Blinds, Shades and Shutters - wood blinds vs. synthetic

We are about to purchase 2" wood blinds for 6 windows. I have been told by a competing window covering co. that synthetics are the way to go these days, that they will hold up better in the long run than the wood blinds. The windows we are going to hang them on face north (away from the sun) and are double pane, low E, gas filled. Does anybody have any knowledge on the matter? Sometimes it's hard to trust salesmen, and, some sales people are obviously not up on their product knowledge.

I'm not sure about the durability factor but I've been happy with the wood grain vinyl blinds that I bought last year. I don't have experience with wood blinds but these have been very easy to clean and they really do look like wood.
I pulled up the carpet and refinished hardwood floors and the blinds go very nicely.

http://www.nobrainerblinds.com/info/9811_vinyl.asp

I was curious about the faux wood vs. real wood blind question and I ran across

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This is a great explanation of the pros and cons.

Real woods are lighter, making them easier to raise/lower.
Real woods are more rigid, needing less ladderstrings supporting the slats, running down the blinds.
Real woods are very prone to warping and problems with the finish peeling/cracking if they are used in places of high humidity/moisture and intense sunlight. In Florida, I made every effort to steer customers AWAY from them.

100% Faux blinds are immune to the humidity/moisture, and decent ones have no problems with HOT sunlight. But, cheap ones will easily bow, sag, and start to become brittle and yellowed in intense sunlight.
100% Faux blinds are much heavier, especially if your windows are large.

The compromise is a part-faux/part-wood blind known as a "composite".
These are very nice. They are lighter, and more rigid just like real woods.
They are durable and moisture/heat resistant just like fauxs.
They have a nicer finish that is applied on top of the slat material, instead of a raw, extruded appearance of the fauxs.

If I was your salesman, I would say that if you are going to go with a white/off-white colored blind, then dont even bother with the real woods. The composites will look completely identical, and the fauxs with still be nearly the same to a casual observer. But, if you absolutely must match the true stain on some favorite piece of furniture/flooring/cabinets/etc. then real wood is your best bet.

QUOTE RANDY E: "If I was your salesman, I would say that if you are going to go with a white/off-white colored blind, then dont even bother with the real woods. The composites will look completely identical, and the fauxs with still be nearly the same to a casual observer. But, if you absolutely must match the true stain on some favorite piece of furniture/flooring/cabinets/etc. then real wood is your best bet."

^^^^ that's exactly what i was going to say! since your area isn't high humidity or sunlight, appearance is your main concern (and price). personally, i think the wood toned faux blinds look fake, so if you're needing a wood stain color, go real wood. but for a painted finish, if the faux's are cheaper, go faux.