Have you tried any of the "next gen" derivatives? Trying out OS4 will, sadly, cost you an arm and a leg on "new" hardware, but if you can find a second-hand machine for sale, there's no real need to re-mortgage the house. [Edited for brevity]
"Next Gen" Amiga's run OS 4.1, as does an A4000 w/ a CSPPC. A 4000 with a CSPPC runs OS 4.1 natively without any extra hardware (well a HDD and CDROM do help). The OS is somewhat higher than Windows 7, but when was the last time a Windows Developer answered you forum posts?
Extra costs for the A4000+CSPPC owner? A PCI solution helps, but OS 4.1 doesn't care really which, as Hyperion wrote their own drivers and support the inexpensive PCI cards and a dozen Zorro RTG's. USB will cost you if you don't already have a Subway or Deneb. A Radeon 92XX or Voodoo3 3000? Less than 100 USD. DMA is an issue with OS 4.1, as they only allow one device (the CSPPC's), but I keep waiting to see if the paradigm shifts.
I installed MOS 3.1 on a Mac Mini in a dual boot with OS X (some cat) and to me MorphOS feels more like a MAC than an Amiga. AmigaOS 4.1 may have a Unix structure to it's development, but the under belly of the beast is that full feeling of being in control of your own operating system. I too bought a CSPPC in 1992 (and another last year for my backup A4000T); I never got the value out of the investment until I put OS 4.1 on it and dug into the system. Can it keep up with my office PC? It doesn't have to; they are two different beasts, used for different purposes. I built my first PC in 1988, and more-or-less stay 2 Moore's Cycles behind the forefront. That's a lot of PC parts in storage bins (a least I give them to charities when I can). Can't say that about my Amiga's; they stay is service and get refined as able.
