I run three bikes through the winter:
I have a longbike for utilitarian riding, my fixed mtb that for apocolyptic conditions, and my hybrid which is great for those cold dry spells we get and early / late winter when it gets really wet and sloppy but when one also wants to make better time. The narrower tyres on the hybrid also cut through slush very well.
The longbike is one of the best winter rides I have... it is very comfortable and stable due to it's extended wheelbase and the weight balance is nearly perfect. I never used studs on this bike last winter and rode thorough some nasty weather with no worries at all.