Having spent a few more hours experimenting with the carvers, I can say that in comparison to inlines, the carvers demand much more precise movements. Not only when linking turns on a (at least for now, gentle) slope, but also for basic manouvers.
In linked turns you really have to work with releasing, flexing, tipping the free foot and counter rotation to get the carvers to turn anywhere even close to the "radius" you can get with inlines. You also have to "commit" to each turn much more explicitly than on inlines. Any hesitation in transition and the carvers will let you know....
Also in basic manouvers you need full commitment for the move, or you will be in trouble. For instance, on inlines, I often use a "Mohawk" turn in narrow spots, e.g. when stopping for a traffic light. The turn is done by placing the skates "heel-to-heel", so that one skate (the outside) continues forwards, while the other one travels backwards, pretty much "in line", tracking the first. The desired result is to spin a 360 almost on the spot. This is fairly simple on inlines, but first time I tried it on carvers, I almost took a fall, only barely avoided by hopping around a good while on one set of wheels after the other, almost like some not so pretty version of some local folk dance...
And this was even though I had almost no speed. After several attempts I started to become able to do these turns, but again, the margin for error is much less, you basically have to commit fully to the move, and get the carvers exactly in the correct edge angle, otherwise you will take a fall.
An other basic movement demaning more precision on carvers is doing "crossovers", i.e. where you (on flats) can accelerate through a turn by letting your outside leg "cross over" in front of the currently stroking inside leg. You need to make sure that when that crossing leg is placed on the pavement, it has the necessary big toe edge angle or else it will go straight, while the other, currently stroking on its little toe edge will turn...
I also find that I get less leverage using the heel brake on the carvers as compared to inlines, it takes more distance to stop from any given speed. I don't know if this is because the brake pad on the carver is smaller, or because the angle of the brake pad arm is different.
Other things you might do on inlines, e.g. like riding only on the forward skate's backmost, and the tracking skate's frontmost wheels: don't do it on the carvers, at least not with the model with the front bumpers - when the front bumper hits the pavement, that leg will stop...
I plan to mix my use of inlines and carvers - it's going to be interesting to see if muscle memory is able to keep these two ways of moving separate, if not, I'd better wear full ice hockey gear when skating on either of them....
Cheers,
Tommy