Imminent switch to LR questions

[evonzz]

Having read and heard first hand glowing reviews of lightroom from colleagues and other shooters,  i am considering many improvements and updates to my workflow which has remain unchanged for past 18 months.  
Currently CS2 bridge, PS2, C1, iview workflow.  I have recently got a new printer so aim to increase my output.  My main photo computer is 2.5 yrs old PC - P4, 3.2 GHz, 2GB ram.  OS is on 36GB raptor and data on 2 x 250GB drives.
so my questions:

1. If i install latest version of lightroom, how is the performance with CS2?
2. From people's experiences (perhaps this to the PC folks), what are minimum system requirements to work without frustration with LR?
3. As i also have macbook pro, can i get x-platform usage on Desktop and laptop as some licenses allow?
4. with a new release of C1 v4, would LR eliminate the need to update this?
5. Printing (Epson 3800) results better from LR or PS?

The time has come to devote hours of late nights learning and pulling my hair out and adapting my workflow to make use of latest developments.  Forgive me if these questions cover too much ground in one post, but thanks in advance.

[NikoJorj]

1. If i install latest version of lightroom, how is the performance with CS2?

Good - CS3 has an edge in that it can read all the adjustments of LR in CameraRaw, and so it suppresses the need of creating a PSD file to go from LR to PS.
As you still need one going back from PS to LR, this is no show-stopper at all.
Edit : in CS3, you'll also be able to use the CameraRaw smart object feature. Your call!

2. From people's experiences (perhaps this to the PC folks), what are minimum system requirements to work without frustration with LR?

I got an approaching one (XPSP2, P4 3GHz, 2GB, but my OS disk is a simple caviar), and don't feel it frustrating.

3. As i also have macbook pro, can i get x-platform usage on Desktop and laptop as some licenses allow?
4. with a new release of C1 v4, would LR eliminate the need to update this?

I don't know about licensing between platforms, and about upgrading C1, you'll better tell it yourself!

5. Printing (Epson 3800) results better from LR or PS?

LR has a more flexible layout interface, but no soft-proofing (and some, but not me, experience color management bugs).
I print image that are OK in LR from LR, and images that need PS (mainly panos, a few HDR also) from PS (or Qimage for long panos, to bypass a length limitation in the driver of my R1800 - not PS-related).

[wsolum]

Good - CS3 has an edge in that it can read all the adjustments of LR in CameraRaw, and so it suppresses the need of creating a PSD file to go from LR to PS.
As you still need one going back from PS to LR, this is no show-stopper at all.
Edit : in CS3, you'll also be able to use the CameraRaw smart object feature. Your call!

What do you mean by "supresses the need of creating a psd file"?  I have CS3 and it always asks me what settings I want to use for the created PSD file when launching PS on a LR raw image.

[NikoJorj]

What do you mean by "supresses the need of creating a psd file"?  I have CS3 and it always asks me what settings I want to use for the created PSD file when launching PS on a LR raw image.
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You could simply open the raw file in CS3 : if you left the "Automatically write changes to XMP" tickbox on or manually saved these changes to XMP, and if you've got ACR 4.3, CS3 will render the same image as in LR.
You need a right-click in LR to "show in explorer" and then a right-click again on the raw file to "open with photoshop".

[Jeremy Roussak]

You could simply open the raw file in CS3 : if you left the "Automatically write changes to XMP" tickbox on or manually saved these changes to XMP, and if you've got ACR 4.3, CS3 will render the same image as in LR.
You need a right-click in LR to "show in explorer" and then a right-click again on the raw file to "open with photoshop".
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Why is that a good idea?

Jeremy

[NikoJorj]

Why is that a good idea?
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For me, I find my workflow simpler, especially when passing multiple raw files to photomerge for pano stitching. Of course, CS3 has also an edge in this area, because photomerge works waaaay better than in CS2.
Your kilometreage (sorry, but French law is against the use of Barbarian units   ) may vary.