Well, the statement in the article (even if its confirmed) doesn't make any claim to the length of time they are talking about (just "future plans"). If anything, HTC has shown in the past few months that they are willing to change direction quickly in order to compete. May very well only be a present and near future plan. And while this does seem to sink hopes of finding a suitable QWERTY replacement for the Z/G2 anytime soon, I have no doubt that HTC would quickly change this stance at a later time, if they had reason to believe there was good enough demand for phones with hardware keyboards.
As for competitors with QWERTY smartphones, just my opinion that all other manufacturers tend to disappoint me with their build quality. Motorola handsets often look great on paper, and even ok in photos, but always feel like cheap plasticky crap, with clunky keyboards once in hand. Similarly, Samsung and LG continue to feel lower in build quality to most HTC products.
But on that same note, its disappointing to see HTC take the "slimmer, lighter" route with their flagship One X line. Haven't actually held one in hand yet, but I have a feeling the polycarbonate body just isn't going to feel as sturdy as HTC's aluminum body designs. I've read a number complaints about the weight of aluminum body phones, and the popular trend is obviously thinner & lighter. But I actually like to have some heft to the phone. Aluminum body phones just look nicer, and feel more durable than skinny light plastic phones. And I don't understand why people make such a big deal about weight anyway. It doesn't make any difference when its sitting in your pocket. And if you get tired holding something that weighs a few ounces, you should probably exercise more.