James, to over-generalize like everyone else, I would rank NLEs as follows on usability: Vegas4, FCP, Premiere, Edition5. On stability I'd probably go FCP, Vegas4, Edition5, and Premiere. (Important caveat: I am basing Premiere experience on v. 6.5 not Pro). On functionality I'd probably go: FCP, Edition5(background rendering+in-board DVD), Vegas4, and Premiere.

If music videos is your focus, Vegas has a very sophisticated set of audio functions, but you'll likely end up with a separate sound program anyway. I must say Vegas is about as intuitive as they come IMHO.

I'm generally a PC guy, but were I to start all over, and if price were no object, I might go Apple.

If you teach NLEs then Edition5 might be worth consideration. If you are anything but a professional user of NLEs, run from Edition5 like your life depended on it -- it's like learning a foreign language (once you do, though, it's pretty cool).

Oh, and Dell.

Random thoughts....

Thanks Mike. I haven't bothered with Canopus for a year since they rolled me over with the RRT. At the time, Cow was all there was. This is obviously a recent(ish) addition.

I shall make my presence known! :@

Thanks for the suggestions!
 

I need to think at little more on the subject. Thanks to everyone.