Longtime PC user transitioned
I hesitated quite a while before making this purchase. I had been a Mac user in the late 80's and early 90's but switched to PC around 1995. I had developed an efficient photography workflow and had all my tools on the PC. I needed to replace my infrastructure for more speed. Not an easy choice. My Mac was a little more expensive than a similar PC-based system. What pushed me into the Apple camp was Windows. My XP laptop was solid with few problems (well protected with anti-virus rebuilt 2 times ...) but my Vista system was a nightmare. Slow and cumbersome. I was concerned about this.
The system I selected was the 13" MacBook Pro with 4GB memory and a 320GB hard drive (I have 2TB external for archive and backup). I also bought the 24" Studio LED monitor. The combination is fabulous. I can edit my images on the road or shoot tethered directly into the laptop for a better preview. When I get back to my office/studio I can do final modifications on the 24" calibrated monitor. Transitioning from PC to Mac was pretty easy however it does take a few hours to understand where/how to find stuff. I recommend the one-to-one services if you can get them. I bought them for my wife who also just shifted to Mac and they have been very helpful getting her started on her various projects (websites blogs i-life)
It took me 3 attempts to upgrade to Snow Leopard but the third time was the charm and the noew OS seems great.
My only regret is not with Apple but rather with Adobe. I had the PC version of Abobe Photoshop CS3. I've tried multiple times to get through to Adobe to see about a transition -- no luck. Investing in PS will be costly.More detail ...
