Nice write-up -- and I agree 100%!
A .mobi, just like a .com can be made into something extraordinary if the owner is willing to put in the work (read as: develop).
Just look at NamePros as an example -- it's a good name, I'd register it if it weren't registered, but would I pay thousands for it undeveloped? Developed, I think anyone on this board would
HQ is a great example of taking much of the difficulty out of branding a domain (ZWHQ was a great example!). I'm a big fan of certain letters as well for their similar ability to reduce branding difficulties -- eg. "O" for online, or "I" for incorporated.