The "unstable" version is in my opinion the most stable version I've used so far, so don't be fooled by that. Quality has to do with how you use the renderer. It's all in your lighting techniques, scene setup and post-production work in a program like photoshop. Most artists still do post-production even when rendering in most professional programs.
If you need an example to prove this take a look at this:
http://www.anim8or.com/smf/index.php?topic=2581.0Or take a look at any of $imon's work for that matter, he has loads of amazing renders done in Anim8or. It's all in the skill of the artist. The program can slow things down, but ultimately the artist has control.
