Heard similar about an 8" coming also. How about the truss dobs coming out? Does JOC still have ties to Meade?
If I could just get a little good seeing around my area for 'planetary', I just might consider ES's 8" Mak (but then I'm currently grinding two 8-inch mirrors, and if those Newts turn out......)
I don't know anything about the Dobs...... and they did not have any for display this year. Maybe shipping from China makes them unprofitable?
JOC was beat out by Sunny for the purchase of Meade USA, so no connection there - but they own Meade Europe, which sells mostly the same products.
BTW, the Chinese Gov't assists JOC by paying for advise and consultation by two of the best optics professors in the country.