FWIW, I drove down to REI yesterday and they were helpful enough to power one on and let me take it outside to see what it looked like in full daylight. It was not nearly as bad as I was expecting, so I think I'm going to go with it, but I couldn't get it from them since all they had in stock was the high-end bundle and I don't need all the sensors, etc.

REI of course sells them at full retail ($449 for the basic unit), but I'm actually getting ~10% off that with next year's member dividend payout. Also, it's covered under their 100% satisfaction guarantee, so I could use it on an upcoming multi-day tour and if I decide I don't like it, I can return it and look for a used 705.