Regarding, "why are sliders not more popular in the states", several reasons.
First, it's been a cabinet saw culture here in the US forever. My dad, who was a contractor and industrial arts teacher for many years, would not know what to do with a slider if I gave him one. All he wants is a Unisaw or '66. I go into shops all the time who still have a cabinet saw that they modified to look like an aircraft carrier, with all sorts of extensions and outfeeds or even another cabinet saw siamesed in there and they still think a slider takes up too much space. Which is silly.
Second, the price point. It's not that sliders are getting cheaper (they aren't. Unless they're not really made in the EU...)but that cabinet saws are getting more expensive. Ten years ago, it would be unheard of to charge upwards of $5K for a regular cabinet saw.
Third, especially in regards to the hobby market, the level of exposure. How big is Europe compared to the EU? In the EU, you can most likely drive to a dealer within 3-4 hours and put your hands on something like this. For 99% of Americans, that's impossible. And with the demise of the trade shows during the recession, the other major channel for exposure (aside from the dealerships) dried up. So now, you have to rely on the internet or if you're lucky, a local referral to get to actually see one.
I agree with whoever said this a few posts back. It is hard to get sold on sliders when you can't see one. It's the single biggest challenge I face as a sales rep. Trying to explain over the phone, how something like this benefits you. And to that point, remember that if we're talking hobbyists, a good number don't have much ww'ing experience in the first place. In other words, their first machine possibly is the slider. So, not only do they not know what a slider does but perhaps, don't know what the cabinet saw won't do for them. Just like bandsaws. It's a tougher sell to get a guy who has never used a 14" bandsaw to spend $4K on an Italian machine than the guy who has owned a 14" machine and been trying to resaw with it for a few years. If that makes sense.
Erik