There is no single right answer, of course - what is good for one person may not work for another. If there was a single right answer, we'd all be using the same equipment and all we'd have to talk about here is the weather. Based on what we've seen so far, the Model 990 looks extremely interesting, but the Model 1070 (which will cost at least $100 less and won't need separate amplification) will still be a better fit for certain people. If you're on the fence, it makes sense to hang out there for a while and see how it plays out then use Outlaw's 30-day return policy to try out the option that appeals the most.

I don't know if we've heard yet just what all the USB port will do. From the newsletter, it sounds like it will allow for firmware updates to the 990 (as an alternative to the RS-232 port) and apparently audio playback from a PC as well. Like you, I also strongly suspect that it is USB 2.0, but we don't really have anything definitive on that yet.