@jgrant - I have been coming to the realization that building a PC is the best option. It just doesn't seem like booting my Mac into Windows will be a rewarding experience. My reason for looking at iClone is to relive frustration, not create more.
Thanks for the info. I don't mind dedicating the time. My concern is if it will yield a better environment/process than I currently have - if not, I have simply spent a lot on hardware and software to end up back where I started.
@Grimhilda:
Great points. First off, I am a hobbyist. I would simply like to create some short animations for myself. My main goal is to produce music videos for songs that I write. Nothing commercial - I just really enjoy the process of creating things like this.
Yes, any serious production usually has a large crew associated with it. Lots of people specializing in various aspects of the production usually results in better quality and almost always in improved production times. I'm not trying to create a Pixar quality animation all on my own. At the same time, there is a certain minimum "look" I would like. I have been able (more or less) to get results that I find acceptable with Carrara (balancing render times vs quality). While I really like Carrara, it has always been unstable for me. It presents many problems doing what I want to do which are related to speed, stability and workflow (as opposed to my own artistic limitations or lack of proficiency with the software).
Telling the story is definitely important. For me, much of the enjoyment is in creating the story and having the final product "look" the way I want it too. Even if my clay + stop motion skills were acceptable, it is not a "look" that I feel would tell my story the way I want it told. At least it is far enough away from what I think can be realistically achieved using the tools at my disposal.
I have looked at some iClone videos and will look at some more. It's hard to judge as everyone's vision, talent and proficiency differs. What I "like" may have been done by a master artist and took a month to render. Or, it could have been done by someone with similar skill as myself and rendered in a reasonable amount of time.
I will see if I have a friend with a PC he can loan me for a week or two. Seems that messing with the demo is probably the best way to figure out if iClone is right for me.
Thank you all very much for the replies.