I think one thing you might fine--or at least I've found--is that it's getting harder to find well speced HT 26ers. Most of the bigger manufacturers still offer them, but they're entry-level or just above entry-level IMO. If you want a nicely speced bike, you end up having to either build up a 26er frame yourself or buy a FS bike (either 26er or 29er) or a 29er (either HT or FS).

As for forks, there are advantages to each. Coil forks are harder to set up and fine tune, but often easier to maintain. For lighter riders, i.e., those under 140 lbs, they can often be too stuff. Air forks can be harder to maintain and are generally more expensive. But they're also lighter and easier to fine tune for riders of all sizes.