Hi both - thanks for explaining your thinking hose, I agree it would be nice to have a complete choice over what instruments and articulations one buys (though I can see how complicated that would be for VSL) and obviously no-one wants to buy the same samples twice. As I said, I don't think VSL viewed the download instruments as upgrades to the SE versions, but I'm only guessing . . . maybe someone from the company will express a view on that at some point. Either way, I'm sure they will continue to offer the sort of discounts they've done in the past.
compared to the Horizon line products the packaging is quite reduced - no instrument manual, no jewel caseThat's OK I think. I'm starting to have a problem with the huge, garishly coloured glossy boxes some companies put their libraries in - you open them up and there's one sheet of paper and two DVD's rattling about inside. Very wasteful. From a strictly environmental point of view I guess downloads are the way to go - no plastic (apart from your credit card) and it would in theory be the easiest way to offer buyers more choice.