I could live quite well without the update stream. I never use it
during regular development, only after I download an image to make
sure I'm up-to-date before I start on something.

But then, my worst bandwidth case is something like 64kbit/s, and
that's when I'm on my mobile phone (not for long anymore, I'm
upgrading from GPRS to UMTS ;-)). Usually it's more like 4Mbit/s and
upwards. So I'm fine with even a daily download of a full image if it
must be.

What I am concerned about is not the technical softrware development
pros and contras of dropping the stream (personally, I think that if
someone wants an update stream, let him make one, but don't force
loads of work on other people's shoulders - Ron's sound argument about
continuous integration can be readily transplanted to an image-based
world, been there blabla tshirt), but in howfar this will be an issue
for some of our friends here, who live in parts of the world where
broadband isn't a given.