Actually, all of those details I noted were made public -- what, you think I work for them? lol I just pay attention. As for it being a matter of record, I should note that you said "core changes". Core changes, by their nature, tend to limit backward compatibility (such as the core change in windows from 9x to nt -- everything in Xp was asked for by folks during a wishlist request for 98). If, by some strange miracle, CL had made all those wishlist items come true, I think the markets that they do depend on would have been even more brutal in their assessment of it, and that would have, given the way some folks react, crushed revenue from new sales (which are also used to gauge to wisdom of investing in the company, further crushing sales), which would have further placed Poser down the hill. No, incremental change, for this situation, works better. It gives them time to build, the community time to continue growing, and while many folks aren't happy, many are. What's really funny, though -- and I'm not digging, please don't take it that way -- is that the application best described by the P5 wishlist is MAX or Lightwave. The same tools used to model most of the content for Poser, but having a much steeper learning curve and a less friendly interface. Even in it's anticpated form, D|S is not going to offer many of the features that were requested on that wishlist. It is, however, going to do something that is needed, and desperately: provide more than one option. With luck, DAZ will be able to retain use of the 3Delight renderer once the program goes on sale, and if they can implement some of the requested features already piling up as plug-ins, then there will be some mighty fine capability to it. People keep seeming to expect it for free -- but no where has DAZ ever said it will be. The BETA, yes -- they want a million downloads of it. The final -- nope. In fact, they've stated the cost is undetermined, so it might be, and then again, it might not be. It's a good program. It will definitely put CL on their toes, and that's something even tehy have to admit is a good thing, though grudgingly so. Puts a fire under the belly. It was even well timed -- by the time P6 reaches market, they will have established a good solid program, with a loyal user base (likely yourself included). The two programs will then duke it out for market share (and the flame wars over whish is better will be truly spectacular) for a bit, until the real test finally comes: D|S 2 versus P7. And all of this is likely to hit within the next three years or so. Oh yeah, this is a good time for all of us who love using Poser. 5 may not be perfect, but it is better than 4 (just it has that learning curve thing to it, which really irks people), and D|S -- even in a late alpha -- is showing the salt of its worth. Heckfire -- take them both while ya can. Can't have too many hammers...

thou and I, my friend, can, in the most flunkey world, make, each of us, one non-flunkey, one hero, if we like: that will be two heroes to begin with. (Carlyle)