Is the thickness worth having the hardware keyboard?

[ScrapMaker]

I just installed a VGA skin on my pocketcm keyboard, and wow, this phone responds so much better than my old Touch did. There is no delay when typing, like there is when typing on the hardware keyboard.

I can type out the typical text message on pocketcm almost before I rotate the phone, open the keyboard, and get half-way on the message...

I'm starting to debate whether the Pro is really worth being this thick, and having the keyboard--which is just something that can break. It already slides around a lot when it's closed... making me think the build quality is a bit IFFY.

Is anyone else thinking similarly? I REALLY thought that having a hardware keyboard would be a huge step up. I thought that all the times I was annoyed with my SIP before would magically be better... but I find myself MORE inclined to use the SIP for most input sessions... like changing a setting in a program, or typing in a quick URL, etc...

I find it HIGHLY annoying to use the hardware kb in most programs, because you have to wait for the screen to rotate and re-draw... it's especially annoying in Opera, because when you close the keyboard, the screen rotates back to portrait, even if you are holding it in landscape...

I find that the Pro gets very hot during phone calls, much like the Diamond does, and if it has nearly the same performance, I wonder if the Pro is worth the premium in price, and in size...

Just thinking, out loud, on a forum