I've been thinking about replacing the derailleur on my Trek Verve (currently an Acera M360) with a clutchless Shadow derailleur (Acera M4000). I don't need a clutch in my situation, either, but I had heard that the Shadow derailleurs (even the clutchless ones) required more cable tension to shift because of stiffer springs. Maybe that's not the case; maybe the review I read was on one with a clutch. In fact, maybe that was your report I remember. With the clutch on, shifting requires more effort, but with the clutch off, it's no different than the old non-Shadow derailleur?
I would change mine for the same reason as you: the cleaner look and nicer cable routing.