Sideloading or Rooting

[wyattspoppa]

Can someone please tell me the difference between sideloading and rooting? As I understand it, sideloading is simply plugging your phone into your PC via USB and adding apps you have on your PC to your phone's "root" right? Then I use apps2sd to move it to my card (if the app allows). How does this differ from actual "rooting"?
The reason I ask is my Droid X2 keeps crashing on me and this is the 3rd device I've had in a month, first one was due to the bad update, the replacement they sent me was used (lame) and had a damaged power button, this one is crashing due to what I'm certain is an app problem. I'm now loading my apps after scanning with "Lookout" but still having crashing issues, I'd appreciate any input.
Thanks

 

[Phil Nickinson]

Here you go:

http://www.androidcentral.com/root
http://www.androidcentral.com/dictionary#sideload

 

[wyattspoppa]

The rooting article was very useful thanks, but the side-loading one was a 2 sentence vague description of what side-loading is...I want to thank you first and foremost for replying, 220 hits and only an admin replied to a question I know every pedestrian user would like to know.
Perhaps I might be more specific as long as I remain within forum protocols..
Is there really anything substantial you can think of that a rooted phone can do that you can't do via side-loading? After all, among the "roots" selling points is tethering, there are 20 apps that can do that now, gaining access to the root files via usb? Got that too..I'm of the makeup who would want to root since I find it fun to tweak, but I honestly can't find anything noteworthy you can't do once you plug into your desktop and the little "F-Drive" pops up showing me the "root" folders of my Droid X2. I can remove system-installed games I don't want eating up my precious megabytes like "Let's Golf 2" and it's greedy 36.5 MB's when there are golf games that use 10 times less space...Don't mind me, I just love my hobbies and I enjoy chatting with similarly passionate folks about them.Cheers