First time Android user, Nexus 7 rooting questions!

[xcha0tic]

Hello everyone, I'll start off with a little introduction and I apologize in advance if this is the wrong section for my questions. First off my name is Chris, I've been a long time apple user. I've been with apple since the iPod Video. I've always jailbroken my devices and currently have a 5s and iPad 3. I'm very tech savy you could say so undergoing a process that maybe technical I'm not sure of the rooting process for androids, But i'm sure I'm more than capable of.
Anyways this will be my first android device ever, lets take a moment and thank my girlfriend for buying it, well will be buying it this weekend as a christmas gift. From what I've been reading the nexus 7 is an amazing tablet, and as my first android device I'm glad to hear all the positive reviews.
What exactly is the rooting process? Do I need anything extra beside the device? Just curious on that since I know its a different device all together but for both the xbox 360 and ps3 you need outside supplies to apply their very own rooting I guess we can call it.
On my jailbroken devices, what I mainly use it for is tweaks, themes and emulators.
What exactly does rooting provide for me? Like the positives or erm similarities to jailbreaking a iDevice?
Is it possible to root the current nexus and firmware? I know over at apple jailbreaking is prevented through firmware updates and currently not possible to jailbreak iOS 7.
Does android also do this?

I believe these are all my questions for now.
Little facts about me,
In my 3rd year of college, IT major/web developer.
Hacked/Jailbroken/Rooted? Devices
iPad 3
Xbox 360(flashed)
Nitendo Wii
3ds via supercard dstwo
psp back from the old school days with pandora battery

Also looking forward to being apart of the android community, and owning a nexus 7.

 

[cpaight]

Welcome! If you like the hacking, you're gonna love Android. And especially since you're starting out with a Nexus...it's not just fairly easy to root, it's designed to be.

This is a great forum for tip and tricks and I would also direct you XDA-developers.com for lots more on the rooting process and Mycolorscreen.com for themeing ideas.

Additionally, since you mentioned you used to jailbreak your iphone mainly for themes and tweaks, I'd encourage you to play around with your new tablet for a for days to get an idea of just how many of those same things you can do with Android without ever even having to root. Play with some third-party launchers, install some widgets and custom icon packs...then you can move on to rooting and start installing whole new operating systems!

Have fun.

 

[xcha0tic]

Welcome! If you like the hacking, you're gonna love Android. And especially since you're starting out with a Nexus...it's not just fairly easy to root, it's designed to be.

This is a great forum for tip and tricks and I would also direct you XDA-developers.com for lots more on the rooting process and Mycolorscreen.com for themeing ideas.

Additionally, since you mentioned you used to jailbreak your iphone mainly for themes and tweaks, I'd encourage you to play around with your new tablet for a for days to get an idea of just how many of those same things you can do with Android without ever even having to root. Play with some third-party launchers, install some widgets and custom icon packs...then you can move on to rooting and start installing whole new operating systems!

Have fun.

Thanks a bunch, and I do like hacking. Well I would like to one day do the hacking and not simply use a guide or a tool, but thats a topic for another day.
I asked the same question over XDA.
That's what I was thinking since it'll be my first android device to just play around with it first.
But I see alot custom roms, would that be like a custom firmware? What exactly does a custom rom do or a specific or best custom rom out there?

 

[Haalcyon]

A custom ROM is like a custom firmware. It kinda equates to replacing the Dell version of Windows 7 with a customized version that has more features. SlimBean and CyanagenMod (CM) are two really popular ROMs but, for the Nexus?, there's a quite a selection.

Optimus G Pro

 

[xcha0tic]

Hm I see, is there one for the nexus 7 that outshines the rest?

 

[Haalcyon]

Well, that's opinion but I think of SlimBean and CM as the best and Slim is even a bit more customizable. Think of them as stock Android on steroids.

Optimus G Pro

 

[xcha0tic]

thanks for the reply, once I play enough with my nexus 7 I'll pick either slimbean or cm.