Well said.
As to price, if you were to break down what you're getting in these keyboards, you would find that they are all tremendous bargains.
Let's look at a PSR 9000. It has a Vocal Harmonizer. I have paid as much as $750 for an external unit in the past. It has Compressor/Limiter ($300?). It has a sampler ($400?). It has multiple digital effects processors ($400?). It has a pretty good hardware sequencer ($400?). There is much more of course, but you get the picture.
In order to keep costs down, they must try to please everybody with one package, so some of us find some of the features more useful than others.
The features on the GEM that interest me the most are these: Everything in RAM. New sound technology. I LIKE the speakers looking at me, perfect for monitors. (Maybe they could make the swivel to face the audience if the player chooses). I also like the CD Recorder. It is an easy way to get digital info into the computer. I was about to buy a stand-alone Philips recorder ($350?), but will put that off until we check out the GEM.
I wish they had included a place to plug in lights, like the 9000 Pro. And maybe a mic stand adapter. . . Expresso maker . . . microwave . . . TV tuner . . . video camera. . .
DonM