A nice add on would be to include the SonarPower X4 book with purchase. They gave us Melodyne last time and that cost had to be more than the price of the X3 book. I happen to think Scott's books are essential. Can ya tell?

Scott, are you saying that a) you're not working on the book now, b) you're not in frequent communication with CW, and c) you don't currently have an alpha copy of X4?
 
The question is rhetorical. Your NDA would not allow you to say one way or the other. So I'll take your silence as confirmation. 

Am I the only one who would prefer to see the release of X3f addressing outstanding issues with X3e ( http://forum.cakewalk.com/FindPost/3009969 ) as opposed to having to pay for X4?

I can confirm with 100% accuracy that X4 was not released yesterday!
 
I've seen this scenario a zillion times before at software companies. They create deadlines and milestones but the fact is that unlike hardware where at some point you have to commit to tooling and turn raw materials into finished products, software is highly malleable. If you recall when X3 was released, an update was available before the DVDs hit the stores. Releasing software is a juggling act of QA, feature-freezing, bug-fixing, resources, engineering talent, and commercial considerations. Any of these can speed up or slow down the process, but I have confidence that Cakewalk wants to get things right as well as break new ground. 
 
What I recommend is to keep enjoying X3 and learning its fine points. The success of the "Tip of the Day" thread showed there are many little hidden gems inside Sonar and not everyone's aware of them. There are also some great expansion packs and such...several months ago Cakewalk let me go on a shopping spree to check them out, and several of them have now become staples in my music production. (FWIW I just finished one that's slated for release sometime this month. It takes the same approach as the EB5 pack in terms of being as natural and unprocessed as possible so you can bend it however you want.)
 
I actually have no idea when X4 will drop. I'm not saying that in order not to violate an NDA, I truly have no idea (and yes, I have asked). Meanwhile, I'm making music with X3e and definitely not feeling underprivileged 

Anderton 
What I recommend is to keep enjoying X3 and learning its fine points. The success of the "Tip of the Day" thread showed there are many little hidden gems inside Sonar and not everyone's aware of them.  Meanwhile, I'm making music with X3e and definitely not feeling underprivileged 

My point exactly! 

Karyn

ampfixer
Will it change everything?

it'll certainly change X5

Anderton
I actually have no idea when X4 will drop. I'm not saying that in order not to violate an NDA, I truly have no idea (and yes, I have asked). Meanwhile, I'm making music with X3e and definitely not feeling underprivileged 

I am putting this through my Da Vinci code decypher as we speak :) Surely there must some conspiracy we can make up? It is the internet after all :) :)

Personally, as a hobbyist, I find that X3 Producer has all the features I need and more than I will ever use.  Perhaps someone in a professional environment will disagree, but I can't think of a single feature I would want (okay varispeed would be cool) that would cause me to upgrade to X4.  I find that X3 meets all my needs.  Kudos to the Cakewalk team for a great product - X3 -  and thank you.

I have an acute case of GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome). I'm sure that the day X4 is announced I'll be having a download party.
Looking forward to the release whenever they're ready.

I find I upgrade when I have outgrown my earlier software and I want to do something I can't in the current software package. For example, my previous upgrade was HomeStudio 6XL back in 2007. Did a lot of stuff with that software and was quite happy with it. However, I wanted to get my vocals to sound better as it seemed I was always "in the neighborhood" of a note, but couldn't get through the front door. With the release of Sonar X3 we took a look at what was offered and the addition of Melodyne seemed to be the answer. Now even though it had been 7 years since I last bought a Cakewalk product, I was still eligible for upgrade pricing (thank you CW), so I purchased the Studio version.
 
I say all this while also admitting to a bit of GAS myself, for less than six months later Cakewalk offered a nice upgrade offer to the Producer edition, and with all the bells and whistles I went ahead and upgraded then as well. It will probably be a while before I upgrade again, but that will give me plenty of time to learn and have fun with X3.