I frequently travel on the Weymouth fasts, both up and down. This is always a 444 and frequently a 10x444; however I can recall a couple of occasions when it's been 444+450, usually with the 450 at the London end.
When I'm on a down service, I always cringe slightly when I get to Brockenhurst and see a 444 on the Poole stopping service. I've always felt that 444s should be on the fast services, be it to Portsmouth or Weymouth, and 450s should be on suburban and stopping services.
As for the 442s coming back, I don't think that in their current interior configuration, that would be a good idea. All the comfortable seating removed (yes, I know seat comfort is a hotly debated subject, this is my opinion), the snug and buffet removed and the first compartments removed. I think re-introducing them in their current state would result in complaints regarding the somewhat budget interior. It would take an interior re-fit before I would consider them to be fit for fast Weymouth/Portsmouth services.
Should they be reintroduced, they shouldn't be on stopping services. Their acceleration is far too slow. They should be fine on fasts; I'm no expert on timetable changes but I don't think they've changed so much that the 442 acceleration profile would cause big problems. Obviously if they were re-tractioned then that would become a moot point, however I would still not put them on fasts due to dwell time from the door sizes.
If they go loco hauled then that would remove the problem of traction equipment, but that would surely be a very short term option only, due to the disability requirements.
As a big fan of the 442s, I would love to see them get a new lease on life, but I can't see how that's achievable without spending a LOT of money on them. Even I can see that as they are, their uses are very limited. I would love it if Angel Trains could come up with something good for them. On the plus side, they must be about the youngest Mk3s so the bodies should be in good condition.
Should they all be withdrawn, then I hope the NSERS group will save one!