First off, for cameras, I reccomend the Panasonic GS series. Looks like the 150 is out of production and the 320 is the closest thing now. The reason I liked the higher-up one is that it shoots anamorphic, but if you're just starting out, that probably won't matter. Looks like the GS80 would do you just fine.

I primarily edit on my PC using Premiere, which I enjoy very much. The Mac version of Premiere is a pain and not worth the trouble. I have edited with Final Cut, and I still do when I am mandated to because of a class project. The two programs are pretty easy to pick up. If you can do one, you can do the other. I haven't found either one to have an advantage over the other. FCP allows you nice add-ons like Soundtrack Pro and LiveType, but standalone programs for PCs can do that same kind of thing.

As far as effects go, I really don't know what there is for a Mac. For PC, I know there's Adobe After Effects, which is really powerful if you learn how to use it properly. There might be a Mac version, I'm not sure.

It pretty much boils down to whether you want to work on a PC or a Mac, I would say.