29er Review/thoughts

Just bought a Scandium 29er hardtail. Anyone else got one?
Bargain - I'd been quoted 2,000 for the 2010 model, with no stock until Feb.
Picked up the 09 model for 1350.
The 2010s come with through-axle forks, though having a teenage Stumpy, I figured I could live without.
Most 29ers come with 29 specific fork offsets to avoid geometry problems caused by the wheel size difference (see Sheldon Brown's site for more detail on this)... probably why they have only just moved on to through-axles.
In terms of my riding experiences, take them with a pinch of salt - I'm a roadie at heart, and the only other mud pluggers in the stable are approaching 20 years old - harking from a day when my imagination was not so good.
Really disappointed with some of the local shops who have been quite disinterested, have no 29er demo stock, charge full retail / more than I've been quoted elsewhere, and are only willing to do what I can do on the internet - take my spec., order the bike, then charge me full retail!
Ended up going North and buying from a shop who had several in stock and were fine with a test ride. Spent 90 minutes doing setup and explaining these "new fangled suspension fork things".
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Anyway, if anyone's thinking of a 29er - Took it out today for the inaugural shakedown, and I think it gave me one instead - Awesome!
Light, and very fast. Extremely stable with a low CofG due to the cranks sitting below the axles.
For those who don't know what I'm talking about, with the larger format wheels, these bikes have been variously described as Wagon Wheelers and Clown Bikes. They are the MTB equivalent of hybrid cross bikes, sporting 700c rims with larger tyres.
Gary Fisher was one of, if not the first to market with 29ers. Kona have also joined the party and ringing round a few shops there were rumours of a small number of Specialized Stumpies in 29er guise in-stock (probably US imports). Fisher stock was somewhat limited.
One local shop sells steel 69ers! Large front wheel and traditional sized rear.
With wheels that are larger, 29ers are said to hold more momentum. Whilst it's not noticable on spin-up, the bike does just keep on rolling.
The Theory is based loosely on the fact that a larger wheel will have a lower angle of attack/departure over obstructions, and a fractionally larger footprint.
Sand, clay, stumps and mud have a noticably lesser slowing effect when compared to my Stumpy. Covering ground seems a lot easier and less lumpy even with the forks locked out.
The ride is very pliant without being overly flexy - probably a combination of the larger diameter rims and thus
longer spokes taking some of the strain, plus a longer wheelbase.  Dropping down steps is noticably less crashy too. Picking up the front wheel feels nicely controlled.
Clearances are not great, though were never a problem. The front deurailleur is set with about 5mm of clearance above the chainstay, and the rear 2.1 tyre sits very close to the front changer.
The cockpit is huge, with bars set high - probably due to catering for the fork. If you're contemplating trying one, drop down at least 1 size.  It did initially feel as if I was riding on the top of a large machine with bars set up there in the sky.
Stand-over height is reduced when compared to a 26" wheeled frame.  With hindsight, I should have dropped another size. At 5ft 11, I bought a 19" frame.
Gearing was good. Bear in mind that it's slightly taller due to the wheel diameter, giving about 11% further travel for each turn of the cranks. In my opinion, my particular transmission has too many descent gears.
On the downside, you really don't want to be doing too many last minute dismounts as the top tubes seem higher - something I discovered rather painfully. This is probably due to catering for the fractionally larger wheel heights.
Additionally, if you're looking to make high speed tight turns, the gyroscopic momentum of the tyres on tarmac is noticable - something that an hour in the saddle will have you forgetting. 
The plus is fantastic stability when descending. I had read that the front tyre is rather close to one's toes / toe overlap issues - The reality is that I found it was not a problem. I did manage to brush the tyre with my toes a couple of times when dabbing at inelegant wobbly angles.
My other observation is a propensity for the back-end to flick-out over obstacles, especially under power -
probably because I'm still pushing forward when I'd normally be backing off, and there's an odd feeling when twisting out of ruts, that I can't quite put my finger on - larger tyres and more to manoeuvre, with a smoother less "jolty" exit but less feedback. At least one site has said that on a 29er, body weight is more evenly distributed front to rear.
To summise, an excellent tool for lightweight cross country - though I think I'd keep it away from the bike park!
Would I buy another? You bet!