V16 is due for release next month. It will contain a variety of features to cover both aspects, attracting new users and reacting to feedback from existing users. At this point we are still finalising the marketing material and don't really want to spoil the impact of the launch by pre-announcing the details of the contents. I would expect that you'll see the usual brochure about the new release some time in the next two or three weeks.
Will it address the problems I have with the Panel editor..
to which I've heard absolutely nothing. (which has annoyed me to the point where I have a lot of lost time testing and re evaluating other packages)
It could even address the fact that if you install Designspark and then remove it..it removes all the MFC dlls needed by easypc making a reinstall necessary.
Apologies if you haven't heard back from us about the issue you raised with drill holes not being plotted unfilled on a panel output. This is scheduled to be fixed for V16.
If you have any other issues with panels then please let us know via the Support email so we can take those into account as well.
V16 is in the final stages of testing at the moment, release is imminent but we don't set an absolute date because we only want to release it when we think it is ready. Once it is finished and released, there will of course be a demo version you can download from the web site to try out.