Customized UI overlays over mobile operating systems are nothing new, especially when it comes to HTC, which has been doing it with Windows Mobiles for years. However, this time it's different, as Android is a far more exciting - for lack of a better word - mobile platform than any current iteration of Windows Mobile. Android is poised to appear on many different pieces of mobile hardware this year, but we can also expect many of those Androids to have completely different UIs. It's somewhat like Linux - yes, there are many different distros and it can all confuse the end user, but once you get acquainted with the basic idea you can find the version that suits your needs perfectly.
As far as the specifications of Hero go, it's a fairly powerful mobile machine, with Qualcomm's MSM7200A processor working at 528MHz, 512MB ROM and 288MB RAM, a microSD memory card expansion, a 3.2-inch TFT-LCD with a resolution of 320 x 480 pixels HSDPA, 5 megapixel camera with autofocus, WiFi, quad-band GSM, GPS, digital compass and a 3.5mm audio jack.