It's NOT OTA, but rather a download to your computer, then install, so you don't have to worry, you will have a choice!
Download here: HTC Mobile Phone Support - HTC Hero? (Sprint) - Downloads

 

Yes, for now. The general feeling here is that the DEVs will figure out a way to root it at some pint, just how long that will take...???

I'm in the same boat as you... I am leaning toward rooting, then installing the leaked version of 2.1 that retains root, but I haven't made my final decision yet. Waiting on more feedback from the 2.1 official update.

 

Assuming the Hero can handle 2.2, of course.

 

mmm 2.2 sounds delicious!
i bet our hero can run it (aren't our hardware specs similar to the droid?)...but maybe we need apps2sd because sense bulks up android so much.

 

http://androidforums.com/all-things-root-sprint-hero/81304-warning-official-2-1-a.html

 

If the official release is the same as the most recent leak, as reported elsewhere, then the official release was rooted several days ago - get it here!

 

if the android os has been so optimized that froyo is up to 450% faster than previous versions, im pretty sure the hero can handle 2.2.
mhz isnt everything.

 

I don't think it will. It's looking like a lot of the newer Android phones are running the Snapdragon and Humming Bird processors, and coming packed to the gills with on board memory. I don't expect to see 2.2 on the Hero, nor would I expect Google, HTC, or Sprint to make it happen anyway, in the same way I don't expect Microsoft to make an OS for my Pentium 486 (sidenote, you can port Windows 3.1 to Android, that's like one plus from Android 2.1).