@yates7592: Got it! I had completely forgotten about mics terminated with XLRs. None of mine are, so I can always use an XLR-to-mini-jack cable. Makes complete sense what you're saying.
I'm not in broadcast, but like Amir my main interests are in ambient sounds and spoken voice. Both of these are relatively quiet: especially relative to some bands. So, for me, high quality pre-amps in a small package is priority #1 to me. Lesser pre-amps don't work so well, or add noticeable background hiss. That's why I love the D100: very high quality pre-amps.
I should say that I've always been in search of the "perfect" audio recorder: one that I can use in my office, going other locations in my city for interviews, and even when traveling. The D100 is that all-in-one perfect answer. When at my university I can pair it with the Sound Devices Mix-Pre (or a SD USB Pre2) to do interviews with great lav mics. Can record in my office with a nice studio mic. When traveling far away I have 3 "travel" mics: small electret powered lav mic, small binaural mics, and a relatively small interview mic (Beyerdynamic M88). The flexibility the D100 gives me is fantastic.
I'll confess that if I were recording lots of loud music, with boisterous and unruly crowds, I'd probably opt for my Sony M10. Don't need the super quality pre-amps in those situations. The M10 works well with loud environments. And if something goes wrong, I'm out $200 instead of $800.