hm. i just hate wanding, to be honest. you do have a point. got to waste a retalent to get out of your early spec if you do that. *shrug*
Also... I made my own first wand, at level 10. didnt know they existed until then
EDIT: to be a bit more on-topic, the WoW class forums probably have more detailed discussion than we could ever manage, if you can be bothered to sift through the million tons of trash posts to find the good thread.