Will they? In reality isn't the only big difference the physical keyboard vs. only virtual?
My wife has an EVO and I love it. She always complains about not having a real keyboard. I may get the Epic and tick her off for a couple of days and then switch with her.
The thing I like about the Epic so much is that you have a choice. If you want to only use virtual you can, but for those long emails, etc. you can use the physical if you want.
(And before anyone responds, yes I know about the screen, DLNA, diff processor, etc. I was paining with a broad brush.)