New Samsung Galaxy NEXUS.. root or not to root?

[S.J.SLEEPER]

So my LG Rev decided to kill itself after battery disharged, went to verizon and got the new Samsung Galaxy Nexus.
Anyone have this yet?
Any problems?
Its quite different (function & accessing things) compared to the Lg, so its gonna take some time.

I have a guy that will root it...Should I? whats the benefits besides the free tethering?

[BigAls87Z28]

I have free tethering and I'm not rooted.
I love my Galaxy Nexus. I much prefer pure Android over something with a skin.

[Tru2Chevy]

Curt, if you don't know enough about it or aren't into it enough to want to root it and mess with different ROMs yourself, I would leave it as is. The pure Android interface on the Nexus is really nice once you get used to the differences in the skinned version that your previous phone was running. And as Al mentioned - there are a few options for "free" tethering that don't require you to root the phone.

- Justin

[BigAls87Z28]

Originally Posted by Tru2Chevy

Curt, if you don't know enough about it or aren't into it enough to want to root it and mess with different ROMs yourself, I would leave it as is. The pure Android interface on the Nexus is really nice once you get used to the differences in the skinned version that your previous phone was running. And as Al mentioned - there are a few options for "free" tethering that don't require you to root the phone.

- Justin

Not only was his previous phone running a skinned version, but the Galaxy is running ICS which is slightly different than older Androids.

[S.J.SLEEPER]

roms...skinned version... ics......... WTF?

Okay, I officially feel dumb.

[BigAls87Z28]

*deep breath*

ICS is short for Ice Cream Sandwich.

Let's rewind a bit and see if we can explain the Android Operating System.

Android is the name of Google's mobile electronic operating system. Think of it like Windows.

There are different versions of Android, and they all have version numbers and names. Each new version brings better features and easier functionality.

There are four major Android versions running right now.
First is Android 2.2, better known as Froyo.
Then there is Android 2.3, or Gingerbread
Android 3.0-3.2 is called Honeycomb
The latest Android version is 4.0, aka Ice Cream Sandwich.

There were versions before 2.2 and they also had names. These names go in alphabetical order and all are named after a dessert.

Your old LG phone was probably running 2.2 or 2.3.

NOW, here is where things get odd.
Apple makes the iPhone as well as the operating system that runs on the phone. They make the whole package, like GM makes a whole car from top to bottom. That means they have full control over what goes into making it.

Google is like an engine builder, and Android is their engine. Companies like LG, Motorola, Samsung, HTC, Sony, and a few others make the phones. Think of the phones like cars. Now, in order to improve on the "engine", each of the phone companies tweak the engine by adding skins.

These improvements were deemed nessesary when Android was just starting out. Each brand added or altered the Android software in their own way to make it different than the next phone maker. Maybe it was a better way to list contacts, maybe it was different ways to display weather, news, etc etc. Each one had their own widgets as well.
This is why if you pick up a Motorola phone that runs Android 2.3 and a HTC phone that runs 2.3, they will be similar in some aspects and different in others.

Then the phone companies, Verizon, Spring, AT&T, T-Mobile, etc are like the dealers. They load the phone up with dealer specific parts (branding, certain software, etc etc). This is sometimes referred to as "bloatware" and it can slow the phone down or just get in the way.

Now, Google sometimes wants to make a phone to their specs to have a pure Android experience. These phones are referred to as Nexus devices. There have been 3-4 Nexus devices, and they have been made by various phone makers. Google usually brings out a Nexus device to showcase brand new software. In this case, the Galaxy Nexus was the first device to showcase Android 4.0 aka Ice Cream Sandwich.

Rooting your phone basically brings the phone back to stock and removes the add ons from the phone company and the phone makers. From there, you can install your own add ons called ROMs. It's like reflashing your PCM to get rid of the factory tune and uploading a new tune to the PCM.

This should cover most of Android. Let me know what is going on.

[BigAls87Z28]

In the end, the Galaxy Nexus is a great phone.

[Tru2Chevy]

Originally Posted by BigAls87Z28

Rooting your phone basically brings the phone back to stock and removes the add ons from the phone company and the phone makers. From there, you can install your own add ons called ROMs. It's like reflashing your PCM to get rid of the factory tune and uploading a new tune to the PCM.

Great explanation Al, except this part. All rooting does is give you more access to make changes to the phone. You can root the phone and do nothing else, and it will still look and feel just as it did when you took it out of the box, only it now has greater potential for modifications.

For the car analogy, obtaining root access on your phone is basically the same as buying HP Tuners software and the cable. Just plugging your laptop with that software in to your PCM doesn't change anything about the way your car runs, but it does give you great potential to change the way your car runs.

- Justin

[S.J.SLEEPER]

given to me in car terms, was the best thing you two guys could do.
I now understand it.
I'm not just a dumb mek a neck... there is actually very few things that I Cant't do,Give me a truck bed full of engine parts & I'll put it all together w/out a manual, build a house from scratch, electrical,plumbing,r/c cars electric & gas, motorcylces, anything...except for the damn computer. I can run a C.A.D. program, but don't ask me to do a re-boot or anything more than copy & paste a sentence...lol

Thanks fellas

[BigAls87Z28]

No problem dude. Figured if I put it in car talk, you would get it.
Yeah, Justin clarified what I was trying to talk about.

[Demonicbird00]

i just got the Nexus last week i like it, it just an upgrade from my facinate