The phone that makes you happy is the best one for you. I love HTC's policy, I love the M8 technically. I won't buy a phone without a replaceable battery. So for me it's not a good buy and the Note series is (I love the S-Pen but I could live with a thin capcitive stylus), for you the Note isn't a good buy and the M8 is. It's like asking whether chocolate is a good flavor.