I have medium sized fingers, and I can type faster on the 8800 then the 8700 or nokia e61. mainly why I chose it
Its not just the travel, its the contour as well. The keys just seem to flow more (sorry I can't define this better!).
The other thing is the trackball - why did they wait so long. The end to thumb ache and now can go vertical and horizontal. The 8700 fels a little primitve by comparison.