[Desire Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] Droidzone:
I have read through your post and several of the others linked to it, I have made some assumptions and would like an expert to advise or correct any misgivings that I have derived at. I will be travelling to Dubai Airport and intend to purchase a HTC Desire (hopefully AMOLED) so would like to be best advised ready for becoming the new owner:

1) Lets assume that my new phone comes as an unbranded device (probably will be WWE & ARABIC / Middle East).

2) I should first check the ROM, RADIO versions installed (power on while holding the Back key)? Any other information that will assist me before i start to play with my new phone?

Also check the software version as down by the About Phone> software info in the main menu.

3) i need to make a Gold Card to allow me to revert back to the STOCK ROM and settings. (even though as a non branded device I should not need the Gold card for flashing a new ROM or ROOTING the device). ---- Safety measure to allow for soft brick scenario ---- Easiest way to do this is to use the GOLDCARD TOOL v 0.0.5.

Correct. Maybe more important for you, since as I understand, you'll be using an arabic phone in china. I'm guessing you'll be giving it for service in china. Gold card can convert phone of one region to another if by any chance they refuse to accept the phone for service in another country.

4) Once I have the Gold card I can always revert back to Stock conditions directly from the Gold card, or do I also need to have the original ROM file or RUU as shipped on the device?

You will need the ruu. Please note that the actual process of rooting is not actually reversible. What we actually have for un rooting is a method of over writing the whole sector by a totally new rom. If you have a ruu for your region, you can revert to exact stock conditions. Of not, you'll have to make do with another rom, preferably the wwe (european) version.check with other people with arabic and chinese phones on which ruu to use, before you take the rooting process.

5) There appears to be a few different methods available to ROOT a Desire? which is the easiest and best method? MADACO or Revoked3 or ANOTHER? Un revoked is the easiest way to root and also the most up to date one.

6) If i follow the MODACO method will this change my new devices ROM appearance? or is the ROOTING only opening up new user access on the existing Stock ROM? I'm not very sure about the modaco method. I'm revoked should be sufficient. Get un revoked 3.21 not 3.22. I've had problems with the latter. Rooting with un revoked will not change the rom appearance. it will be just your rom plus root access.

I also wanted to tell you that if you don't want to instal custom roms which change the appearance of your phone, you can get root access on demand with the new visionary app. You can instal it like any other app and can give yourself root access for running programs which need root by choosing the root option from its menu.

7) If the ROM is changed does the new ROM look the same or similar to that of the STOCK one on the device when purchased? (I expect it will be a WWE & ARABIC version as purchased in Dubai)? But even if it is changed by ROOTING, then question 3 again....please confirm that I can return to original version using the Gold Card.

It usually looks the same. Except for some branding or bloatware that may be present on the new or old ruu. To return to stock, you need a gold card plus original ruu. You can return to stock international by the wwe ruu, an updated version of which is always available online.