I was an early bird on the first batch of the full R1 skates last year (got the insanely priced early bird price of 50% off).
My back ground is primarily roller hockey only. I was using Alkali RPD Shift+ skates previously, so purchasing the R1 skate was an easy choice, in regard to the fitment of the boot is the same (just a lot stiffer) as what i was used to. This meant the only real thing i had to get used to was rocker.
The first skate was weird, the rocker is subtle, but can catch you off guard at first. However, as you get used to feeling over having a rocker (remember- ive only played roller), its fantastic, my skating felt incredibly smooth. Transitions from forward to backwards, feel awesome. Its almost hard to put your finger on, but the skating feels enhanced, and buttery smooth. Its hard to put into words. The grip is insane too ( i know a contributing factor is the wheels) but the extra contact through the rocker, really does enhance grip ( i actually want to run some harder wheels and see how they fair).
A friend of mine bought a pair too. His experience has been positive. His background is more ice then roller, and he admitted he felt much more at home on the R1s.