> explicitly states that much of the effort for this release was focused on things that make it feel magical (response times, multiple domains, etc.), not on moving the needle on quantifiable practical performance.
Hmm, did you mean implicitly? I've yet to see where they say anything to the likes of not "moving the needle on quantifiable practical performance."
The things they mention/demo -- response times, multiple domains, inflection and tone, etc. -- are those that make it feel "magical."