I'm a little skeptical of how significant an anodized frame is. It might be negligibly lighter and more durable, but I suspect it's just an excuse to charge more.
That said, it looks like a great, true cross bike. I have an 03' XO-1, and the 01-04 models are sort of an odd mix: some components are more suited to commuting and light touring (specifically, the drive-train), while others are for cyclocross (tires). I'm not a racer, I use mine for commuting, and light touring, so changes in the 05' aren't appealing to me, but again, it looks like a great choice if you want a true cross bike.