If we'd all recorded platinum records with SONAR and did interviews extolling its virtues and how great it was, SONAR would probably still be alive. But we can only do the best with what we have, and likewise, the Bakers did the best they could with what they had.
Nobody,
not even some of their competitors, wanted to see Cakewalk fail. Someone from another company who called me to find out if the rumor was true was genuinely distraught when it was confirmed, even though his company potentially stood to profit from users looking for a new DAW.
There were many extremely dedicated people at Cakewalk, past and present, and I hope threads like this let them know their efforts were not in vain. Their work allowed us to experience the joy of making music in a way that fit the way we wanted to make music. I'm sure many of the advances they pioneered will work their way into other programs.
While the end game is profoundly disappointing, the Bakers can be proud of what they created and what they accomplished.