Re: more than software
They're looking at the MAX as a possible replacement for the 757 series! The mind boggles
Smells like an attempt at face/bonus saving: "we can recoup our investment <bla>".
You can rest assured, however, that everything new that Boeing cooks up will get serious scrutiny - nobody trusts them anymore to get it right. I suspect Airbus is laughing all the way to the bank..