IMHO the xnovas are alternatives to cheap Dorcy's, not Inova's. I'd say the quality is about the same as, or slightly better than the Dorcy AA/AAA, and the newer xnovas use brighter leds.
I use xnovas for kid's gifts, loaner/giveaways, and battery drainers. I wouldn't put an old and potentially leaky alk battery in my Arc AAA or my CMG Infinity, but I don't care if a battery leaks in my xnovas. In fact, I had a battery leak in one, rinsed it out without thinking about it, and nothing happened to either the light or my blood pressure. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif