If i can edit my contacts either on my droid or in backup assistant plus on my pc, which then is the authoritative copy when I say 'sync'???
Doesn't matter. Synch can go both ways. It can "upgrade", say an Email from your phone to your computer and visa versa. When you request a synch, whichever device has the newest copy will then send it to the other device.
So, if I create 20 new contacts on my phone, then use my pc to add the one I
forgot and then synch, I'll lose the first 20?
Shouldn't.
Does the system synch on an entry by entry basis?
When you add the first of 20 and say 'save', a synch occurs?
When you add the next and then 'save', another synch occurs?