Feature:
The strongest 10 possible. One may configure the Guitar Rig components in infinite and exciting ways --- from traditional, to classic, to modern, to quite experimental. It will work in many useful ways in your favorite computer based studio --- even if you just want to apply the Rig's effects to non guitar related sounds. But even more interesting is how this can be made to work with other hardware (including your real world pedal collection as well as your beloved tube amps). I have been hooking up two of my amps for beautiful true stereo guitar effects and a very BIG wonderful and surprisingly truthful sound. The floor unit itself has it's own studio quality/low latiency soundcard that will be a useful link between the real world and the computer world. One can even use the Rig's card instead of their computer's card while not even using Guitar Rig 2. If that is desired. That's a few examples of what I'm talking about.

Quality:
Appears road ready and road tough. But only folks with intense confidence in their laptop would dare take this on the road. The computer would be the weak link here. The software has never crashed on me and the floor unit is built very solidly. NI makes the best sounding, best written, and most ambitious music software available --- period.

Value:
I give this a SEVEN, not because of the price. Everyone will have to decide for themselves if that's too much for them. I give it a SEVEN because I truly believe that one needs a reasonably powerful computer and excellent monitors to really hear what this can do. In fact, I only play through this software using great/classic guitars through high quality tube amps. Also, as with the use of any software, effects pedals, or whatever, the quality of your guitar and set-up are of paramount importance in being able to fairly judge the new equipment. In short, it's value will depend on your set-up and your imagination. So it's SEVEN because of the varibles involved. (For me personally it obviously a big fat TEN --- I can do a lot with this!)

Desirability:
Sexy --- yes. Only took two dates and now I sleep with it every night.

Sound:
Yes, I said it... a 10. But here's the scoop: It doesn't really sound perfectly like the Mesa Boogies, Marshalls, Big Muffs, Tube Screamers, and the other guitar equipment that is emulated here. The real stuff will always sound better. But the equipment that has been emulated has been referenced with obvious care and reverence. All that aside this software sounds amazing in it's own right so I recommend that one just forgets about the preconceptions and comparisions and truly listen to what is offered and what is possible here. It's quite stunning in the correct setting.

Ease of Use:
Drag and drop in any order and play. It also has tons of usable and tweakable presets. The floor unit will be familiar to any guitarist with a pedal effect.

Support:
I had a problem once and contacted NI support. I got a reply the next day that was rather terse and of little value. Fortunately I'm somewhat computer savvy and was able to figure out the problem myself.

Overall:
Now that I've really had the chance to use it I would never want to be without it. It is so freaking addictive. I have a BOSS G-8 that will collect a lot of dust from now on.