I can't speak for Windows users, but on my Mac, I didn't have to do any of that.

I don't think you need to do so under Windows either, just clone from disk 1 to disk 2, maybe fiddle a bit with the drivers, and you should be done.

IIRC good performance of ssd requires slightly modified formatting parameters. I'm not sure if this is still true, though. Anyway, with different block sizes etc. I'm not sure if cloning works, does it?

On windows, unfortunately information essential to running an app is stored in the registry and the files are scattered over several directories. So windows users might have to reinstall the stuff -- which could turn out to be a good thing anyway if you were already running your windows system for a long time of period.

This is what I've done to move an existing Windows 7 installation from an HDD to a SSD.

1. SSD preparation - format the SSD with the correct alignment:

    diskpart.exe
    list disk
    select disk n (where n is the number that was given for your SSD in list disk)
    create partition primary align=1024
    active
    exit

2. Ensure that the current OS is not using drive letters to boot:

    bcdedit /set {bootmgr} device boot
    bcdedit /set {default} device boot
    bcdedit /set {default} osdevice boot
    bcdedit /set {memdiag} device boot

3. Use PartedMagic to copy the partition from the HDD to the SSD.

4. Disable the scheduled defragmentation.

On the Mac, all it took was half an hour waiting for SuperDuper to finish copying files to the new SSD disk and making it bootable. Reinstalling? What?

It couldn't have been any easier.

Yes, in the worst case it's a full day of work, but your computer will be much faster for _every_ day afterwards so the invested day is more than worth it. Just give it a try, I'm 99% sure you will not regret it.

Well, there's cognitive dissonance. After spending $2-300, you'd better not regret it :p

Oh, but installing apps is so much faster on an SSD, it'll only be 1/2 of a day of work. ;)

Adobe CS5 < 15 minutes onto an SSD vs. 45 minutes onto an HDD.