> When you compare the X1000 to the X5000, its actually got some advantages
> (like a lot more PCI-E lanes and much higher video card bandwidth).

...and much better memory bandwidth, and AltiVec SIMD :-) And the PA6T's FPU might be stronger than the e5500's, at least per clock. The X5000 excels in integer performance. What else?

> how many A500 and A600s were sold after the A1200 was introduced?

At least the A500 (including ECS-based "Plus" model) was discontinued half a year before A1200 introduction.

> people like us would prefer to spend a extra $1200 and get a system that
> performs adequately.

...or spend next to nothing for a used PPC Mac ;-)