> I didn't see the OS4 crowd talking about the e5500 core several years ago

That's because you didn't look :-)

http://amigaworld.net/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=31890&forum=33&start=140#567042
http://amigaworld.net/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=31907&forum=33
http://amigaworld.net/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=31896&forum=33&start=160#569642
http://amigaworld.net/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=32910&forum=33&start=40#593765

> we have already moved to 64bit processors, and the OS4 community is about
> to adopt the same.

OS4 was on the PA6T way before MorphOS was on the PPC970.