Re:
I stood my 26er beside a 27.5er a few months back. The increase in diameter is not dramatic and thus I cannot see the point. A 26er with a 3" wide tyre works out at about the same diameter but looks much more purposefull, I have a Nokian Gazzaloddi 26 x 3.0 so I know this from experience not hearsay. A 29er is still noticeably bigger and thus has much more point. The 27.5er wheel is just the latest marketing hype.