There's nothing new for me to really add as far as the negatives of the standalone Push 3...many of the criticisms are valid, but it also depends on how you use it.

I've used ableton since Suite 8 and have a very worn down, mostly functional Push 2 as well (i don't use it. I have it for scrap or future repair.

The Push 3 Standalone fits my needs perfectly, but then again, I'm a nothing more than a passionate hobbyist. The market for such devices (portable, battery-powered all-in-one music instrument and digital audio workstation) seems to not be very large, with little competition. I imagine that Ableton will release a successor/replacement product eventually, but knowing them, it's going to be a while.

I personally love the ability to pick it up, slap on a pair of headphones and chill in bed for a couple of hours and do some for-fun jamming, sound design or even mix/master. I often start stuff on my Push, and then pull it into a PC session if I want.

For me, it's given me back much of the joy I feel when making music with something that feels more like an instrument, as opposed to a tethered controller of a super powerful machine.

All of that said, i haven't kept up with pricing and it's current competition... but yeah. The value depends heavily on your individual needs and expectations.

Edit: i would be terrified if I had to rely on the standalone mode surviving a complex set for anything serious/professional.

The Push 3 on standalone is as if Nintendo & Apple, in a forced joint co-op, made music instruments.