Another thumbs up for xda developers. ^

I would like to caution you to be diligent regarding the step order for what exactly you're doing as some phones, once bricked, will be as useless as this sounds.

Also, as old as your phone is, I'd be willing to bet that there is a step-by-step on youtube which may be preferable for you. FWIW, installing a better ROM or kernel is not as difficult as you might think and can open up the possibilities.

Best of luck,

iPhone is definitely easier to use out of the box. (Though that may be changing.) Android is much more customizable, which means more options, but can get more confusing.
Because there's just the iPhone with iOS, there's a lot more info regarding it online. With Android, you have fragmentation, so different versions of Android are around. Couple that with different "skins," or overlays, such as HTC's Sense, Samsung's TouchWiz, and Motorola's Blur. This further complicates matters. It also means that what's true for your phone isn't true for mine. So Android may be more popular than iOS, but the iPhone is one of the most popular phones, meaning more resources than other phones.

It depends on the manufacturer. Apple is one manufacturer, so there is one "root" method. Every Android manufacturer does different things to make rooting more difficult, so each device has a different procedure. Some are extremely easy, and some are quite complex.

It's all part of the nature of a more open system.

If simplicity is your primary goal, the iPhone is probably the better device for you.

I've subscribed and read the xda forum ever since I got my Moto G. Even on that site, there are conflicting directions on rooting the G, and options for different skins, etc. If anyone can recommend by PM a site that provides clear and hopefully relatively simple directions, appreciate it.

The one thing I don't want is a brick, LOL!

If you can't find what you need on xda, you should probably just get an iPhone. :D

Apple fanboy since first iPhone and use 5s on Vz as my primary phone. :D

My backup is my first android, the G on TMO. It works great when overseas with the TMO free data and reduced calling/text fees. Rooting isn't a big deal. When overseas, I use it to still caught up on tv shows with piratebay and torrentz. Also bought very nice OTG device [meenova] and 32 gb micro SD card.

For a Moto G, aside from some "one-touch root" solutions, this is about as easy as it gets for most Android phones.

http://www.modaco.com/topic/366771-r...n-1-superboot/

In honesty, I think both ecosystems have their strengths. iPhone definitely "just works" much better than Android. I prefer Android because I like to tweak every little detail of my devices. I advise most people who ask to get an iPhone, though, because I don't want to end up playing phone doctor for them. :D

In a nutshell - quick overview
 

Generally speaking, HTC smartphones are relatively easy to root/unlock, especially if they are unsubsidized by the carrier. We've owned 4 of them in the past 5 years, rooting is not as difficult as it sound. Read & follow the detailed steps and directions, backup the data on the device first and store them safely first before making changes. When in doubt, don't rush & post the questions on XDA first - use the Q&A subforum for HTC One after searching FAQ and prior posts by others, might've been addressed and with tips & cautions, etc.

Here's a shortcut link to XDA-D for the "HTC One 2013" a/k/a "M7" model, please check & make sure it matches yours - as there are some variants for the HTC One, depending on country and/or carrier spec's
http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=2281365

It's important to identify your model so that you can do it correctly and not get boxed in, as most can usually be flashed & restored to factory state - stored data could be 100% lost (thus, backup - backup and backup)

If you have a spare/backup or bench/test computer, use that to do the work - the actual time might be as little as 5 minutes, planning & understanding is time consuming. The 3 basic steps are:
a) unlock the bootloader (HBoot)
b) flash a recovery image
c) root the device

The device will erase and reset, but once it's done correctly, should reboot again and you will need to setup again to enjoy it. Learn how to get into your custom recovery, and wipe Cache and Dalvik Cache properly. Wipe System or Sytem Reset command is much more "dangerious"

Flashing a custom Rom is optional, the factory Rom can be used as is. There are "Toolkits" as one-click solutions, automated for dummies - try to avoid using them unless all else failed.

Google in Youtube as there should be video demo on how to root the "One"

If you aren't comfortable doing this, consider doing a Master Reset first, after backup all your important data & settings first. It might or might not help "fix" your problems but worth a try, before rooting it, etc.

Thanks to all for the great information......

Does this mean there is no custom solution where I would plug and play some routine that some tech Guru has out there to help us techie incompetent types that are afraid to brick their phone while doing this...???

I have not yet read all the replies in this thread, perhaps someone has already pointed to a solution like this..... :o