I think smith is, in general, a horrible place to learn to trad climb. I think it would be preferable to build your technique/muscles in the gym or sport climbing, then head to trout or the lower gorge to learn to place gear.
Hmmm. Doing a quick comparison using some tech specs found at various places on the internet: (feel free to check, they could be wrong)
Gipsy........Max range: 205mm Weight: 485g
BD C4 #6.....Max Range: 195mm Weight: 557g
Big Bro # 3..Max Range: 203mm Weight: 263g
Things I noticed:
1. A gipsy is roughly twice as heavy as a big bro for a similar range.
2. A gipsy weighs about 2 light carabiners less than a BD #6 for a similar range.
This doesn't exactly scream innovation to me.