HTC Droid Eris :: Confirmed 2.1 Will Require A Wipe

The race is on. Which first-generation Android phone will receive an upgrade to Android 2.1 first?
Many thought Sprint would lead off (with all the noise they made), but they have yet to produce. T-Mobile remains fairly quiet, but they could jump ahead to Android 2.2 since Google is in charge of the software for some of their phones.
Today we learn that Verizon has posted the details for the upcoming Android 2.1 upgrade of the Droid Eris. Customers will receive the update over the air (OTA), which is good so customers don't have to take their phone in to Verizon. Other carriers like Sprint will be release their upgrades over the wire.
Like we predicted, it appears the Android 2.1 upgrade will wipe the internal memory of the phone. Verizon warns customers that they will need to reinstall some applications, their contacts will be erased (don't worry, they are all synced in the clouds), and some phone settings will return to defaults.
The update is mandatory, so customers should start looking at apps to backup their apps (or just re download them from the Market).
No information was proved on when the OTA update would be available, so it could drop at any time. When Verizon released the information for the Droid 2.1 upgrade, it still took several weeks before they finally pushed it out (but they did have delays).
How do you feel about a software upgrade wiping your phone? I don't think it is that big a deal and it will benefit most customers by greatly speeding up their phone. However, I can also understand how many unknowing customers might accidentally delete some piece of data.
"You will need to reinstall applications."Details of Droid Eris 2.1 upgrade are listed below.Enhancements:Pinch-to-zoom is now available when using the Gallery and Google Maps.
New support for voice-to-text entry.
Whenever a text-entry box appears, simply tap the microphone icon on the virtual keyboard and speak.
New Gallery application with 3D layout. View and share photos taken with your phone and images from your online Picasa Web albums.
New Leap thumbnail view lets you pinch to jump between the seven panels on your home screen.
Additional calendar views and easier access to contacts make navigating even quicker.
Google Maps with Navigation provides free, traffic-enhanced, turn-by-turn navigation.
With the Enhanced Android Market, you'll enjoy a better browsing experience as well as even more applications, including Verizon Wireless content featuring self-service applications.
Ability to log onto and access multiple Google accounts at once.
Support for 19 Microsoft Exchange Server policies makes your phone more secure and business friendly.
Desk Clock intelligently dims your screen and displays the current time while charging.
Location-based cinematic full screen weather keeps you on top of changing conditions.
Improvements:
Free Yahoo! Mail is now supported—simply sign in with your Yahoo! email address and password.
Longer battery life due to power savings.
Improved You Tube video playback.
Better Blue tooth support, including contact transfer.
Automatic settings for POP3 verizon.net email accounts.
Added support for stand-alone Wi-Fi when device is in airplane mode.
Improved handset audio when disconnecting a wired headset.
Faster power-up time.
Improved swipe-unlock functionality.
Added support for Microsoft Office 2007 documents.