What is currently the best way to Jailbreak the 4s?

[fuzion11]

So what exactly does "rooting" and Android device do?

The system seems pretty open source already, why would someone want to root their Android device?

Can't wait for the iP4s JB...I need stuff like Sbsettings, remove background, I enjoy having the Nexus homescreen via Winterboard, pull to refresh mail, barrel, 3gunrestrictor, Bitesms (although now it's only good for sending texts in any app), five icon dock...and a couple more.

But I am really impressed with all the great features in iOS 5.0...my list of needed JB apps/tweaks is lowering with each release of iOS

 

[Young Spade]

So what exactly does "rooting" and Android device do?

The system seems pretty open source already, why would someone want to root their Android device?

Can't wait for the iP4s JB...I need stuff like Sbsettings, remove background, I enjoy having the Nexus homescreen via Winterboard, pull to refresh mail, barrel, 3gunrestrictor, Bitesms (although now it's only good for sending texts in any app), five icon dock...and a couple more.

But I am really impressed with all the great features in iOS 5.0...my list of needed JB apps/tweaks is lowering with each release of iOS

1) THink of rooting as like.... jailbreaking? But you get more functionality out of the phone. You can root the phone and then tweak it to over clock/underclock under volt, use specific hardware on the phone for extra things (trackball colors in N1/ custom LED notifications, etc.)

OR you can install ROMs, which are... "enhanced skins", to put it simply, instead of the skin that ships with your phone (Motoblur/Touch Wiz, Sense UI, etc.).

If you google MIUI you'll see how advanced they can get, among other popular ones like CyanogenMod (most popular) and even stock Gingerbread itself.

And THEN, you can install custom kernels, which are... think of them as systemwide settings that change how the phone works. Flashing different radios on there, overclocking the processors, and doing much more.

The HTC HD2 is able to run Windows 6.5 (naitive), Windows Phone 7 (The actual WP7 OS), and Android 2.3 or whatever version you want.

The system is open source, but rooting allows you to go that extra mile to get the extra oomph out of your phone. It's pretty much for the tech savvy but there are some really good applications in there as well that need root (Titanium Backup which provides a complete backup of your phone you can store on the computer)


2) This is going to be my first iPhone, so when it does get jailbroken (iOS 5) and I find out what I'll really want from it, I'll start looking into it.

 

[fuzion11]

Thanks for the great explanation Spade...I wonder if there were to be a no hold barred JB vs Rooting cage match, who would win??? lol

1) THink of rooting as like.... jailbreaking? But you get more functionality out of the phone. You can root the phone and then tweak it to over clock/underclock under volt, use specific hardware on the phone for extra things (trackball colors in N1/ custom LED notifications, etc.)

OR you can install ROMs, which are... "enhanced skins", to put it simply, instead of the skin that ships with your phone (Motoblur/Touch Wiz, Sense UI, etc.).

If you google MIUI you'll see how advanced they can get, among other popular ones like CyanogenMod (most popular) and even stock Gingerbread itself.

And THEN, you can install custom kernels, which are... think of them as systemwide settings that change how the phone works. Flashing different radios on there, overclocking the processors, and doing much more.

The HTC HD2 is able to run Windows 6.5 (naitive), Windows Phone 7 (The actual WP7 OS), and Android 2.3 or whatever version you want.

The system is open source, but rooting allows you to go that extra mile to get the extra oomph out of your phone. It's pretty much for the tech savvy but there are some really good applications in there as well that need root (Titanium Backup which provides a complete backup of your phone you can store on the computer)


2) This is going to be my first iPhone, so when it does get jailbroken (iOS 5) and I find out what I'll really want from it, I'll start looking into it.

 

[Young Spade]

Thanks for the great explanation Spade...I wonder if there were to be a no hold barred JB vs Rooting cage match, who would win??? lol

I would say rooting. I started writing a detailed post about some analogy, but honestly I haven't used Cydia in so long that it would be a lot of assumption going on, and that wouldn't help anybody.

It's all dependent on what the user wants to do after doing it, and how adept they are with technology.

The average MacRumors poster who wants to jailbreak wouldn't really "do" anything legitimate with it, aside form an application or two, but we've all seen that one crazy homescreen or something that wow's everybody, or the aggregation of specific applications that lets people do so much.

I always respond, when people ask about rooting or jailbreaking, is that "if you have to ask, you shouldn't do it."

Technically it doesn't make sense, but I mean that on a... sense that, people who have actual uses, are already reading up on those uses and finding relevant information to do it. They aren't just clueless and asking us what to do.