Why I rooted my DROID, and why you should too

I rooted my phone a month ago today, and after several weeks with it, I'm finally taking a moment to write up my thoughts on the experience so far.

Let me start by saying that I loved my phone even before I rooted it.  Android is a well-made operating system and I've been closely watching its development since the Open Handset Alliance was founded several years back.  Not wanting to jump carriers, I waited until Verizon joined the fray with the first DROID handset before buying one, and I've been very pleased.  The interface is elegant, the multitasking is empowering, and the integration with the core set of Google web apps allows my phone to nearly replace a proper desktop computer for all but the most involved tasks.  Apple's iPhone is a design marvel with an arguably slicker interface, but I'm personally sold on the true multitasking and more open market methodology of Android.

That said, even with Google's open source platform powering the system, I occasionally ran into one or two things that I just couldn't do.  Android does not, by default, allow the user to access the core of the system.  Certain folders, mostly those containing actual operating system files, are locked down.  This is for several reasons, not the least of which being that with access to these files, the user could severely break the phone.  Example (and don't you dare do this):  If you were to go into your computer's C:/Windows directory and deleted, say, the System32 folder and everything under it, you'd find your computer to be behaving quite differently after the next reboot.  For this and other reasons, even the mostly open Android operating system does not allow the user carte blanche access to everything.

After doing plenty of reading on the topic, I decided to take the plunge and root my phone.  Here are some of the things I can now do that I couldn't do before:

• USB Tethering and Wireless Hotspot - Most carriers in the US are worried about allowing people to use their phone's data plans for devices besides the phone.  As such, most either disable Android's USB Tethering and Wireless Hotspot functionality or simply replace Android's default versions of those applications with handicapped versions that validate against some lame subscription-based tethering service that the carrier sells.  With root access, both USB tethering and Wireless Hotspot functionality are wide open, and the carrier has no way of distinguishing tethered data from phone data.
• CPU over-clocking / under-clocking - My Motorola DROID has an 800MHz processor.  With root access, I can tell the system to push itself a little harder when needed, over-clocking the processor up to about 1100MHz.  Battery life is impacted by this process, but sometimes more power is worth it.  Additionally, I can set the phone up to intentionally under-clock itself when less power is needed.  This scaling-on-demand process ends up saving battery life in the long run, and reduces strain on the CPU when less processing power is needed.
• Linux Terminal Emulation - Technically this isn't a root-only feature, as you can use a terminal emulator to navigate the Android file system without root.  That said, you need root to be able to do any of the really fun stuff, like removing files that Android otherwise wouldn't let you remove.  See the next item for an example.
• Removal of bloat-ware - Android doesn't come prepackaged with any garbage applications by default, but some carriers offset the handset cost by loading them up with irremovable applications.  Verizon adds Twitter, Amazon MP3, and Facebook, none of which I want.  Because I have root access, I can remove those applications.  Without root?  They sat there and taunted me.
• Custom ROMs - Cyanogen, Cyanogen, Cyanogen.  Far and away the best custom Android build available, and I love love love it.  With extremely granular control over interface tweaks, a built-in custom launcher, and the ability to keep the home screen application in memory (something missing from the stock Android build), it's quite simply better in every way.
• Miscellaneous root-only apps - Cache Cleaner (deep cleans the cache, of course), drocap2 (screenshot capture), LCD Density Changer (adjust your phone's screen resolution), Titanium Backup (backup your apps and data), ROM Manager (easily install custom ROMs and ghost your whole phone to the SD card), and many more.

For me, the upsides far outweighed the very small potential downside of screwing up the phone.  I'm fully thrilled with my phone, and I would recommend rooting to absolutely anyone.  If you have any questions about rooting, please feel free to drop me a note any time.