im still divided on this. i have a DSG, i do miss changing my own gears, yeh i can do it with the paddles or gear stick but its still not as ,i guess ...connected? as manual. Dont get me wrong the DSG is amazing, when i bought my car i wanted the paddles because i wanted a toy that i could use everyday (i dont own a different car) and has deffinatly impressed, and I deffinatly couldnt change gear the way DSG does, drive both see how you feel.
also on another note it says up there about strange noises. youtube the DSG fart. that isnt something to worry about and you will hear it every now and again, probably not on ur test drive. but when u do hear it, it'll put a grin on ur face (after you know its harmless)
and yeh its true some early models didnt have the paddles, no idea how easy it is to retrofit.