OK, Bill. If this is the place for it, here it is...
Initial reports are very positive, to be sure. Being in the business of software releases (on a very different scale from Google), it appears that a number of features slipped from 2.1 to 2.2 and they're trying to finish up the feature list before moving on to a 3.0 version toward the end of the year.
Considering that much of the Android world is still back at 1.6 or earlier, I'm sure the object is to reset the baseline before shifting toward the 4G devices that will be coming out in six months+.
As far as the comments from multiple sources that 2.2 will be available for the N1 and the Droid in June, I'm skeptical. (I'd be happy to be surprised, of course.) My guess is that the N1 will have it first, primarily because Google has much greater control over releases with that phone than with the Droid. I wouldn't be surprised to see a 90 day (hopefully no more) delay getting the update through the VZW process compared to the N1. Perhaps, though, VZW learned some lessons from the 2.1 fiascos. We can always hope.
Interesting that neither of the HTC flagship phones (Incredible and EVO) are mentioned in this context. All indications are that integrating Android updates into the HTC skins constitutes a much bigger job than for anyone else. Gotta say that I suspect some folks at HTC and Sprint are steaming that 2.2 is going to step on their introduction of the EVO (if the update actually happens in June.)
Performance will be another interesting issue to observe. All the "benchmarks" I've seen are based on phones running the Snapdragon processor. Whether the Droid can take advantage of the software performance upgrades to the same extent will be interesting to see.
Finally, it looks as if two of the more annoying issues brought up time and again will be laid to rest (hopefully.) I for one will be delighted never to see another thread dealing with the absence of support for Flash 10.1. Of course, I expect it will be replaced by multiple threads about how unjust it is that one cannot watch Iron Man 2 on a tiny 3.7 inch screen without paying for it.
The other issue, of course, is bluetooth hands free support. Personally, I'd like to see any use of a phone in a car treated like the Soviet Union treated Radio Free Europe but I realize I'm in a tiny minority in that. And while there is virtually no evidence that "hands free" use of a phone in a car is any safer than holding a phone up to one's ear (they're equally dangerous), I suppose it makes sense not to interfere with drivers' ability to eat a Big Mac and dial a phone at the same time.