Yes and no. R1 has much more of an ice like feel than a traditional inline chassis, but not as much as the O1. The difference is the rocker setting where the O1 rocker is design to mimic the ice hockey steel while the R1 rocker is designed for maximum performance.
The insert is attached to the upper part by a snap fit. It is easy to change but you need to remove the lower part (with one bolt) to reach it. The feeling of different inserts is of course a question of personal preferences, but by testing them ourselves and listen to the players who have tested them my impression is:
H5-T8: Most similar to ice hockey
H5-T15: A lot of heel movement but full contact during push offs
H8-T8: Smoother feeling
H8-T15: Most controlled feeling, less movement i general but still clear benefits from the rocker
The blue colour is anodized. Valid point, it's definitely a potential alternative, in the end it's a matter of how many players we see demands it. /Petter, Development Engineer at Marsblade