Wot! Is this machine used for?

Can anyone explain what this machine is good for ??? http://www.diytools.co.uk/diy/Main/sp-45-1343-75668-woodstar-bs52-shaper-(alloy-table)-240v.asp
my idea of a Shaper is an engineering tool like this.
http://www.technologystudent.com/equip1/shape1.htm

Great tool (2nd link - many hours in the machine shop watching this do the job of a file!) A shaper is an anglo american term for something between a spindle moulder and upended router on a board. It looks good but I suspect is an ABS creation worth next to nothing.... But you are just yanking our chains aren't you Ken?

Have you seen the fretmaster is finished? next I'm going to update my horizontal borer with the remaining bits from the abandoned carver project I still want one of those Jointmasters tho

Yep...I get the sense that there is some chain yanking going on here. My understanding is that a woodworking shaper has a belt driven spindle upon which cutters are arranged. Anything with a collet chuck that takes router bits is a router table. And...I too spent many hours watching a metal shaper like the one described in Ken's link. I was never that enthusiastic with a file.