Any question answered...

Are pinion gear boxes good on bikes? Will they replace external gears on commuting and touring setups?How do they fare relative to rohloff or Alfine?

I can't see them breaking out in a big way. The classical planetary gear hub is well known and understood by users and mechanics, and requires little or no adaptation of the frame. Also, they're cheap which is a big deal in the commuting space. The Pinion 2-shaft gearbox has no material advantage in efficiency, it's heavy, forces a huge Q-factor and requires a special frame. The only demonstrable technical advantage of Pinion is that it reduces unsprung weight on frames with rear suspension.