CompuServe Messages

Hello again all, I've been following your threads on the lightwave vs 3DS vs Imagine. I am just getting started and have no adversity to buying more than one program. I have a number of questions regarding this though, if I may. Can you transfer files/models/renderings etc. from all of these to the others and continue pick up the work where you left off? I have also been following the threads in the Newtek section of the Amigavendors forum. I'm hearing things like "Lightwave for Windows is incomplete, won't work, is vaporware" and so on. There's some real unhappy folks that own Newtek gear over there. Yet I hear *none* of that here. People talk like there up and running with Lightwave for Windows and having no problems what so ever. I think, not real sure, but think someone over there said it wasn't even released yet. I'm pretty confused. Does anyone where I could get some good comprehensive list of what each of these programs will or want do? With or without whatever available plug-ins exist. I would like to go with a Pentium chocked full of ram and end up with an end product to tape. Any ideas on what it takes to do that? One more please. When looking into the Toaster/Flyer all the digitized images are stored on seperate HD's in the Flyer. How does this work if your PC based? Do you use external drives that are dedicated to this and contain no system/applications files? Any help will be greatly appreciated. Terry