Quote - is it fair to compare Poser $250
with
or Maya $3500 (autodesk.com)
or 3DS MAX $3500 (autodesk.com)
or Lightwave $1000 (newtek.com)
Cinema 4D core $1000 (maxon.com)

i would hope that those give better results then a $200 dollar app
and im sure if people had that kind of disposal money on hand would prefer those apps
but poser shouldn't be put on the same level as those apps it's just not a fair and realistic comparison

If that's directed at me, I wasn't "comparing".
This has become partially a discussion about 3D GI and IDL and all that, and it's clear that the OP was already interested in other solutions. So yeah, since I'm in it, I'm going to put in my .02 when the subject comes up.

Has asked if it should take 4 hours for that render, and no, it shouldn't. Not in this day and age, and part of my point was that if they were going to try and say Poser has IDL, they ought to at least be able to compete even remotely.