Desire runs 2.1 (with some modifications by HTC)
The magic is limited to 1.6, though Cyanogen has put out a beta which gives it a lot of the fuctionality of 2.1

Pros:
Does everything the iPhone does, but more customisable (animated wallpapers, many, many widgets)
So long as you dont mind having all your socialness go through google, will auto-sync email, contacts and calendar
No restrictions on what apps are approved, and able to get ones not on the official market
Apps can change anything on the phone (within reason on official builds, pretty much anything with your permission on some modded builds), making apps like Locale (changes phone settings based on where you are, time, and a couple other factors, for example can turn wifi on only at home) possible.
Generally cheaper than the iPhone

Cons:
Fewer commercial apps from big companies (mobile versions of mainstream games/board games notably absent)
Eats batteries (though 2.2, which comes out later this year (the Desire willl be auto updated when it's released) apparently fixes a lot of this)
Turning off the 3g helps a lot with this
Signal detection can be a bit ropey in places with good 2g signal but bad 3g signal
Google now own your entire life

Good review here: www.reghardware.co.uk/2010/04/06/review_phone_htc_desire/
( Tedium Alduce me to interlow myself., Wed 26 May 2010, 15:04, 3 replies, latest was 16 years ago)

The award for the most fitting username goes to:

(PsychoChomp, Wed 26 May 2010, 15:08, Reply)

says someone who makes excel spreadsheets of someone's moodswings...

( Kitty v1.0 desperately naive, Wed 26 May 2010, 15:18, Reply)

people are more interesting than phones.

(PsychoChomp, Wed 26 May 2010, 15:19, Reply)

spreadsheets are not more interesting than anything.

( Kitty v1.0 desperately naive, Wed 26 May 2010, 15:21, Reply)

And it was a really shit spreadsheet.
Really, really shit.

Tedium's post on the other hand I thought was quite useful as I'm on the look out for a new phone.

so ner.
(Applebite Uh! A cow!, Wed 26 May 2010, 15:36, Reply)

Man, cheers for that
I don't mind, google own my life and chew my balls most days. Unfortunately a lot of work contacts are on my gmail so therefore the drunk use of mobile becomes ever more dangerous.
( whenanimalsattackhumans clad in global hypercolour, Wed 26 May 2010, 15:08, Reply)

I think they'll be widgets on the iPhone next year, the lock/home screen is in dire need for an update.
It's the only software issue that is missing, as far as I'm concerned. 4.0 caters for more or less anything, I've been running the beta since it came out and it works very nicely.

I find android very unpolished, I like subtal gradients and brush-metal effects.
( G/PP 💩💩💩💩💩&#128, Wed 26 May 2010, 16:09, Reply)

I mean, offically missing.
There are lockscreens with information on, in the jailbreak store, but that comes up with the issue that people can see your stuff.
( G/PP 💩💩💩💩💩&#128, Wed 26 May 2010, 16:10, Reply)

Background processing has given me some amazing ideas.
And I agree with Apple for only just including it, it's not true background processing, which is a good thing, as that murders the battery.

I do hope they don't take out the ability to manually shut down apps when it comes out of beta.
( G/PP 💩💩💩💩💩&#128, Wed 26 May 2010, 16:11, Reply)