That's sort of my take on the stove. If one is a "I just need to melt snow and boil water" hard-core mountaineer, the XGK with its battle-tested hardiness will still be a good choice, but for many the versatility, price, and features of the WLU will make the new Whisperlite a popular choice.

I ran more tests yesterday morning. I have to say that the new Whisperlite, the WLU, is the best valve-at-the-fuel-bottle simmering stove that I've seen from MSR. No, it doesn't simmer like a valve-at-the-burner-stove such as an Omnifuel or a Dragonfly, but the WLU has a pretty controllable flame for what it is and is much improved when compared to the current Whisperlite Classic and Whisperlite Internationale.

HJ