Nice summary, Zubair!
My experience has been different. Like Kevin stated, factors such as pad type, compound, and technique should also be factored in. I know that when I use stiff cutting pads I lose a ton of rotation on curves and contours. The pads and compounds I use are better able to maintain rotation in those situations. These same pads make handling the 3401 a lot more comfortable to use - for me.
But you have a great lot of info in your post!