I completely switched to Mac about 5 years ago. I'm also considering the new 13" Macbook since my buddy can help w/ the educational discount.
That being said, I agree that iPhoto can be mind numbingly confusing. Honestly, w/ my photo library, I manually manage it on 2 network drives (Time Capsule and USB HDD on another Airport Extreme), similar to you mentioned. . . .
Thanks for the tips, OldSkool. Yes, your impressions mirror mine. I currently keep three sets of all of my music & photos. A working set on my 'main' machine, a copy on my home NAS, and a third on a USB drive. I will probably start using the USB HD for Time Machine, once I'm settled on the MBP.
