"(unlike say Access)" Access is also a MUCH smaller company which doesn´t have several developer teams. I would say even the owner is working in the development. Plus Access didn´t made a hardware sequencer so far. If you look around on the market, except the new MPC4000 and the RM1x (well maybe the QY700) there is no other product that offers such a easy to use User Interface. There is NOTHING else out there. And the way the RS is right now, it works stable and reliable, and does what Yamaha says. Sure there are design quirks, but show me a modern music instrument that does not.

" and (b) upgrades, when done in the past, were done via EPROM." Yup. The RS does it via a datafile, means the RS has like a Virus or a Q, Flash-PROMs.

"How does rs7k OS v1.14 get delivered" As a zipped file, which you unzip, put it on a SmartMediaCard and boot your RS with that card. Voila, OS 1.14 is in your system. But the RS7000 that are now on stock have this OS anyway.

Astro, don´t listen too much what it says bad things about this tool. Go to a store and try it for yourself. If possible borrow it for a few days and then do your decision. Most people here, who posted negative reviews never really worked with it. As i already said earlier, if you don´t like software-sequencer, this might be a very good alternative for you. Also there are other hardware sequencer out there, worth to check if you don´t need all that extra, the RS comes with. RM1x, QY700, MC80, MMT8 etc.pp. Oh yes and that drumsampler with the built-in drum-sequencer, MPC2k, or if you have too much money, MPC4k.