OK, I've been playing with mine all day.
To answer your questions:
The only thing I was really surprised by was the weight. It's got some junk in the trunk. Not enough to be a problem, though. Feels great in my hand, no problems in my pockets, but I also don't wear tight clothes, so YMMV. A met a friend for lunch and he actually commented, "I'm glad they're finally getting some size on these things!"
With the keyboard extended, reaching the top of the screen with my thumb is a stretch, but doable.
Can't compare to the Focus directly, but my brother has an HTC Incredible. The Venue Pro is just a tick larger in every dimension (about 1/8"), but it seems you get a whole lot more screen because of it.
I hope that helps.