Interestingly enough, the G70 will not be found in the stores which most Keyboard magazine readers visit (GC, Sam Ash, etc.)

The big difference between Europe and the US is that with the much lower population density, a dealer is exposed to fewer potential customers than in Europe. For that reason, I don't think demonstrations will work as well here. Also, while I suppose an average 20-year old may be impressed seeing his/her favorite band with an arranger on stage or in a video, most people who really use the arranger features would not necessarily be impressed by that. Speaking for myself, I don't give a hoot if some big-name performer is using a particular instrument in a scripted show on stage - their needs are quite different than mine.

As far as stocking the arrangers - by the time I go to a car dealership to look at a car that interests me, I know more than the salesman, and I will consider having him around as a necessary evil. My main goal is to feel the quality of its built and experience driving it. The same is true about an arranger - most users of high-end instruments know how to play and use most features of an arranger, and having a salesman hovering over them is not a necessity.

I would say that for me an ideal shopping experience would be to try purchasing an instrument from a dealership with a sufficiently long return policy (e.g. 30-45 days), try it out for myself, and then decide if that is what I want. It may be helpful to have access to a knowledgeable online resource (e.g. AJ or Dave McMahon, or the like) for some very specific questions about more obscure areas of functionality, and perhaps an instructional DVD that comes with the instrument.

Beyond that, the problem is with the American music tastes - I find that many European hits lend themselves to playing with an arranger, while much of the contemporary stuff that my kids listen to here in the US do not.

REgards,
Alex