Rooting the Evo Shift 4G is not nearly as difficult as you think.
1) Install z4root (no longer available in the Market, but
downloadable from xda-developers).
2) Run Superuser, to set to temporary root (lasts until next reboot--I have not tried the permanent root).
3) Install Wireless Tether (available in the Market for free).
4) Run Wireless Tether. (Remember to set a WPA password, for your own safety.) Enjoy.
Again, you will have to set the temporary root after every reboot. I have not tried the permanent root. But unlike my previous phone (Touch Pro 2), this model seems to rarely require rebooting.
You may need the Astro File Manager (available in the Market for free) to install z4root from your memory card's Download folder.
Does Sprint officially condone this? No, of course not. But do they really care much if you occasionally surf the web while eating lunch? Apparently not. Just to be as safe as possible, though: Enable 4G if available in your area. Sprint
expects 4G connections to download a lot of megabytes, so mild tethering is highly unlikely to attract attention.
As I often point out: If Sprint
really cared about how many gigabytes we use, it would not
force Sprint TV to use the cellular connection instead of WiFi. Sprint TV is clearly the biggest gigabyte hog of all preloaded Sprint software.