I used to teach what you use - until I got sick and tired of it. Your "working desktop C++ application" - I won't give much for it, and you know why.

Sorry, but asking how you can try out Objective-C because all you have is WINDOWS is about as lame as it gets.

As for whether you can make useable desktop applications - I really don't know. Why don't you ask Adobe?

And finally: if I saw "how fast" in one of my classes, I would send you home. It is never "how fast" - it's "how well".

Sorry again, but it's people like you who are ruining the software industry.

You get plenty of speed with Cocoa. Just don't walk in the door with a Microsoft attitude. They might send you to the cellar and lock the door.