I really like Lightroom, but I think that $199 US is a bit steep.  I'll have to see if my earnings can cover it.

I am going to wait for CS3.

However, one of the main things I didn't like about LR they have fixed in the final version.

I don't use categories, but I can't see them there.

It does IPTC as they say, but it should be more some XMP standard on the final release to match PS and Bridge.

I only use bridge for developing large amounts of RAW files usually all from the same shoot.
For keywording and all the Metadata work I use Bridge only on the outputed files.

It looks like catagories will be supported in 1.0

It has become slower for me also. Although I have nothing to really compare it to. I can still tolerate working with it though. I have not tried Aperature and Nikon Capture NX looks cool (but cannot believe Nikon does not bundle software with their cameras)

I thought I saw it on the Lightroom forum but now I cannot find it.

I saw a screen grab showing the new import dialog where you can create new (MetaData) presets in the import dialog. Catagories was listed there. (or I am going nuts)

thanks leaf, that was it

unless i am not understanding something correctly however, The catagories in the metadata don't work quite as well as the catagories used in match.  With imatch you can have a main catagory with numerous levels of child catagories, which is very nice.

Yes, you are correct.  IPTC categories are not nearly as good as IMatch categories.

I am really surprised that they wouldn't have included real categories.  Oh well, I guess that I will be sticking to IMatch...

the only fear with imatch categories is after 10 years and thousands or millions of images catagorized, and perhaps imatch quits updating their program or change their process... all my work will be lost.

It is a problem when we become software dependant.

Where I use to work used lotus 123 in the old days.  We still had the files but they didn't open very nicely on excel.  Lotus 123 use to be the main spreadsheet program so microsoft "built in" conversion software.  That might not happen with smaller software companies.

That is why I reluctantly feed the beast and normally go with the big companies - i. use IE, Office, photoshop rather than the alternatives.

i actually have purchased imatch as well but never managed to figure out those scripts...

I really like the interface, with my limited experience using LR, I found it's rather slow in handling raw files, when I try to import a folder of 150 raw files ( 10.2mp Nikon D80 file), it hoggs my memory like crazy, the computer is standstill, using 2gb of ram, since I have only 1gb on my laptop, so it's not working for me.
does anyone has any experience with the speed?

Same experience with lightroom. Importing RAW files from disk (canon 350D 8MP) is terrible slow, the order of several minutes. And when I have imported almost 1000 file in the library, LR simply seems to hang. :-( very bad.

For raw processing I use Capture One: very very rapid in raw conversion, few options means rapid workflow. Excellent colors rendering. A bit bad with noise suppresion, but I think it is a choise of developers oriented to a print-ready imaginery.

Where it is possible, a combination of various software is the ideal: imatch catalog, acdsee-like for rapid view/compare, etc...

The imatch script feature is very useful: import every data from acdsee, catalog by metadata, export to iptc is a very rapid workflow. Change keywords conditionally in a large batch of images is possible also.

Regards