I'm interested, but on internship in NY and don't have my PC here for the summer. What are the lot of differences from Minecraft aside from the obvious 2d-ness of the game??

There's a lot more stuff to do that isn't just building things. There are bosses, and a dungeon and other areas with unique items/weapons. But yeah, quick look probably showcases this stuff better.

And to not make it like I was trying to be flip about it, while watching the QL I allowed myself a few precious moments of nostalgia for Legacy of the Wizard. Which is a game that should be cribbed more from.

A small but important difference is that your tools dont break and you dont need to memorize crafting recipes. 
 
Also, you can set up empty houses and NPCs will move in.

The combat is actually fun and worthwhile and the items are cool instead of being useless.

The game is much more focused around combat and exploring caves instead of building things.
 
In fact, not to get too judgmental here but, I'd say Minecraft has a better building system.
 
Of course, Terraria has better combat, a wider selection of enemies, BETTER enemies, more loot, armor sets, cool & interesting weapons, realistic water physics, NPCs that you can get to move into your town, boss battles, your weapons & tools don't break, and it has a more streamlined crafting system.
 
I kind of wish Minecraft would pick some of this stuff up, cause it's REALLY cool, and it'd be much more fun if I could build in a 3D space while fighting off demon eyes & stuff

Really a completely different game.  Sure there is some building an exploration, but Terraria plays more like an Action RPG, grinding mobs for loot, finding chests, upgrading gear, leveling up your health/mana.

I'm interested, but on internship in NY and don't have my PC here for the summer. What are the lot of differences from Minecraft aside from the obvious 2d-ness of the game??

Game is more fun, but has less to explore. Lot more content though.

Here you go - http://indiegames.com/2011/05/terraria_vs_minecraft_why_2d_i.html

I feel almost bad for saying this but i do prefer it to minecraft as well really... I just hope notch will add some kind of objective or something to minecraft beyond just building things...

Well, see Minecraft is fun...

Well, your not really collecting things for building and stuff like that. Also, it is a lot more combat based.

You actually have an objective. There are actual bosses. It looks a whole lot better.

Terraria gets stale when you have all the items and have done everything. Wheras with Minecraft, if you have the imaginative juices flowing, can last you a very long time.