i believe the point was made, to give us an idea of how strong these bulbs are compared to MH bulbs...basically saying they may not be able to replace the role of MH lighting in the hobby.
after all, the hype surrounding these T5, is that they may be the "new" reef lighting trend.
and no, MH are not strictly for sps tanks.
so, sure it may be a viable option for
you shallow tank keepers, but for others who need stronger lighting, (for sps or not) it just may not cut it.