In the end though I felt that a high resolution keyboard combined with a sensitive pitchbender for vibrato and some other physical modulation controls would probably work just as well and I woudn't have to learn a whole new interface, so I ended up ordering a Nonlinear C15. I have no experience with the rise, but I have been thinking about keyboards that would allow me to play keys like a woodwind or bowed instrument for some time and the roli was high on my list. For me, it was the gateway to a Haken Continuum, which is the most expressive controller/synth engine I have ever used. Also, as mentioned above, they require a USB host of some sort, which is an annoyance. Nothing wrong with that, but I think the larger Seaboards are probably EOL if not already discontinued.
I feel as though Roli has moved away from producing professional devices for musicians and Is now more of a consumer electronics company bringing MPE to the masses. Also, the surface is not puncture proof, as proven by my dog when he jumped on the surface and I had to send it to the UK for repair. As far as longevity, be aware that it needs to be stored flat, or the gel can move to places you wouldn't want to have it. Of the MPE devices, I think of it as the middle step between the Haken Continuum and the Expressive E Osmose. I find it is great for certain types of flowing melodic lines and legato section parts, but it will require a lot of time to be able to play faster parts on it accurately. I love the Roli 49, but it is not a keyboard.