As for Operator's sound, I love it - but I was already interested in buying an FM softsynth so I guess I'm inclined to like the kind of sounds Op can produce. I think some people who had a knee-jerk "this sucks" reaction to Op should delve into it with some of the tutorials and tinker with the presets. I spent two hours with it before ordering.
If you didn't have a need for this synth, I can see why you'd be disappointed in what Operator turned out to be, but I don't understand the attitude that Ableton is somehow obligated to provide its users with certain features before it markets a new product. Or that this should be a free "upgrade". Operator is an entirely new product not an upgrade. I do feel that Ableton is somewhat responsible for the "upgrade" argument in the way in which they have introduced Operator already embedded inside Live. Doing so can give the impression that we were being asked to fork over more money for something that was already "in" Live. Ableton would probably be better off not including the Op demo with 4.1 and instead make it an optional download.
As for comparing Op to other softsynths, I've found that affection for a certain synth over another is a very subjective thing. I demoed Albino (to take one synth that Op was being compared to in this forum) some time ago and didn't care for it so I didn't buy it. I did not go on Linplug's forum and post what a lowsy synth they made and how it didn't have certain features or a "sound" I was hoping for (or how I wish instead of making VSTis they would begin making an innovative loop based instrument/sequencer). I just deleted the demo and went about my merry way demoing other synths until I found one (or two or three) that I liked.
I understand that up until this point Ableton was a one product company and that seemingly all their resources went into this one product, but to expect Ableton to produce only one product forever or for all future Ableton products to be exactly what you want at exactly the price you want it at is unfair to Ableton and irrational.
Hey Operator hater, take a deep breath, find a VSTi that you like better or is more affordable for you or makes the kind of sounds you desire or has a CPU load you can live with or a UI you like better, buy it, load it in Live and enjoy.
So maybe you will occaisionally have to see the Operator Demo inside the instruments folder to remind you of how much you hate it and how much you wish it was this or that or cost this or that, but you can get over that, can't you.
Anyway, just wanted to say that I like Operator.
parma