Actually Lenz does have a model with a dial.
My own bias and totally un-scientific opinion would rank the systems like this:
Uhlenbrock/Twin Center
Pros: Complete line of products, form factors (They just look and feel good)
Cons: Sprechen Sie Deutsch?
My system of choice.
Lenz
Pros: Wrote the book on DCC, their decoders are the best
Cons: Don't like their cabs.
If they had better cabs this would be my system of choice.
Zimo
Pros: Their technology is awesome
Cons: They like to do things their own way so you really need to go all the way with them.
Their cabs look like HP Calculators so if you can't add 2 + 2 (actually 2 Enter 2 +) without
Reverse
Polish
Notation this is the system for you.
NCE
Pros: High Quality and very powerful system
Cons: Built for the American market, I didn't see any really small decoders for my stuff. Cab could kil somebody if you hit them with it.
Digitrax
Pros: Very popular in the US, why should this matter? Tried and true for many years of prototype operation. Kept the good stuff left out the BS
Cons: Ugly, hey this is my list!
All the rest.
Notice I didn't list any set manufacturers? The issue with these are that they will always be somewhat behind the companies who's bread and butter is DCC. If this doesn't matter to you then forget everything I said.