The other weekend went with a mate to a big Specialized/Avanti store for him to buy a Rockhopper with a Manitou Axel on it. I'm in the market for a new bike so I thought I'd have a look at a Stumpjumper while I was there. Funnily enough, in the whole shop there wasn't one hardtail Stumpjumper. When I asked a salesman what was doing he said that it was stupid buying a hardtail above the cost of a Rockhopper and that if you had more to spend to buy a FS bike. Don't know about that, but it was the line they're pedaling.