Shift Shine Slipping?

I've said it before: I WANT the HTC Shift. However, as more details become available, I have to ask myself if I am making the correct decision. This is especially in light of new products (and expanded range of current products) hitting the market. I have to thank Kaz911 for being in Dubai at the right time to ask the right people about the Shift. He posted full specs and a brief interview - both of which are helping my decision making.

Let's go issue by issue:

Specs:
The final specs include the Stealey at 800 MHz. This chip's performance has been shown in depth with the Samsung Q1 Ultra line. A gig of RAM, Vista Business, and an 800x480 touchscreen are par for the course. The HSDPA frequencies (850, 1900, and 2100 MHz) means that the built in mobile broadband may only work on T-Mobile in the USA or may not work at all. It'd have to be tested. It is also confirmed in Kas911's interview above that the Shift does NOT have full Windows Mobile but what appears to be an advanced BIOS that may have Windows CE components. Barring the HSDPA radio (which would require a contract and a new line of service anyway) the Shift doesn't offer me anything other UMPCs do.

Limitations on Improvement:
The HTC shift does not offer a dock, extended battery, or Synaptics pointer. Also missing are dedicated scroll up/down keys, which I have found to be essential in slate mode.

Style:
The Shift wins hands-down in the Style contest. The form factor, size, weight, design, edges, comfort, balance, and more make it the sexiest UMPC to date. How much am I willing to pay for that? It comes at a price, though. I love slates because they're single, solid units without moving parts thus are more durable and less prone to physical damage. If I choose to have moving parts, why not get a tablet that's a convertible so at least the screen is protected when closed?

Competition and Price:
The HTC Shift, as I pre-ordered it from Dynamism, is US$1,500. This is with an Intel A110 CPU and a gig of RAM.
Dynamism also carries:

• Raon Everun for $799
• OQO model 02 starting at $1299 (after $200 instant rebate)
• Samsung Q1 Ultra starting at $999

The Everun is a solid unit and absolutely tiny, but does not have enough power for my tastes. The OQO model 02 is a a tiny performer and has many good accessories, but lacks finger touch (requiring a stylus.) The Samsung Q1 Ultra is a slate with a convenience keyboard and offers a vast array of accessories, but did not perform well in the videos I have seen to date. Perhaps with 2GB RAM and some tweaks, it'll run Vista smoothly. Even after my "shrug" experience with the Kohjinsha SA1, I am starting to see a lot of appeal in the $1200 SH6.

Also on the horizon are the VIA Nanobook and Asus Eee - both devices with tiny footprints and tiny prices. I'd pick the Nanobook if given the chance between the two, but am disappointed that it does not offer a regular slate mode. Since the Nanobook is a reference design, perhaps a manufacturer will modify it (remember the Vadem CLIO?) to give it a convertible slate mode.

Finally, there's the Amtek T770. It's not revolutionary compared to my eo v7110, but it is evolutionary. It offers a 1.2 GHz C7M and VX700 with Unichrome Pro2 graphics, louder speakers, better touchscreen accuracy and sensitivity and a webcam. I seriously doubt it will out-price the Samsung devices or OQO 02. Depending on how it performs with Vista (and if it can support 2GB RAM) I may end up with a T770 instead.

What happens now?
I am going to carefully consider my pre-order of the Shift. I may not end up with it after all. Without a Shift, I would probably by a Samsung Q1 Ultra (800 Mhz, 60gb HD, 1.0GB RAM, Windows XP Tablet Edition for $1279 and test it with XP,) then give it a 2 GB SO-DIMM and put my own copy of Vista Ultimate on it for comparison's sake.

Since I write to help UMPC owners and potential owners, I will take any advice on my 2nd generation UMPC.