I got an HTC Hero a few weeks ago (22/10) and am absolutely loving it so far,
as for WLM i use eBuddy, lets you chat on facebook, yahoo and others as well.
Some apps i'd recommend:
Taskpanel
Wheres My Droid
AK Notepad
Quick Uninstaller
ASTRO (File Manager)
Power Manager (bloody awesome but not free)
Randy Marsh soundboard
