[Catalyst] Anyone with PHP / Smarty Background

[Brian]

Hi,

I've been programming in PHP for about 6 years, and using the Smarty 
template engine for about 3 years, so I've gotten pretty proficient at them.

I can see the need for something like Catalyst or Ruby on Rails, but 
it's a big shift.

Anyone here with a background in PHP / Smarty that can share their 
perspective and whether the switch has been worth it?

How does the speed and stability compare?  Can you develop faster in 
Catalyst than you could in PHP / Smarty?

Thanks!
Brian