[AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note I717] ubersoft:
(See what I did there.)

This post is an attempt to make sure I understand the difference between the "European" version of the Note (the N7000) and the "American" version of the Note (the i717). I've ordered an i717, which they tell me will arrive on the 7th, but I know there are two versions and they're not... quite... the same.

Based on what I've reasearched so far, these are the differences:

N7000

The N7000 has a dual core processor that is numerically slower (1.4ghz dual core vs 1.5ghz dual core for the i717) but actually clocks faster in tests. Owners of the N7000 claim performance is generally smoother, but...

... that may be because the N7000 also doesn't have bloatware.

The N7000 has also, at this point, been upgraded to Ice Cream Sandwich, unless...

... you're in the US, where everyone reports the ICS upgrade fails, because it's not being pushed through US networks. You have to apparently connect to a European network to get it...

... and flashing an ICS ROM is also problematic, because there's an incompatibility in the processor that causes a lot of roms to overwrite parts of the phone it shouldn't overwrite, resulting in a brick.

The N7000 is physically different from the i717 as well. It has a physical "home" button below the screen, which also doubles as the unlock button.

The N7000 also lacks an antenna that the i717 has, which allows the i717 to receive FM radio stations. [EDIT: Comment #2 has pointed out that this is wrong--the N7000 can receive FM, the i717 cannot.]

Finally, the N7000 has a slightly more powerful battery than the i717.

i717

The i717 has a numerically faster processor (1.5ghz dual core) but seems to clock in slower on tests. It is also loaded to the gills with a number of AT&T "enhancements" that may be degrading performance.

The main reason the i717 has a different processor is to support LTE. The i717 supports LTE on AT&T. (the N7000, which can work on AT&T If you put a SIM card in it, will not support LTE.) However, it does not appear to support anything more than 2G on TMobile without some serious configuration.

The i717 does not have the "home" button below the screen. The power button (on the right side of the phone) can be used to unlock the screen.

Some places I've browsed through claims the i717 camera is better than the N7000s. One side by side comparison even claimed that the i717 had continuous autofocus while the N7000 did not. I haven't seen this verified anywhere else.

The i717 doesn't appear to have the same problem with ROMs that the N7000 has. At least, there is no urgent notice in the General and Q&A forums for the i717 warning that a number of ICS ROMS will trigger a bug in the processor that will overwrite things it shouldn't and brick your phone, and I figure most of you guys would have noticed that. :-)

The i717 will get ICS. At some point. As soon as Samsung finishes AT&Ting it. Nobody knows when, but someone said something about July. Once that happens, the source will be available, and ROMs can start incorporating fun things like processor overclocking and other kernel optimizations.

Similarities

Both the N7000 and the i717 are power hungry beasts, mostly because they have gorgeous, power-hungry, Super AMOLED screens that are freaking huge. Standby battery time for the Note is great. The problem is when you actually try to use it as a smartphone...

Thus, extended batteries become very attractive accessories, as long as you ignore that they are mostly ugly and incompatible with some of the really cool brushed metal cases I've seen pictures of in the forums. Apparently you can get an extended battery for $15, which I didn't discover until after I bought my Mugen. I'm paying an extra $85 for a kickstand. Still, it's a shiny kickstand.

The N7000 and the i717 have a counter that keeps track of how many times you flash your phone. The current working theory is this counter is used to determine if you're a dirty stinking hacker who has voided his or her warranty. To date I haven't seen any reports of people who have been refused support or had their warranty voided because of this thing, but it's there.

Both phones are described as "huge" by the press, but they're actually smaller than the cellphones we had back in the early 90s. The press is full of silly people.

Regardless of whether you buy an N7000 or an i717, someone at Gizmodo puts you on an enemies list.

That is, in summary, everything I've been able to find about both phones. Did I miss anything/get anything wrong?