Yeah, from what I know FMA is a hell of a lot sadder than FMAB.
Also, I gotta give it to them on how they handled the Homunculi (which is a lot different to how Arakawa handled them.) Too bad DoC isn't here, because he prefers FMA over FMAB and was pretty good at telling you why. Chris (I think) prefers FMAB and is pretty good at telling you why also.
I'm placing my bets that Chewin will prefer... err... I don't really know >< FMA is a lot more bitter whilst FMAB has the "good ending" thing going on. That would make it weaker in my books if the ending wasn't so damn fitting and if they didn't fight REAALLLY f*cking hard to earn it. The last arc is essentially the entire finale (10+ episodes btw) which reminds so much me of LOTR because EVERYBODY is fighting, Himoru doesn't forget characters and conveniently have them appear later on, no, it's everybody doing their part and that's what makes it so damn awesome.
If I do watch FMA, it'll be years in the future where I don't watch anime that often anymore and have forgotten just a little at how FMAB went. But that seems impossible now seeing how much I f*cking love it.
But hey, I used to watch LOTR religiously before and now I only watch it like once or twice a year.
They are pretty f*cking long movies though xD
Only EE, of course. If you aren't doing EE you're a dirty casual 
My very simple recollection was that like eps 1-25 or so FMA was more fun, 26-60 (or w/e FMAB ended on) FMAB was more fun. Specifically I missed Olivier, the other Homunculi, and the ending of FMA:B, but the kind of pacing, direction, music, and certain thematic moments established in FMA. So... something like that.
Basically (I guess your not there yet) but Briggs (which was a nify creation) and everything after it's a bummer they didn't get to all that in the original.
There was a scene in FMA though I kept waiting for in B that never got, it was where the two brothers decided they were going to fight to get better and the music starts playing and it was all very swell.
I'll conjure up another! I have like 2-3 now... at least, it's always so tempting.
As for Death Note... thing is...