What a grizzzzzle !!!
From reading the site and the FAQs, it looks like Yamaha are trying to re-define the middleware for the world of midi sequencing etc. Whether they will succeed depends on the acceptance and support of third party developers. Remember IBM and OS2? Yuk! Here we go again folks.

As for a cross grade from XGWorks to what ever the Yamaha brave new world is - don't hold your breath. From reading all the waffle it sounds like our beloved XGWorks is dead - long live son of XGWorks! It's all very well trying to create one brave new grand standard but from experience, that takes years for acceptance and implementation, even if it succeeds. In the meantime Yamaha MUST take care of its installed base through support and necessary upgrades, and then provide a seemless migration path to the new product set (whenever that is ready). Does this sound like the Yamaha we have become to know and "love"? If they are serious about software development and their reputation in this area not to mention third party acceptance of their new standard, then they will.

I just hope that the management that was "in charge" of the PSR2000 flash ROM fiasco are nowhere near this project. Please, KEEP THEM AWAY!!!
Jon.