It's not $700 ... you can get it for cheaper making it expensive but somewhat reasonable ... I own a Solo, INH, and MiniVAP, and the MiniVAP definitely outperforms the other two by far.
If discretion is a non-issue, I will always use the MiniVAP, where discretion is required, the INH fits the bill (and this is where the Ascent will fit as well ... if it can heat like the MiniVAP's heater in such a short path I'll be super impressed ...).
The MiniVAP to me is like my portable Cloud ... works well with the Cloud Hydratubes and my Zapubbler as well as straight-up ... the vapor is pure and the chamber is can pack a decent load and it can vape it quickly with big Clouds ... the INH you have to milk slow ... the Solo feels like my cheeks are going to implode at times and just doesn't always give me a consistent experience and I've always had a love/hate relationship with it (apart from my old trusty original Ceramic ...)
Anyways ... don't knock the MiniVAP until you try it ... is it ridiculously expensive? for sure ... however, a lot of vape enthusiasts spend a lot of money on vaporizers and for a medical user who wants a no fuss solid performer that's easy to clean and maintain, deliver's amazing vapor, and is portable too ... it's a real contender. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this to some users who would love the way the Cloud hits but couldn't handle the care nor maintenance required for it. I've never used any other portable that can hit as hard as it. A lot of vapes could be intimidating to users with all the tubes and glass and cleaning etc whereas the MiniVAP is simply no-fuss ...
Anyways ... sorry for de-railing the thread ... but thought I'd step to the MV's defense since I do quite like it since getting it
As for the Ascent ... I'm pretty sure I'll be jumping on it as well if the reviews are good. It definitely looks promising with the largely convection heating and the all glass vapor path and the bowl on the bottom of the vaporizer to extend the vapor path without extending the unit thus keeping it discrete while increasing cooling ... lots of things to like ... lots of good design features
... or maybe by then I'll have my Cera and my search for a more discrete portable will be over