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So, let's not confuse fun and interesting for a hobby level with 'better' and comp[are it to a totally different class of applications.  This is probably why certain pros get snotty and call rendo a 'ghetto'. They probably get annoyed with people grandiosly overestimating their application.

Now before people get their panties all bunched up, lets get thios straight:  I'm not saying that Poser has no redeeming qualities. It's no 'high end 3D app' by any stretch of the immagination!

Damn - now I'm sitting here with my panties all bunched and nowhere to go - lol.  Actually wanted to thank you, I think you made my point much better than I have to this stage.  Poser is a fine app, for what it does, but it is not a professional level app and most graphics pros readily acknowledge that fact.

In the $150 price range poser had a market.  In the $500 price range, I just don't see it.  If  I'm paying $500 for Poser I have enough to buy lightwave instead.  If I upgrade to the next version of poser when that comes out, that's another $200 right there - so if I skipped buying Poser and one upgrade for it I've got enough money for something like Modo instead.  Skip a couple of more upgrades and bingo, I've got enough to buy Max or perhaps even Maya.

Considering Poser track record on upgrades, for the most part your not looking at a whole lot of bang for your buck.  Often your spending a ton of money on upgrades to get bug fixes and minor feature improvements.  The firefly renderer itself really hasn't drastically improved for quite some time, the render quality is still sub par when compared to most other applications.

So yes, I use Poser at home and I like the app, I really do.  But I just don't see graphics pros flocking in droves to plunk down $500 on Poser for high end graphics work.  I don't see Max users buying Poser to supplement Max, or the Cinema 4d crowd, or most of the other higher end applications you can name.   Sure, their might be a few, but enough to make a market of?  Doubtful.  Especially not when your going to be losing your entrenched market rather quickly with the new nosebleed pricing schemes.

So no, I won't be upgrading to the new version of Poser anytime soon.  Doesn't make much sense for me to spend $200 for a "upgrade" to a program that I bought the full version for just a year or so ago for $150, particularly when most of the "upgraded" features really won't give me much benefit at all.

I really think SM missed the boat here - big time.  I just hope they realize it before they kill what is a great little app.

-Never fear, RenderDog is near!  Oh wait, is that a chew toy?  Yup. ok, nevermind.. go back to fearing...