Replacement for Asus u6s - UL30xx specific questions

I originally posted this under the "what notebook should I buy" section of the forum, but after looking around some more I think this is a more appropriate place for it. I'm hoping I am not breaking any forum rules by re-posting here:

I've had an Asus U6S-A1 for a few years and it's time for a replacement. I have been so happy with the U6S, that I was hoping to just get another with newer components, but sadly it appears Asus has discontinued the U6-series.

What I have loved about my U6:
Size & Weight - Wouldn't want screen any smaller, love the portability of it.
Build Quality - it is such a well-made solid machine and has taken so much abuse in the garage, office and at home. I couldn't tell you how many times this thing was dropped(probably close to 10); it even withstood being hit with a 2x4 board that fell on it from about 10' on a construction site, (just had to have Asus send me a replacement keyboard because the space bar went flying when it got hit - which they were great about.) To this day, everything feels tight & right about it.
Performance - It has a C2D T7500 & NVidia 8400, Great for some quick editing in Sony Vegas 8, some minor CAD usage, extensive Adobe CS4 Suite use, some minor gaming, as well as multi-tasking daily operations like MS Office Suite web surfing, and watching movies.
Reliability - only issues I've ever had with it: keyboard needed to be replaced after being hit with falling 2x4, the AC adapter (where power supply plugs in,) is a bit -eyed after a direct hit on one of those falls but still works like normal, and video card failed(mostly why I am replacing it.)
3 USB Ports & SD card reader
Leather palm rests - I like the soft feel and that it's neither too hot/cold at any time. Very comfortable for long periods of use.
Wireless Switch - The quick switch to turn wireless on/off, has been useful on many occasions.

What I wish had been better about U6:
Locked-down BIOS - has been an issue with every laptop I've ever owned, not enough options to customize
Memory - 2GB is not enough, nor is this fast enough.
Audio - I use headphones 99% of times, because the sound is all but completely inaudible.
Battery Life - I currently have to keep 2 batteries (1x9cell & 1x6cell)
Back Lit Keyboard - I do a lot of typing at night/low-lit situations, this would be a nice feature.

What I almost never use on U6:
Fingerprint Reader
Optical Drive
Bluetooth

Usage:
I run 3 businesses, have a FT office job and will be going back to school 3/4-time in fall. I use the laptop as a primary computer, for everything but gaming/and web-server. Basically I need an ultraportable or thin and light that is very reliable and a good all-arounder. My days are long and while I have access to outlets most of the time, there are days where I don't.

The Questions:
So now I am looking at the ASUS UL30-series as a replacement. Do you think based on my needs that I would be satisfied with a UL30xx?

I haven't seen it in person, so my concerns are primarily about build quality. Seems from everything else that I've read it would meet my portability, performance and battery life needs, but I haven't really been able to gauge if the build quality is such that A) it feels like a well-made, sturdy machine, B) it'll be able to tolerate a few falls and C) will be able to run 24/7 for 2+ years in sometimes adverse conditions (e.g. cold, dirty garages; less than desirable surfaces - may actually be used on a lap.)

Next question, I am going to try to wait for the UL30JT's to come out; even though there's so little info on that model at this time. But depending on how long it takes to come out, I may just not be able to wait. So my immediate option would be the UL30VT. My crystal ball is a little hazy today, so please help me look into the future, how long do you suspect the C2D will be relevant for - Am I going to be regretting it 6 months from now? a year from now? 2 years from now? Or will it still be preforming acceptably and handling most of my non-gaming needs 2 years from now?

Is there a better option (existing or coming shortly) that I am missing?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts and insight!

Lindsey