please explain why only one "poseresque" posing/rendering program can exist.

Size of the market. We're an odd group. What would be called "prosumers" in the electronics business. Not quite consumers, not quite professionals. It's always a small group, made up of very hardcore hobbyists and wannabe pros.

DAZ's plan is to grow the market, but I think it's a risky move. D|S may be easy, but I suspect the consumer end of the market will be won by gaming companies. The Sims, the Movies, Second Life, that sort of thing.

My main fear is that DAZ is trying to grow too fast. It's the companies that are expanding that at most danger of failing. And we may be heading into a very difficult economic period, due to record energy prices.

Basically, it's the same thing we saw during the dot-com boom. Plenty of room for everyone when times are good, but when times are bad, "consolidation" occurs.