Hi Polly - welcome to the board. I guess I was lucky not to know my DS was gifted before he was 3, so I didn't worry about early preschool (well, at least I wasn't aware that he'd need anything different educationally speaking). So I just did what all the moms in my area did, which was send their kids to preschool at age 3. So my DS (now 5) did preschool for 2 years, like everyone else around here. In retrospect, I would have kept him home and sent him only when he was 4. It doesn't take a whole lot to learn what they want you to learn in preschool (e.g., how to share, stand in line, do what the teacher says, etc). And the second year of preschool, DS was underchallenged, and he is not a kid who likes craft projects, so he really disliked preschool.
I did go to early childhood classes through our county, so my DS got to be around other kids for an hour or two once a week. (Really, this was mostly for me, so I could be around other adults for a bit!) We also did the library story time to see other kids. But mainly, I just took him places like the zoo, the playground, downtown, etc. I really don't think at age 2 any kid is really going to learn all that much from being around other kids.
You say that your DS is a bit inhibited in public. Have you ever separated with him before? I ask this because we had serious separation anxiety starting preschool at 3, and it never would have worked at age 2. But of course, if you think your DS would have fun, then I don't see too many problems.
That said, I'm a little worried that my DS has a negative attitude toward school, because his exposure so far has been such that he didn't learn much and he didn't relate to the other kids. So I wish we would have limited the preschool experience to one year.
On the other hand, if you need a break because you have been alone with a highly curious energy sapper, then I say go for it! Of course, all of this is just our experience - every family and kid is different.
