aix123

Hi - my first post here, so be gently with me...

Background:
Can anyone help? I have an Xperia Arc S, just got it a few days ago. Absolutely love the phone (the screen is amazing). But I find the three hardware buttons (back, home, menu) really horrible - quite loose, awkward to press, especially with a case on the phone. Seems to be the same on all Xperia Arcs, I mean I looked at other Arc S phones in stores and they're all the same. I have the chance to send the phone back, but there's no other phone I really want - so it occurred to me today that perhaps there's an app for soft keys, which would mean I wouldn't have to use the hardware buttons. Lo and behold I found a few (SoftKeys, Virtual Button Bar, Button Savior).

My questions:
- These apps seem to require the phone to be rooted. Do you know if there are other apps available which would not require rooting?
- I am android/smartphone total beginner, but am experienced in coding. How easy is it to root a phone?
- Would I lose all the Sony Ericsson apps and Timescape already on the phone if I rooted it? (I know it voids the warranty, btw)
- do these soft key apps really mean I would never have to use the hard keys, ever?
- If, for example, I was using the internet browser, how do you get the menu bar to show if you're not using the hardware keys, as the browser fills the whole screen.


As I say, I love the phone (apart from the keys), so any help would be hugely appreciated.

Thanks.