This statement will be yours, and a lot of buyer's, biggest hurdle, if you ever think of this device as a standard phone. The Note is not a standard phone. I tell people that if you want to use, interact, and/or carry a standard phone, then the Note is NOT for you.
Samsung built the Note for people who are concerned more with productivity then form and fashion. Don't get me wrong, the device is sleek and elegant in its own right, but that's not it's primary consideration, and it can't be for the person the Note was built for.
If all you want is an exceptional smartphone then look at phones like the Galaxy Nexus, Galaxy GSIII, HTC One X, or Razr MAXX. However, if you need or desire a device that's so much more than a mere smartphone, then the Note fits the needs of a fully functional and feature rich smartphone, a more than capable media consumption tablet, and the convenience and productivity of a digitized electronic notepad.
For a device like that one should not expect to carry it or use it, like a standard phone.