Oh, I definitely wouldn't buy manual now that Porsche has the auto-shifters. Its not like I ever learned manual and by the time I could actually afford a 911 I imagine that manual transmissions will have gone the way of the dodo bird.
While I am sure manual is fun, automatic with the ability to shift yourself is to me more appealing. Call me lazy, but perhaps I don't want to be shifting everytime I drive.
So, I'm glad Porsche took this step forward, maybe this will be standard some day. Plus, I have read two reviews praising the PDK transmission for smoothness and then Sutcliffe says its the best available.
One last note, Sutcliffe said what I thought for a long time. He compared the engine note to that of a chainsaw, which is exactly how I thought the 996's sounded. Though I might say they sound more like a buzzsaw and the 997's more like a chainsaw.