Quote - Granted, NICE renders can be made with the basic Poser 4 renderer - but it can never ever be as good as a proper raytracing engind.

Why not?, raythracing is not superior to other rendering methods. Raytracing is one redering method that thal allows you easily do some things, (at the expense of rendering time)  that are very difficult to do with other methods.

Quote - Don't believe me? Then do ANYTHING with reflections. (not talking about faked stuff and postwork, but make me a real working mirror in Poser 4 and I'll be convinced.

Real mirrors is one of the things, probably the only one, that can be done easily with raytracing and very difficult to do with other methods.
But...., on the other side it's impossible to render real clouds with raytracing!!!!....
It doesn't exist a superior rendering method, it are only methods each one with its advantages and disadvantages, where can be used and where can't be used and with personal preferrences.
Are oil paintings superior to acuarela, acrylic or DaVinci's uncoventional methods?????

Stupidity also evolves!