I'm in your camp of 1800. But I ghink this pushes me up not down but maybe my logic is wrong? A few things to consider:

*I do about 3-4k equivalent SP if I include all competitors flying and points tickets equivalents (my points are almost all Cathay, competitors are all cash usually); for now my only real reason for stopping at 1800 is I didn't get anything past it. and I do like the competitors too, and schedule, etc. not end of world to give CX more if they give me more.
*The new system has rollover, this is useful. First it was silly we always lost SP, and second it has relevance for your situation. So say you do 1800, which is normal DM not DME/DE in new system (whatever we call it. I like the three letters due to DMP parallel but I'll go with the crowd). You can roll 600 to next year, so say you do 1800 next year you get DME (1800+600 rolling from last year). Therefore an 1800 DM really will be splitting half time as DM and half as DME every other year.
*If we look at it in above light, then every two years you get 6 bookable upgrades: 4 F and 2 J.
*I'd have to imagine the accelerated path will build more DMs faster and DME will be intentional or not, a differentiated service level on board. Put bluntly, DMEs will be the new DM in crews eyes. This is more stick than carrot I know for existing DMs just saying what I think is reality. Just saying, if you want top treatment on CX as a civilian (non VIP non DMP), then I think DME is way to go in future.
*Buggy is a small benefit but they did upgrade it for DMEs, two pax now not one. (Of course it's deleted for regular DM.)
*Relationship manager formalized. What I've read about on here, seems great and if it was formal I would've spent more. I think they'll win me over with making this explicit.

As to the DMP mention, and comparison DME vs. IN, my guess is IN will be treated like regular DM. I am simply speculating. But I do know enough regular DMs, a few DMPs, one IN, and some who are VIP (and I have traveled with all on separate occasions) on their boarding pass, to tell you the ranking of treatment on board is very clearly VIP->DMP->rest of us, including IN. I only know one person who has Invitation, longtime HK resident who flew with CX in the true old school days pre handover. Maybe my IN anecdote is flawed. But a DMP friend spends a serious amount of cash personally (buying criminally expensive fares that many on here would gasp at for being unnecessary, including in presence of award fares!). Maybe a decade ago another acquaintance was a lawyer flying an unnecessary amount to JFK, paid for by the client probably, all J and was DMP too for a few years. Very different personal wealth profile but very clear both driving big revenue to CX. I think that DMP group is very spending oriented and CX manages it based on that pretty closely. I also know they have discretion with DMP and it's not 100pct spend exactly but close. VIPs are different situation, this is more person or entity they represent not the spend. The ones I've flown with are public persons and it's on the BP, and the service is quite different.

Another reason to think IN may be more like regular DM, is this DM Reserve thing. That's basically a watered down lifetime benefit which can be warned by DMs/DMEs now and definitely benefits me and many members on here I believe. Although of course actual lifetime would be way better.

Two questions
1) Does anyone know if the bookable upgrades will go back to pure A and I inventory? Or is it still this really unfavorable CX special availability inventory which we can't know? The BUDs are way more valuable if they just go into a fare buckets. By making this change and F is only for DME, it makes me think BUDS got unintentionally costly for CX esp J to F, but maybe they'll reconsider and go back to the original (A/I inventory availability) method now that it's harder to obtain.

Also, note to CX: now that you've crushed partner inventory in premium classes and are favoring CX award bookings (selfish comment from this DM: thank you!!), the partner award situation hoarding F seats is over, maybe BUDS can get A fare again! After all, this is basically a double incentive for the partner people to move over and consider CX as their program. (Crush partner premium award availability, and create easier paths for CX members to get in premium cabins.)

2) Mods, we've got two threads going about this! I know I've posted in both as have many others. Any chance we can get a consolidation? Much thanks! And v happy to have a new interesting topic to debate.

(Last comment: Also worth noting they ditched the lounge passes. Good idea but mine keep expiring worthless so execution was bad and no loss there. I doubt I'm only one who found them useless. When I'm traveling I can usually get my party in the lounge anyway, and the people I travel with most are my redemption nominees anyway, so I never could burn them for colleagues or friends without status which was always the best theoretical use of them. Just not well thought out good riddance to that "benefit". (If anyone at CX is listening: the lounge pass idea would've worked if I had an expanded redemption group nominee list and could change two, not one, a year. But I understand CX may be worried about abuse, prob people selling lounge access and no big deal anyway.)