Reading this forum, it seems Sprint is missing out on a couple of thousand $$$ since if it wasn't for a measly $10 rape-me-now fee, most of us would probably get an EVO. So, it's the same for me since the biggest reason I won't upgrade is because there is no way I'm paying more for less since there is no 4G in my area.
Like most posters here, rooting the Hero is keeping it efficient enough (albeit slower than a snapdragon). However, being rooted and running apps like WiFi tether are more than making up the difference when I can use my Hero in conjunction with my iPad! In fact, after I flashed the latest RUU, I didn't bother installing a lot of Android apps that I used to have installed because I can just use the iOS version of them on my iPad with the much larger screen. This keeps my Hero running lean. Right now, I only have 16 apps installed on my Hero, and my primary apps are Tasker, WiFi Tether, and SetCPU. So, unless a non-4G 3.7-4.0 inch display with HTC Sense appears on the Sprint Christmas lineup, I'm sticking with my Rooted, WiFi Tethering Hero.