Hi, Cheekygeek, nice observation and congratulation on your choice. I went through the same exercise as you did to compare before I purchased my K100D and now the K10D.
Originally Posted by cheekygeek
• Uses non-proprietary (AA) batteries (simply a great idea)
I also liked the AA battery option when I chose K100D over XT. OTOH, I also liked the battery option on the K10D as well since it is lithium-ion and also cheap (since it shares the same battery (NP400) with old Minolta model.
OT: nice to hear someone from Nebraska, I went to UN at the Lincoln campus some years ago - I like it there.