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James,
At Focus, they did a presentation on the new D7100 and it was mentioned that both the D90 and D300S would be on limited supply only, with a view to them being phased out of the current line up. They also mentioned that the D7100 wasn't a replacement for the D7000, as it would sit above it as the flagship model in the DX line up of cameras. The D7000 would continue to be produced as the next rung up the ladder from Nikon's 4 Beginner level cameras.
Now I have a D7000 myself and yes it shares the same direct access controls as the D90 and D300s, but that is where the similarities end. The D7000 is a newer camera, with a newer sensor that enjoys the benefits of much better noise control, more focus points and a newer picture processor that improves it's Dynamic Range performance over the D90. Now the D90 in it's day was a fabulous camera, but time moves on and cameras like the D7000 have moved the boundries forward.
Getting back to your original question, like you I think the D7000 is a step up on what you have now, but is it a significant enough step up. It's debateable, I'll be honest. However, the new D7100 on paper is a significant improvement on the D7000 and a monumental leap from a D90. You would benefit from the latest sensor technology, the latest picture processor proven in the D4, D800 and D600 and still be able to use all your current lenses. Plus in the 1.3 crop mode you would have even more telephoto pull with your 70 - 300mm lens and still have nearly 16 MP resolution pictures.
Personally, I would wait for the D7100 to drop in price to a level that was within your budget and then go for it. I think the reviews will be out very soon and from what little experience I've had from playing with one at Focus I think it's going to be a Bobby Dazzler. Its very like the D7000, but really it's how the D7000 should have been. Basically, they've designed out the few niggles with the ergonomics, improved the picture quality and they won't need another camera to replace the D300s because the D7100 is good enough itself.
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