@Clark:
I personally didn't see anything anymore impressive than what Line6 has on the POD X3, which is only a revamp of its older Pod studio anyway. It's teeth sink in my heart as a it's software is the easiest I've ever used hands down, with barely any learning curve. Plus, no rack mount makes my floor hard to walk on, and gives everyone stubbed toes.
@Scott, I couldn't have said it better myself.
This is a very hard thing to accept as a musician, playing guitar makes it worse. Every product is geared and marketed towards making you sound just like your hero.
Alas, it's the best way to sell products, or else it wouldn't be done that way. It would be uniformed to think, and we all generally realize, most people are playing covers on the weekends or weeknights.
It would much easier to sound better with an AXE, if there was some direction to take with a better, and increasingly organized patch sharing site.
Finding your own sound takes years. Learning tone-stacking, and where to place what effect where, which one you need, and then figuring out how to connect it uniquely takes more time and money than needed.
Personally the Axe takes care of it all for me, and was the reason for my purchase: To Learn how to make MY SOUND. I think this is simply easier to achieve on a Pod, but the results aren't nearly as impressive or versatile as the AXE. IN the end the Pod is a plastic toy you'll enjoy, albeit while sounding like someone else. When you get an Axe the world is yours to have.
Sorry for the rant. I have friends who have made great sounding, and selling albums with a POD, but to be fair, from someone who has both, with the Axe the bar has been raised.
My only negative comment is the learning curve.
@ Clark:
If you've ever owned a Pod, the options are freakin endless, and far more organized, but since I got my Axe I only turn it on to copy a patch over to the AXE and post it online. It just sounds better, works better, feels better, and I'm not afraid it will fall apart in a live situation. 1/3 of the price reaches 3 times as many people, its easier to use for the regular guy not trying to be Vai, but nothing compares. Who needs 100 cabinets, 500 presets, 400 heads, 30 mic's, bla bla, you'll never use them all.
My only comparison to make is that the newer Pods usually come with better Acoustic, Bass, Vocal, and Console(like a Neve input track) options, with the corresponding presets included in them when purchased.
There is no reason to think the Axe wont have a majority of these features VERY soon, as it's being constantly asked for, to the point of madness on the forums.
They obviously listen, and while I have both, I for one have had found something better for everyday , as well as weeknight, weekend, and studio use.
I think "HD" is a selling buzz word, and the average person cant tell anyways. Some old Vinyl I have sounds better than the newest the latest Nickleback type HD track in my stereo, car, or iPod. It's about technique and learning how to record with what you have in the end.
I just have both.