Yeah.. I've been looking at similar bikes. I was actually at Urbane at lunch yesterday, eyeing bikes. I surprisingly like those celeste Bianchi cruiser/city bikes... I can't remember what they're called. Fenders, Nexus-8 hub, etc. Pretty handy. I wish they had 700c wheels though. Also checked out the Bianchi San Jose but they only had two: 49cm and 61cm.

I can't say that I really understand the advantage of 650b over 700c. In fact, I think I'd rather have a 26" wheel than 650b simply due to the plentiful supply of parts/tires/tubes. I mean, functionally I can see why a 650b wheel is better than a 26", but ultimately the 700c is even better (at least for someone who isn't short).