I agree with pretty much everything that's been said so far. The odds of buying the perfect bike the first time are slim.
When I started running Whitewater I remember my first boat. I knew it was the one, it was perfect. Six months later, I sold it and then got the perfect boat. One year after that. I sold it and then found the boat for me. I am sure it's future is limited as well.
Two years ago I bought the perfect bike for me. I spent more money than I had planned, made changes that would suit my riding style and was convinced that this was going to be my long-term bike. This week, that bike is going away, and is being replaced by my next perfect bike. Do your best to pick the bike that you feel will suit your riding needs and then plan on things changing.
As to the suspension, with my first bike, the giant rainier, I thought suspension was a must. I discovered that being a 250 pound Clyde and having suspension were not as compatible as I had figured. To agree with the historian, unlocked suspension to me feels like riding in quicksand.
The new bike gets picked up in a couple of days. Hardtail, Rigid Fork, 29er. I have come to the conclusion that since my trail riding and off-road is only about 25% of my total riding that I can utilize my arms and legs for suspension in order to maximize my road riding with a full rigid. Having said that I am sure a year or two from now I will have a completely different opinion
Good luck
Jay