Switching Platforms. Does anyone know the answer to this?

[Dj Frat]

My friend has been using FAST's Video Machine on Windows 95 for years and thinks it is now time to replace it. He's considering Apple's Final Cut Pro and Adobe's Premiere. He uses a Sony DSR-1800 mini-DV deck that has component video outputs. Do you someone who has migrated from Video Machine and can recommend which platform and what hardware configuration has made the transition as painless as possible?


Thanks
Jeremy