Cakewalk and P606 and Kinetic are all PC-only, right? So are the capabilities of using the 606 with a computer limited if you're using a MAC?

With MAC OSX, how do you get samples from the MAC into the 606?

...like this:
MAC > USB > 606 pads > save to compact flash card...?

...or do you need a compact flash card writer with the MAC:
MAC > Compact Flash card > 606 pads...?

...and then if you wanted to load samples from the 606 and edit them in the MAC, can you do that and what software would you use? (I'm assuming the 606 samples in its own format, not AIFF or WAV. In that case there would need to be converter software from Roland involved...?)

As far as I know, the 606 still works the same with a Mac, insofar as transferring samples and using it as an audio interface. You can't use the software (which most people would say is no great loss!), but apart from that you're good to go.

Most of the cool things you can do with the software can be achieved with any DAW anyway, with a couple of simple workarounds.

Please Note:I don't have a Mac, and I don't intend to get one either, so I'm only going on what it says in the manual, to be honest...

So you can export samples in WAV or AIFF format to the MAC? Or does it just export in WAV format, and import samples in WAV and AIFF formats?

That's cool if you don't need any converter software from Roland. I notice the SP-555 comes with Roland WAV Converter software. That means you're dependent on Roland updating this software in the future, for the next VISTA or OS11 or whatever. Which they will not do.

Roland still hasn't updated their WAV converter for the SP-808/808EX for use with OSX, or Windows XP I believe. WEAK.

The instruction manual for the SP-606, which you can download off of Roland's Web site if you sign up for their Backstage Pass (free) account, states that the SP-606 can save samples in both .wav and .aiff format directly on the machine itself. They also have USB drivers for Mac OSX and Windows Vista here.

You can use iTunes to export stuff as .WAVs