[jyl]

I had a chance to handle a Pre today and watch as the owner demo'd it.

I'm really impressed. The phone feels great, nice curved surface and weighty sliding action then a positive click. The keys are good, not quite as wide as a fullsize blackberry though. It is definitely a lust worthy device.

My take so far is that there are two big things the Pre has that my iPhone lacks. The physical keyboard, obviously. And the multi tasking OS, which is a big deal - this may spur Apple to unlock background processing for third party apps. And since it will be offered with Sprint's unlimited everything plan (no limit to minutes, data, or testing) it might drive ATT to better pricing too.

The iPhone's larger screen and onscreen keys do give it some advantages, like easier multilanguage support.

Anyway, I think it's going to be a great device. I'm locked in to ATT now, and wish I had waited.