Much as I would like to see different options prevail I feel we are stuck for a while with what we have.
Art when he wrote Mach3 put an immense of work into it and it very nearly burnt himself out, his words, not mine.
Unfortunately no one else seems prepared to step up to the plate and come out with the next version, especially for the same amount of money.
We have had many promises, the Gecko G100 which turned out to be a door stop, the smooth stepper which has frozen in time and lacks any support.

I know of two people working on USB controllers but one is finished and works after a fashion but the guy isn't interested in working with users, take it or leave it attitude and the other is still hot air.

EMC is out there but without being derogatory it's written by geeks, for geeks, if you think windows and Mach is hard then Linux and EMC is ear of bat, tongue of newt as regards setting up.

The 'new' Mach4 is aimed at OEM's or profession retrofitters working on expensive dead machinery, anyone with less than three pound seventeen and six need not apply.