Got to love nice iLO functionality ( I sometimes forget it is easy to mount ISO's outside of VMWare).
No actual need for the root user for day to day admin, you certainly can use the admin account you created in the initial install to connect with the VI client. I tend to use the root account pw during the initial setup of a box, then once I get it attached and managed to a VC, I change the root pw to an ugly string of #'s and characters.
You should be able to do most of your management through the VI console, but you will need to get onto the box using SSH for updating the box ( ESX patches) and you'll need to use WinSCP or Veamm's FASTSCP ( recommended) to move files etc on and off the box/vmfs.
The initial install really is a cake walk, defaults are fine. It's the patching and config afterward that can get somewhat in depth after the initial brush.
Big thing you'll need to know is you CANNOT use SCP with root account out of the box. You'll need to ssh into the server using the SC IP and create a non-root account. You do this at the command line with the following
#useradd NEWUSERNAME
Then set the password for that account using
#passwd NEWUSERNAME
You can now use this account to setup FASTSCP and drop your stuff on and off the box.
http://www.vmware.com/community/thread.jspa?threadID=87580&messageID=661173#661173
There is a thread that discusses several of the easier ways to patch your system up to spec before you get going.
I think that covers the basic gotcha's...anything you run into just pop it in here.
