No clear answer...right. I guess it's all about trade-offs. This is what I've gleaned from comments in this thread (thanks!) and some surfing about steel relative to aluminum:
cons: heavier (tho maybe not noticeable, esp. with gear on the bike), vulnerability to corrosion
pros: more durable, smoother ride, if you get lost you can blame it on the compass : )
I don't know what my preference is but all things being equal, I want the ride itself to feel so good that I make excuses to take the bike out.
Seems like there are some definite steel-lovers out there. I think I'll test the Jamis out again tomorrow.