No performance difference, but it will become a system app, so yes you can delete your stock launcher. Make sure you have a backup to revert to just in case.

 

you don't even need to move it to /system/app to delete the stock launcher. As long as another launcher is installed you can delete the stock one... Well you don't need another launcher, but it might be kind of hard to do anything without one .

 

Is this the same for the default messaging app? I use GOSMS, but when I reboot my phone I always have the default messaging icon telling me I have unread messages. Not a big deal, but a mild annoyance

 

Yes it works the same.

 

unless you're theming the launcher then it has to be a system app, My themed launcher has to be installed with the rom, if I try to install on my phone after the rom is installed it always says not installed & a forced install via root explorere is just asking for problems lol.​

 

As for the annoying notifications from the default messaging app, you should just launch it and turn off its notification preferences.

 

I have a launcher pro question: how do I get the folders to show the apps on the home screen like in go launcher, ios etc rather than just looking like a Manila folder on the desktop? On brom and think lp might be quicker but not happy with the folder look (I seem to be a folder rather than widget type).