I think a lot of potential buyers of the 997 are just tired of hearing about a machine which might not be out for Xmas. Has the 60 day clock even started yet? I agree that the economy has probably put a damper on peoples desire to follow a machine they may not be able to afford no matter how it is priced. Some will move on to the other platforms but some of us who do not need the machine right now are waiting, patiently. If the 997 did not have Trinnov and HDMI processing, I would have moved on. As it is, I have a spare 7500 sitting here in its box waiting for the 997 to show up. It would be nice to get some update as to whether the clock is running or if the 997 beta testing is progressing as expected. Onkyo is doing their best to ensure that they capture as much market share as possible.