The point many of you seem to be missing is product maturity, the phones are a great example, they are getting bigger again now.
The old DCS was never able to print to the sizes we can now with the colour depth and DR levels, we are already at diminishing returns, as for form factor, I don't want a smaller camera than the 1 series, lighter would be nice, but not smaller, I like mirrors, etc etc.
If the camera in our minds, the OP's "truly ultimate" model, can more than produce the output we want and need how much does it matter that a newer better model might come out in five years? My seven year old cameras takes images that pay for my lifestyle every single day, I clearly don't 'need' more than that, it will be nice when I get it, and I will use it to take images I can't at the moment, but when I get the ability to shoot at 10,000 iso I really won't care when somebody else can shoot at 15,000 iso a year or two later, 10,000 is well outside the range that I will need, same with DR, colour depth, fps AF etc etc etc. When more than enough has been easily surpassed we are just into a pissing contest, and I don't need that.
