I've owned nothing but 2 strokes on all my boats and I do love a good 2 stroke rip. When buying a motor for my latest project I wrestled with the same pros and cons covered in this thread. I went with a 4 stroke and here's why:
I had to look no further than my son's baby crib to find the answer. We can discuss aspects such as fuel economy, hole shot, etc until we are blue in the faces, but consider the common denominator for all tin boaters... FISH! Is it not fishing and the beauty of our environment that puts us out on the water? So, to me, the most important question about which motor to get is, what motor will be best for fish, and in turn will be better for fishing, not just for me now, but also for my children in the future?
Two stroke technology hasn't changed much since the 1940's, they dump 25 - 30% of the fuel and oil they use directly into the water that you fish and swim in. If the rising price of gas and oil doesn't make you think twice, the pollution should. I would hate for the day to come that I would have to say to my son, "Sorry we aren't catching any fish son, the water is just too polluted... but hey, check out this hole shot. :?
And like you BobberBoy, I wanted my next motor to be quieter.