Billions have been made over the decades, with drops being the defacto bars for racers and those who get hooked by the marketers. I'm not saying drops don't do a good job getting riders out of the wind, but I don't think many people really depend on that low position that much.
If I were looking for a non-drop option, it is ther NR I go for every time.
I think it's a misconception that drops are for racers. Think of it as having two options for the angle of your back and neck that you can change when you get sore from being in one position for a long time. There's no law that says you have to have the drops set really low.