What I mean by better is almost bug free, runs faster than expected, and takes less power. The bug-free bit enabled a pull-in of the launch dates, if you don't need another stepping, you don't need another stepping. Faster is a little less obvious, I am told you basically need two steppings, side by side to see the difference and, even then, don't look for big numbers.
The last part, less power, is the big one. I am told Woodcrest will be coming in with a 65W TDP. This is big news, and by no means a minor drop, it is on the order of 20%, and will most likely send AMD scrambling. Whatever magic Intel pulled off, well done. µ