I agree with Delthos that if you have a good access to product that is guaranteed to be suitable for dipping, there is no need to invest in Armypainter. Personally, I switched to Armypainter products because my alternative dried up in couple of months and it was too hard to find a replacement can, as opposed to Armypainter that had become available at my FLGS.
Personally, I have tried both methods of dipping and I can 100% vote for brushing on the dip. It uses up less product, gives you better control and, all things considered, takes equal or even less time and effort than dipping straight into can and shaking off the excess.
Nowadays, I dip most of my miniatures. I have adjusted my painting style so that I can actually get better results by dipping, yet saving a good amount of time and effort even if I don't cut as much corners as many dippers do. I think I have posted some of my thoughts about dipping in the past, but I may re-post them here later.