Well, I just recently bought a 996XT, so I'm not anxious to spend more money right now. But this is what I would consider revolutionary that would induce me to buy one:
1. Ethernet connection to home network & internet to allow reception of RadioReference audio streams. The radio would no longer be limited to just the local stuff I can get from an antenna. Great for people who live in apartments and other places who can't put up a large antenna to cover a significant geographic area, and for those of us who want to hear nearby stations that we just can't quite get with an antenna due to distance and/or terrain. It would be a great radio with worldwide "reception", and could even be used without an antenna. Handheld units could do this with a wireless network interface.
2. As a follow-on to #1, the ability to scan selected internet streams along with scanning local channels. It could do this by streaming the selected items in the background and periodically checking them for active audio as part of the currently scanned channels.
3. The ability to select input from more than one antenna while scanning, say on a per-system basis. I think AOR has an outboard accessory that does this for one of their (non-scanner) radios. That would allow me to use multiple or special antennas (say, high gain directional antennas) pointed in different directions for different systems, without trying to combine them on a single cable (and all the issues that involves) or having to use a manual antenna switch (which isn't practical while scanning).
I'm not making any predictions regarding the pending announcement, but I'd be ready to buy if and when they come out a product with features like those. Those would definitely deserve the term "revolutionary" (well, at least the first two would - those are something new that no one is currently doing, AFAIK).
If it's not this time, then maybe next time. I can hope.
