I agree. personal preference always differs with each person. My 8525 does feel a little bit bulky, but it doesn't feel that thick to me, especially for what it offers. Have you looked at the ROKR E6? It's just a few mm thicker than a SLVR L7.
My Treo 650 feels a bit bulky and out of date, so I'm looking for one with a similar size, with touchscreen. I assume the 8125 is the same size, maybe the 8525, but that's a bit out of my budget.
So I'm guessing there's no PDA/Smartphone with touchscreen that's around $250.