I am dropping the files right into avid version 3, V5 will render quicker.
aloha
tito

If you can get a good price / discount on a Mac from your friend, then you may want to strongly consider that option. Reason being, is that the Mac can also run (via BootCamp) Windows 7 64bit.

So you'll have both platforms to utilize, but the only downside is the limited graphic card choices for both the MacBook Pro's and MacPro's. Then again, there are no better quality built PC's than the Mac's...at least in my opinion.

How's it editing with the 5D files?

I have the 7D. If your using the current firmware on the 5D then its should fix a lot of issues on several NLEs.

Also, I'm still using 4.6 right now which I use to convert the mov to HQ then edit.

Our other suites use 5.12 and they are ok if the files are converted to HQ. Hope to install 5.5 when my GV card arrives this week. Will give you feed back on that.

I've had almost a year using Premier Pro CS4 on an HP xw8600 running on Vista 64, using NeoScene to transcode my 5D2 files. Neoscene doesn't take too long but I usually transcode overnight after a shoot. However PP CS4 still requires regular renders that can be very time consuming. Adding any effect will always require a render and there are still instances of opening yesterdays project and finding some and sometimes all the renders need redoing.
I work in sound post production and my video collegues all use Avid Media Composer and have been telling me to give it a try. Almost all the audiowork I undertake over the last 15 years has come from Avid edited material and obviously as the 'work horse' of the broadcast industry I was aware that it's capable of doing just about everything.
I initially found it's very specific editing methods rather intimidating, however after watching a few tutorials and playing with it I certainly won't be going back to PP.
The ability to drop the 5D2 files directly into the program currently does require a render to make DNxHD files...probably marginly slower than using Neoscene. That will change with the new version, MC 5, that will play the 5D2 H264 files directly.
There is very little rendering otherwise and that's given me back 'a large part of the working day'!
I was using the freeware 'DeShaker' plugin within VirtualDub and re-importing back into Premiere. All very slow, but Avid has it's own stabilizing software built-in and color correction is superb although Magic Bullet Looks can be used as well.
A learning curve therefore and one that really requires the use of keyboard shortcuts to speed up the operation but worthwhile in the end and now Avid has been shaken up by the growth of Final Cut into it's market it's realistically priced. I'll stay with it.
David

Thanks Ted...please do share your experiences with the new 5.5 version. Also, does Edius's HQ codec edit in 8 or 10 bit space?

I could be mistaken, its 8 bit. I am sure though that its not 10 bit.

I use Vegas. When doing color correction, I preview in 8-bits and do the final render in 16. Good bye banding!

Much of what people think is a problem with 8-bit source material is actually a problem with 8-bit processing.

After years now editing in Premiere (from good old Pro to CS4 now), when I bought a Macbook Pro, I naturally tried editing in FCP. For everything else the PC to Mac switch is great to me, but I couldn't get used to FCP, little things mostly, but in the end, it's those little things which matter the most.

Don't get me wrong, I think FCP is great, but I like CS4 better, and I hope to like CS5 even more!