The important thing is that you're happy with your brakes now. I'd just suggest you keep an open mind on cantis and not let your specific experience with this specific setup lead you to make a generalized judgement on cantis. You can't ignore so many responses and posts from people who have canti setups that work just fine. I could have a brake setup that involved an iron bar jammed between the spokes. It might "stop me on a dime", but pure power isn't what I'm after. Someone with weak hands regularly descending a mountain on a heavy bike might want a different brake setup versus a strong-handed commuter on a light bike with fenders and a rear rack on flat roads.