Custom Firmware??DO I Dont I??

[sugarpuffdaddybonker]

Hi Guys Noob Here(please go easy on me).

I have been using the E3 card and gaia manager with the 3.55 spoof, Im currently on 3.41, Blackbox ftp and filezilla and have no problems whatsoever apart from the odd black screen NAILD in particular.
There are a few things im still unsure of but i guess i will pick things up the more research i do after all i managed the above without killing my console so i think i must be doing something right

My question is...... Do i upgrade to custom firmware 3.55?......after this is achieved will i still need to use the usb dongle?......will newer and fewer games get the black screen on boot up(custom eboot.bin etc etc) -this is something im really way behind on.?
once 3.55 cfw installed is backup manager ftp etc etc permanently installed.

what extra features will i benefit from with cfw 3.55 than 3.41 im on now.
thanks in advance .

[sugarpuffdaddybonker]

WELL I TOOK THE PLUNGE ANYWAY AND HERE IS WHAT I DECIDED TO DO.

TOOK MY E3 CARD OUT LEFT GAIA MANAGER,BLACKBOX,AND GAMES ON INTERNAL HDD.
I THEN DOWNLOADED 3.55 FROM SONY.AFTER THIS I INSTALLED THE KMEAW 3.55 CFW, IT TOOK ME ABOUT 15MIN AND WAS DEAD EASY,I THEN DOWNLOADED MULTIMANAGER MEGA PACK AND INSTALLED NO PROB. ALL UP AND RUNNING AND EVEN GOT NAILD TO WORK 1ST TIME.BRILLIANT EVEN BETTER THAN E3 CARD. NO MORE FAFFING ABOUT POWER ON POWER OFF USB IN ALL THE TIME.
I THEN CHANGED THE GAMEZ FOLDER TO GAMES AND DELETED THE GAMES FOLDER FROM MULTIMANAGER.

WELL WORTH IT.