thank you for the help and apologies for not specifying…(and also only discovered the difference in XC and trail! https://ninerbikes.com/blogs/niner-blog/do-you-ride-cross-country-or-trail-understanding-different-types-of-mountain-bike-riding)
as a beginner its unlikely i’ll be heading down steep rock faces or over any jumps above a few feet, but thats not to say i dont want to!!
At the end of the day a bikes only as good as the person on it, i want something that will allow me to enjoy & have a taste of everything. i like the flowing tracks as speed but as i get better, id like to have the confidence in a bike to handle larger jumps, steeper drops. I do like a fast flowing track but also technical obstacles. (not so much rock gardens or tree roots.)
Buying a beginner bike on budget is harder then buying a car!