[vesty16277]

I don't think you need to root unless you want to remove sprint apps pre installed that you do not use. You will want to root if there is some delay to get 2.1 I believe before its rolled out over air update.

As far as your net goes I have the same frustration and I cannot pinpoint the culprit. You need to go into the data synchronization settings and turn everything off. Everytime you visit the market it will tell you that you need to turn it back on to use it. Also kill GPS unless you need it for something at that moment. Give those a try and you should see significant increase.

One other thing I notice is that when I am charging via USB the battery will appear fully charged then quickly roll down to 15%. If I plug it into the wall charger it will be fully charged quickly and hold a stronger charge.