Come on, you're smarter than that! Those shares entitle you to a perpetually increasing hashrate coupled with similarly perpetual improvements in technology as opposed to a one time purchase that will be inevitably obsolete due to its lack of evolution. The gamble that is to be made here is whether one believes ASICminer is a short term phenomenon or will be a major player in Bitcoin for years to come. I believe the latter and from what I've read, you seem to believe the former (a belief that if I interpreted it correctly I respect but with which I disagree). All that being said, I leave to you the last word and may your dealings bring you happiness and profit in that order!