Truth is, an SSD drive capability would solve all the above problems, even an 32 GB SSD would perfectly allow more than enough space for samples and other content, and also have the capability to stream whatever you threw it.

A huge reason I see no need to upgrade the XS8. I'll wait for the loads LOL $300 a pop is necessary for the live player perhaps. Plus they left off the mLan FW interface which sent 16 audio tracks to independent tracks on any DAW which was stock on all the 88 weighted Motifs. If they replaced that with USB 3 I might be interested. But Yamaha is always way behind the technology curve when it comes to RAM and interfacing, I only recently got Win 7 64 bit drivers for the Firewire interface and still have not loaded them up because there are a whole host of plugins that would have to be purchased in 64 BIT versions....ugh, Its a good thing I am not one of those 24+ track guys, 32bit Win 7 is good enough, Tyros picks up a lot of the slack there. I am not out to sell a million copies of anything. Just have a little hobby that pays for itself.


[This message has been edited by Kingfrog (edited 09-25-2010).]

Hard drive reliability is still dependent on how the drive is treated. No-one wants to drop their laptop... it will still hose the drive. Fact is, most spinning platter HD's are not used in high vibration environments. If it is going to get pounded, nowadays, people want a SSHD. And those are just as overpriced, compared to cheaper computer technology, as Yamaha's RAM is compared to off the shelf RAM.

And, it's all very well and good to say that computers get a 'major' upgrade every three years or so, but put the same unrealistic expectations on them as you are saying the closed, custom chip based arrangers should have, and they can JUST as easily be said to be dragging their heels. I keep saying (and you keep ignoring) that closed arrangers are built around custom chips and processors, they AREN'T barebones computers inside. The cost of development and pace of innovation in custom chips has ALWAYS been, and will always be, much slower than software running on off the shelf computers. But the benefit is that bombproof reliability.

For the gigging pro, that's WAY more important than bleeding edge capability

Umm..psst.. "yamaha, now apply this logic to those cleverly disguised faceplates and led color changes you like to release,thx!"