I finished my first and only playthrough of Uncharted 1 about 3 weeks before Uncharted 2 came out.  I think if you skip the first one, you will miss out on one of the coolest things in the series: character development.  I found myself actually caring about what happened to all the characters in these games (a product of good writing) and if you don't play the first one, you won't have the built in attachment to any of the characters.  You also won't understand the history Nate has with some of them, since Uncharted 2 doesn't really explain any of it to you. 

I love Drake's Fortune, but I don't think it's 100% essential to play it before Uncharted 2.  Uncharted 2 gives you enough that you can easily figure out who everyone is, plus on PSN there's the prequel motion comic that actually has a summary of Drake's Fortune in it, so that may help serve as a refresher.  IGN has part of it here

The only downside to playing Uncharted 2 first is that it will make take away from the experience of playing Uncharted 1 because it's so much better.

I love Drake's Fortune, but I don't think it's 100% essential to play it before Uncharted 2.  Uncharted 2 gives you enough that you can easily figure out who everyone is, plus on PSN there's the prequel motion comic that actually has a summary of Drake's Fortune in it, so that may help serve as a refresher.  IGN has part of it here

The only downside to playing Uncharted 2 first is that it will make take away from the experience of playing Uncharted 1 because it's so much better.

Ooooooo--

That's unfathomable to me that someone would think 1 is better than 2.  They're both excellent games, but I felt that Uncharted 2 was in a category of its own.  I do however think it's funny that before Uncharted 2 came out, everyone thought the first one was greatest thing since sliced bread.  Now a lot of people seem to be renouncing it because 2 is so good.