gloriousnumber1

Ok, so I don't post here often, but I do like to read. I have not rooted my phone (Original DROID) due to the fact that even with detailed instructions, I can't even get past the part where I download the correct drivers before I actually download the programs to unzip the files that back up my phone before I actually start rooting; I'm that dumb, I guess, but this isn't about that. I don't feel it's worth my time and trouble to learn how to do all of that, and I don't have the money to pay someone. Please don't say "OH, all you need to do is this, so easy, like 5 minutes" and send me some link, thanks but no thanks.

Can someone please simplify what "highly hackable", "unlocked", and "unlocked bootloader" means? Does that apply ONLY to rooting? They say the original Droid is "highly hackable" or words to that effect.

Can't any phone be rooted, as far as Android? They rooted the Bionic before it was even released! Why does all that matter?

And, I guess the Prime is supposed to be "unlocked", or something like that? Does my Droid have a UI of some type? Besides power and control over phone users, why have things like HTC Sense, or MotoBlur? I guess I'm getting lost in the lingo.

I am annoyed daily that I got my Droid June of 2010 so I can't upgrade (without paying full price) until April 2012, so I'm stuck for now. I have plenty of time to find something good. I used to be head over heels for the Bionic, but in person, it was just "OK, the best 4G phone, not amazing". I don't care about the display. As long as it's as high of quality as my Droid but bigger, I'm fine.

Anyhow, what do I need to know as someone who hasn't rooted about what all those terms mean?

Sorry if this is as simple as taking a breath to you guys/gals who are smart in this area. I'm a casual user. I love my Droid, but need/want a faster processor and bigger screen so I don't have to shut off so many apps to avoid lag.

istolvampire

I will attempt to answer your questions but first let me say that rooting may not be for you. That is not meant to be an insult as rooting is not for everyone.

The terms:

Root= Getting access to all the phones codes and underlining access(to put it simple)

unlocked=unlocked to a specific carrier(as in the sim card is locked to t-mobile so you can't get a dirt cheap phone and just take it to another carrier although verizon doesn't have sim cards you get the point)

unlocked bootloader=a bootloader is something that keeps the phones operating system locked so you can't replace it with a completely hacked/customized operating system you made. Commonly called a rom. So an unlocked bootloader will be one less hurdle a person will need to jump over to easily be able to flash completely new roms. There are ways to get around a locked bootloader but an unlocked bootloader means customizable roms WILL be a reality. People who want customized roms(operating systems) want to see unlocked bootloader from day 1. Note you will need to obtain root access for any of this to matter. If you have a locked bootloader you can still customize a lot of the phone if you have root access but not flash a new rom. You will only be able to tweak the existing operating system. There are exceptions to the rule.

Highly hackable= This is how much of the phone can be changed once you achieve root. In the case of OG Droid there is not one single aspect of this phone that can't be changed. Not one. Anything you can think of can be changed with little fear of bricking(harming) the hardware or making the phone unusable/damaging. case in point, you see the motorola M logo on boot up(called the splash screen/boot screen before the boot animation)? You can even change that.

If you still want to root then my advice is to keep reading as much information as you can and try hard to understand it thoroughly before attempting to root because once you start down this path you have only you to fix it. The forums here are VERY helpful and it is extremely hard to brick this phone.

After you feel comfortable to proceed and would like someone to hold you hand through the process I will be glad to get on Skype or something and make sure you don't do anything you shouldn't but it really is extremely easy and you will start to understand it a lot more once you yourself have done it.

Read up and don't be afraid but like I said before, you will have cmplete control over everything. So not only will you have the ability to change things to your liking but you will also have the ability to completely screw things up as well!

Hope this helped and let me know if I can help you in the future.

teddyearp

Well put.

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ludeawakening

I think istolvampire explained everything perfectly. If you are happy with a phone, then do not worry about rooting it. But however, once root is obtained, you can see the full potential of your phone. Such as overclocking, removing bloatware, and theming... not to mention the custom ROM's. As for the Bionic, this is a pretty amazing phone. It is ridiculously fast and has an unlocked bootloader. When it comes down to it, your personal preference is the most important thing when it comes to what you like and dislike in a phone. Personally, I like to just hack away! Lol

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teddyearp

Please give me more info about the unlocked bootloader on the Bionic. Last I checked, it was locked, i.e. it required the use of the bootstrap to get it to fake load a custom recovery, and hence flash a custom ROM.

Thanks.