Well, I'm going to leak some of what I am preparing to write in my review of the Hybrid in my response to Peter and ride525.
Peter,
The numbers used by Hybrid are from a test tank so they really aren't applicable to a real pool. Of course, every pool is different and even with the same plumbing and equipment, pools next door to each other will come out with different numbers. But in my situation (2 inch pipe, DE filter, Heater and a bunch of 90s before the pipe ever gets into the ground), 2200 rpm pushes 30 gpm with 432 watts. If I open my pressure side valve to pool and spa, gpm goes up to 34 and if I also open my suction to pool and spa, it goes up to 38. As Hybrid told me, the pump can only suck as much as it is pushing and it can only push as much as it is sucking. So if I had more efficient plumbing, I would see a big increase in performance. You are probably seeing less than 30 gpm at 2200 rpm due to having smaller pipe but if you have fewer 90s and more efficiency elsewhere (like no heater), you may be getting the same or better performance.
ride525,
Why I chose Hybrid over Pentair. First, as others have posted, pentair customer support via their centralized phone/email center stinks. I'm sure that if you know a pool professional, you will get better support from the local Pentair support reps that work with pool pros but their central customer support leaves a lot to be desired. Second, Jason (he is just an incredible source of information - same with Mark...thanks guys!) reported that users are starting to report failures in the VS/VF as they get to the 3 or 4 year mark in age. Third, when I was making the purchase decision, Pentair still didn't have the drive or timer field replaceable so you were buying a new pump (that seems to have changed but I don't know how much they charge for a new drive). Conversely, when you email or call Hybrid, you can talk directly to their main R&D guy. No one has reported a pump or drive failure online for Hybrid and they claim to have never had a pump failure in the field (meaning they've blown up pumps in the lab during testing but never had a pump fail at a customer site). Hybrid uses an external drive and Hybrid estimated the replacement cost just for the drive at around $300 retail. So I knew the pump and drive were replaceable independent of each other and I knew the cost of the drive plus Bruce lives near me and and has run his for years.
Additional advantage the VF/VS+SVRS has is the built in timer that allows you to switch speeds without an external device. The VF has a flowmeter although no one can tell you how it works (whether it is an actual measurement of flow or an algorithm that converts data to flow). I have a $70 blue-white flowmeter (the 18 - 70 gpm model). If you don't need automation or you already have automation, the Hybrid costs a couple of hundred less than the VF. An interesting thing with the Hybrid is that you can hook up a rheostat to the drive and control the speed via the rheostat.
If you are just filtering and running 24X7 at the slowest possible speed, the VS/VF will be more economical. All the postings on gpm and watts translating to cost per turnover indicate a linear relationship - meaning the slower the rpm, the lower the cost per turnover. Hybrid is designed a little differently. It is most efficient closer to the mid rpm range. If you graphed their cost per turnover, it would look more like the Nike swoosh - slightly higher at low rpm then going down then back up. That's why the installers all recommend using 1800 to 2200 as your default speed.
Lastly, if you are thinking about getting a variable speed pump and you are close to the San Diego area, contact Bruce - he's the simicrintz poster at Pool Services Technologies and get a quote from him - tell him you saw his posts on TFP and he might give you a TFP discount. He and Sal installed mine and although they sell other services, no hard sell on anything and he didn't even mention that they sell the liquidator - I had to read about it on this forum after they told me I had to switch to liquid chlorine because of my CYA level. And yes, Bruce, you were right that I should have used your reverse osmosis process on my pool instead of draining it.