Overall, Sense 4.0 looks pretty good. As far as launchers go, Sense, in my opinion, has always been a mixed bag. Some parts of it I really like. Other parts I could do without. (I'm currently running SPB Shell 3D on top of Sense on my EVO 3D.) I also use a variety of replacement apps for contacts, calendar, etc. To look at my phone, at first glance, you would not even know that it was a Sense-based phone. With Sense, it's the small, close-to-the-metal improvements over stock Android that make the difference to me... not so much the fancy transitions and widgets. I can get those (and do) from other apps/launchers.
As far as the DroidLife review of Sense 4.0 (and the One X), I think the reviewer was nit-picking because he doesn't care for Sense. His dislike of Sense was obvious from the start, but he tried to play it like he was being objective. I could clearly see his bias. For example, when he complains about lag when opening the app tray or switching between screens, he has to say things like "I don't know if you can see it, but...". In my opinion, if you have to ask your audience if they can "see" what you are complaining about, then your complaint doesn't seem all that valid. After all, if it's truly an issue, wouldn't we be able to see the lag without him repeatedly trying to reproduce it? I could see if we were talking about a second or two of lag, but he was complaining about microseconds--intervals so small that he had to ask if we even saw it. Personally, I couldn't see what he was complaining about.
I agree that multiple reviews from different sites are the way to go. I never base my decision on one review. Ultimately, I don't make my decision until I've handled the device myself. Even then, I know that some tweaking is often required for optimal performance. I appreciate the link to the review. It's always good to see different perspectives.
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