Is there really a need for panel speakers in 2012

I love my 3.6 Magnepans. And would buy the 20.7s for my apartment in a heartbeat if i had the money at hand.
True the panels take up a little room, but the rewards are well worth it.
I used to have Infinity RSIIa in a tiny efficiency bac in the 1980s... So the Maggies are about the same size.

For folks who do not want to see the speakers.. i suggest buy Bose. Or some in wall units.
And most full range speakers take up as much physical room anyway. You still cannot just stick then against a wall. and the need to have space around them.. So what is the advantage anyway? None I can think of.
The fact the Manepans look bigger..? Turn them sideways.. LOL.

Taters brought up A.A (Audio Asylum) where he regularly gets banned. Right now i think he has three weeks to go on the current ban.
When someone over there mentioned Taters was Sudz. I though no way. Over here i thought he asks reasonable questions..
Nope. Back to the same sort as were on A.A.
Oddball questions meant only to elicite some response. with no actual redeeming value.
At least they can be fun for all...

I had a discussion with my dealer about designs on the cloth. he said at one point Magneman investigated the idea, but never did anything further.
The problem with a design is "which design" I personally think some Japanese type screen thing might look interesting. But that is cool only for a certain type of decore.
So if Magnepan offered different fabrics, then people would want to SEE it in person, and want to change it, and I think any sane dealer would shoot the idea down fast.
If anyone wants a cover, itwould be easy to make a slip cover.. Not one memebr on any site i go to has ever mentioned the spouse making a slipcover for the Magnepan panels.

For myself, I do not think of the 3.6s i own as being any sort of problem.
But my taste in decore runs to "Audiophile geek/nut" so it does not matter anyway.