Sprint HTC Hero :: Replacing Phone Dialer With Keyboard - Fastest Way To Copy Contacts?

I miss typing in someones name on my BB keyboard and then pressing their name to call them. Love the Hero though. I know the hero can do this, but there are two things I dislike: 1. It uses a keypad not a keyboard. 2. The keypad takes up so much space that you can only see 2.5 names at a time, not 7 or 8+ like a BB. (I know about pressing the button to remove the keypad to see more names) Is there any way of changing #1 or #2 on my Hero? Also, What is the fastest way to copy someone's number and paste it in a text message to someone else? A task I seem to do more often than I would like. The send contact as a vcard is cool, but not all phones can read vcards.