I love a 29er, but they're not for everyone. I appreciate the ability to climb, but I've heard that it's harder to get the wheels rolling (I don't notice, but it makes sense).

You certainly won't sacrifice components for bigger wheels, but 29ers for shorter folks can be harder to come by. It depends on the brand, but I (at 5'7") usually take a small frame if I'm going with 29in wheels. A few brands have started making WSD 29ers (I know Trek & I think Specialized, at least) and you may want to check those out first. I don't know anything about weights though. My current bike is a tank.