When you talk about Ruby work, are you talking about writing a console app or something like that?  Or do you mean Rails work on a web app?

If it's a Rails app, then I would suggest dumping the IDE altogether.  If you have some web dev experience prior to asp.net webforms then you'll find the whole experience kind of liberating.  When I'm doing Rails on a Windows box I usually use Notepad++ with InstantRails.

@mike

Good to know.  I was targeting Rails development, I just wasn't sure what are the best tools to use for a developer coming from a MS background.

@Joe,

FWIW, I'm using the "e" text editor right now for all of my ruby/rails coding and am thinking about buying it.  It's basically the closest thing to TextMate as we can get for Windows and it supports the same TextMate bundles.  If you haven't seen TextMate in action, boy does it rock.  I'm seriously thinking about making a MAC my next "PC" purchase, and can't wait until I can actually use TextMate.

@Joey

"e" you say ehhh... :-)

I have been getting the Mac bug myself.  It makes sense for professional developers, since it allows you to develop for all three platforms on one machine.

At least that is what I am telling myself.

Exactly.  With things like VMWare Fusion, BootCamp, etc., I don't see much of a reason *not* to use a Mac.  And that's what I hear a lot of other folks saying as well.

Now if I could just find a spare $2500 to get me a MacBook Pro, I'll be set.  :)

Lets put up a site for abused windows developers who want to become Mac heads.  We'll use paypal and raise millions!  

Ha!  Well, why not.  There's already a "support program" for folks who want to switch from .NET to Ruby.  (http://softiesonrails.com)  :D

Make the jump to Mac!  I did it almost a year ago.  I swore non-stop for the first month (how the f@*k do I right-click on this thing?) but now that I'm used to it I hate using Windows.

Fusion will definitely make it nice and I think BootCamp is integrated right into the new OS when it comes out in the next little while.  The only thing that I hate about the Mac is iTunes - it's like it tries to be too smart.  Kind of like every edition of Office that's been released since 2002.

But, of course, it might mean giving up your multi-million dollar jobs as .Net dudes.  :)

@Mike

Shhhh...I won't tell Microsoft if you won't!

Does Vista run on Fusion?  I am going to be dabbling in some WPF stuff.

@Joe - I'm not sure if Vista runs on Fusion but it definitely runs on Parallels.  I can't imagine VMWare not supporting Vista - that would kind of kill their credibility.

"But, of course, it might mean giving up your multi-million dollar jobs as .Net dudes.  :)"

Umm, yeah.  Not sure about the million dollar thing...  :P

But one of my recent commenters was right.  RoR is already spoiling me and I've only been playing with it for a couple weeks.  I really need to find a way to do more Ruby work in my "day job".  :D

So, having done .NET for the past 5 years(?) pretty much exclusively, I'm more than ready for a change!