For me, bigger is better. Years of Writing manuals and doing a lot of electronics work has taken a toll on my sight. I enjoy the big display when tweaking the sound and the other features Craig mentions are the icing on the cake (which I can no longer eat).

Yes Craig, the 2 features exclusive to Platinum were definitely worth the $50 premium, without a doubt. I am not  ready for prime time as this is just one of my hobbies, so those features are really outside my scope of work. Some day I'll use them but I use the QC daily and love it.

irvin

John
http://www.cakewalk.com/Products/SONAR/Versions
 
The listing of features notes no audio snap for Artist.  

Not really. It's the opposite:
 
New! Audio Snap Enhancements
 
That implies that Audio Snap is available for all versions, but the improvements ("enhancements") are only for Professional and Platinum. 

You need to read down where all features are listed. There is no audiosnap in Artist.  

For me, the issue is that I already have the quad curve flyout feature in X3 Producer so I feel I've already paid for it. However if I update and move to Sonar Professional, it feels like a feature I've paid for gets taken away.  I believe other things from X3 Producer such as Bifilter and Breverb, I would keep.  It doesn't seem consistent.

SGodfrey
For me, the issue is that I already have the quad curve flyout feature in X3 Producer so I feel I've already paid for it. However if I update and move to Sonar Professional, it feels like a feature I've paid for gets taken away.  I believe other things from X3 Producer such as Bifilter and Breverb, I would keep.  It doesn't seem consistent.

I can understand that. However what about those of us that did do the update to platinum? We paid the extra money for it yet you think as a feature it should be transferable to a version that is meant to have fewer features to keep its cost down. What about it being in Artist even though Artist has no prochannel?
 
Sometimes things may seem unfair but are reasonable.  

This is all SO STUPID.... Every single one of you whiners waste more money per week than most humans have to live on... It costs money/people to develop software and rather than waste ur time whinin', just go platinum...
 
there has to be a distinction between the two... sorry if u don't like it.   Give up the booze and drugs for a day/week... or that coffee you think nothing of buying...you'll live longer...

Vastman
there has to be a distinction between the two... 

It's not just the features. Upgrading to Platinum costs 0.96 dollars per week more than upgrading to Professional.