Wondering about the new Predator 3500 generator... on sale now at $649.
Inverter technology is definitely the way to go for smaller units, for a few reasons:
Lighter weight - Much less weight in the generator coils
Quieter on light loads - they don't have to run at a fixed 'frequency of rotation' to keep AC Cycles per second constant, the inverter does that, light loads it can throttle down to almost idle speed
Can be 'stacked' to gain capacity - the inverters can be phase synchronized so the outputs can be paralleled
Much more fuel efficient due to engine only runs at power level required for load demand vs. maintaining a constant RPM
Most units also provide a higher 12VDC output then do traditional units
Much better for running electronics - doesn't cause issues due to frequency or voltage variations on load delta events
Notice in the posted video, how it almost runs down to idle with no load, the engine speed is controlled by output demand, not the demand to maintain a constant output frequency.
I've got both a legacy and inverter style 1KW class unit, the new inverter is SO MUCH quieter, lighter, and being it's a 4 stroke so no gas/oil fuss to deal with where my little legacy was a 2 stroke (most all bigger units are 4 stroke).
Now, if you really want the cake and ice cream both, look into a diesel inverter unit, if you run on a RV or use one a lot they are the 'cat's meow' - or if you're rural and have frequent overhead line down outages, a fixed gen-set w/ Auto-start and transfer would be the dream!
Anyway, that Predator is so close in design to the Honda (and others) you'd be hard pressed to know the difference other than your wallet will not be quite as skinny.
