[Hero CDMA General] RogueM:
What it would seem is that you can accept the options given to you by the stock HTC sense UI and its related abilities. Or, you can choose to use a ROM that allows the true spirit of the Android OS to be utilized. Full customization brought about by an open platform that will evolve in a way that the stock Sense UI will never allow..or at least never be able to follow as it will be a one size for all working with a cell provider for limitations.

In my own experience,the Sprint released HTC Hero 2.1 update caused my phone to eat battery alive, from full to dead in a day with my only using it to text infrequently. It caused handcent to FC much more frequently, it caused the dialer to lag 20sec regularly before allowing me to make a call. (documented with sprint technical support known issues for 2.1) And the list goes on. I just wish, that it didn't. I'd still be using Sense UI for 2.1.

Sense 2.1 stock vs. CM6 RC1, Build: FRF91:

CM6, the gallery is pretty, but fails. It's very pretty but if you swap to landscape from vertical, it freezes or fails to function or display. The camera has similar issues with swaps between orientation.

That's my biggest find. Seriously. The keyboard is not laid out as well as the sense keyboard, but doesn't operate with the same lag either. The text prediction, works much better than sense UI. It used to frustrate the hell out of me. The speed of animations and transitions are much better in CM6 than on Sense 2.1. Opening and closing apps, much better performance in CM6. GPS was only slightly better in 2.1, however I travel for a living using this as navigation in multiple cities and for multiple purposes and I haven't seen it fail either, but not quite as accurate. off by aprox 100ft. In contrast to 2.1 Stock ROM losing GPS signal all together more commonly.

When it comes right down to it, speaking as a computer tech for a number of years, I use this phone for business and personal. For travel aid, navigation aid, boredom killer, communications via sms, mms, exchange and gmail. The difference between the stock 1.5, then 2.1 Sense UI and AOSP's ...is functionality. As a phone, the original stock ROM was a joke. There were times when I just straight could not use it as a phone. No exageration. The facts that keep my interest and patience with CM6 is the speed, reliability, efficiency, and functionality of it. Not which is better looking or more customizable. When it comes to the core functionality of the HTC Hero as a device, Sense 1.5 and 2.1 failed to provide a reliable consistent experience. I've been running CM6 and more than putting it through it's paces all over the US for weeks. And it out performs the stock ROM without any doubt in my mind. For the Hero, the stock ROM only got worse with the update to 2.1. As a device it could not handle it. The Evo is much more suited to the 2.1 OS.

That's my .02 guys. I don't know how you can sort out the rest of it about customization as a ROM or good looks, etc. Those aspects seem largely up to the individual to decide. All I could say is to the technical aspects, the consistency of the experience given of both. And its CM6 all the way. The bugs of 2.1 Sense just served to frustrate and exhaust me on a long day. CM6 just doesn't like being oriented funny when taking pics. That's it's biggest fault.

That's all I got.