Are people currently using Bootcamp to edit with Windows-based programs such as Vegas or are there inherent limitations with the beta version?

Also, are current generations of, say, iMacs up to the task of editing AVCHD or should I wait a while for that?

Thanks for your input. I'm anxious to buy something like the 24"iMac but I can wait if this is not the right time for either Vegas or AVCHD to shine.

I'm also curious, can FCP 5.1 edit AVCHD natively or does it need to be encoded to another format first? I don't have any AVCHD footage to try it on.

AVCHD is not supported by FCP at this time.