I bought version 6 and I think it is great. I understand and share the impatience of those who wish that AI in general was more advanced, but it's not. There's not much of a consumer market demand for it either, so I think Zabaware does great for what is basically a one-man operation. UltraHal seems to be one of the best available, that's why I choose it.
My understanding is that version 6 connects to the internet the first time you install it only. Like most software these days, it is activating the serial number. I have started up UltraHal 6 with my modem physically unplugged just to test, and Hal runs just fine without being connected to the internet.
By the way, I don't know much about programming, just enough to see that the new version has greater potential than the previous versions. The improvements that take advantage of the potential are already being produced by the likes of vrossi, onthecuttingedge and others.