Hi, I can understand your frustration with this. This is a monumental decision when you are doing 3d work as 90% hobby. This makes it tuff to plunk down large amounts of money for an app that is not going to be used to make you money right away. There is a plus side to your dilemna. Carrara 2 is the perfect choice for a hobyist. I know, because I pretty much fall into that category mostly. You own a Mac and, as you may have read already from me, IMHO C2 is a must upgrade for Mac users, especially OS X users. Is Carrara perfect? NO WAY! But that is also a plus, because Eovia is evolving the product. They are always listening to users and V2 is proof. Bones was the biggest requested feature. OpenGL, Selection, performance, were requested often too. Well If you stick with Carrara, I don't think you will regret it, especially since you are an admitted hobbyist! -Paul