supports wired tethering that allows me to access a secure site, plus keep my phone charged. I was using PDAnet, but after I found I could root, load a ROM and tether for free I said it is time to move on. I have reviewed Bugless Beast and Koush CM 6.0.0. and they both appear to meet my needs. My question would one be better than the other? I also found an app for Wired Tethering 1.4, but it could only be used with an HTC. A suggestion or a point in the right direction would be greatly appreciated.
Now, for clarification of a term or terms. I have observed the following to be used almost interchangeably, Factory Reset, Hard Reset & Wipe? I ask because, as I understand it, if I wish to experiment with loading different ROMs, one needs to clear or Wipe the sys before loading the new ROM, so does Wipe mean perform a Factory reset?
Also, is there an advantage to partitioning the SD? I see in ROMmanger there is an option to partiton. I understand the advantages for proper partitioning of an HDD, is teh same true for the SD and how would you manage this through Astro? At this point in time I would need to transfer the info from the SD to my PC and formate then partition.

I know I will have additional questions, which probably have been asked and answered. I will first search this site for an answer, before I post.

Thanks,
CNEL65

 

[jstafford1]

Welcome to the fold.

As far as tethering. Its not so much the ROM as the kernel. And between cyanogen 6.0 and BB .5 probably splitting hairs. Try em both and see what you like is the best approach.

Wipe = factory reset.

Its good to do as it makes for a clean install. Now if you change kernels or themes you don't wipe before installing that only for full ROMs.

Partitioning the sdcard. Its not really needed. That was used when they had to force aps2sd. There's other ways to do it now. And many apps support it anyways so I wouldn't worry.

Sent from somewhere...

 

[huskerkate]

first off, welcome to the forum!! imo, you made the smart move getting the droid - you won't be disappointed! i can see you thirst for info - well, you're definintely in the right place!! i hope you stick around and join in the fun.

as for your specific questions, virtually all of the recent roms include the wifi tethering as a system app - so you should be able to get that anywhere you go. as for a rom, that comes down to personal preferences, but probly more importantly what your phone "prefers", as every rom (and kernel) works differently on every phone. that being said, i would steer away from BB v0.5 - not because it's a bad rom, quite the opposite. but, it does have some tricky installation steps, and is probly best reserved for later, once you've gone thru the flash process a few times.

other than that, about the only way to figure out which rom is best for you and your phone is to try 'em all out. fortunately, it's fun and feeds your addiction.

finally, factory reset and hard wipe/wipe data and cache are basically the same things. and, they are essential for flashing!!

have fun! and don't hesitate to ask questions!

 

[Corinacakes]

:welcome: to the forum Cnel65 You're in great hands with JStafford and HuskerKate!

 

[Droid DOES!!]

Agreed!

:welcome: to the forum Cnel65 You're in great hands with JStafford and HuskerKate!

Sent from my Droid using DroidForums app (free in market)

 

[CNEL65]

Thanks everyone for your friendly, prompt responses and info. The info will be put to good use! I have an associated who is walking the fence between the D2 & BB Bold. I feel he will be hooked on the D when I show him what it has to offer!

 

[Jim 777]

Welcome! Lots of great information here and a few of the best have already responded. With that, all I can say is try different ROMs and see what works best for you. I found what works for me after trying many. Loved them all though!