I'm also an ex B&R user and huge advocate of B&R. The first time I used a Rockwell PLC after learning on B&R, it was like I stepped back in time 15 years (BootP, ControlFlash, RSLinx? Why do you still need that ****?). The 2005 system is about 15 years old (it didn't come out in 2005) and they don't sell it for new projects anymore, you'd most likely be working on something like a PP500 (HMI/PLC combo) or an APC (Automation PC, beefy, no moving parts, no cables, can run VxWorks straight up or on top of Windows). They also will slap a touch screen right onto an APC and call it a panel PC. Their hardware is top notch and they have the highest performance servo drives available.
B&R just revamped their CNC capabilities and they are untouchable as far as being able to do CNC and other things at the same time. If you're looking at a CR Onsrud machine, they still use an older version of the CNC programming because they were designed before the revamp (they're actively working to change over, great machines, those). It's really easy to mix and match CNC based commands and standard motion commands and you can tie regular logic (like IO control) to the path. Their CNC doesn't just do routing tables, you can do any robotics kinematics with it too and they have high end compensation for mechanical defects to create perfectly straight paths.
A lot of people that gripe about B&R are using really old stuff with a program written in German using a development environment that runs on DOS. They've come a long way since then and have, hands down, the best programming environment on the market (AS4.X, it does have a learning curve if you're used to Logix5000 but it would be familiar to Codesys people). To clear up some info about firmware, you pick what version of motion control, runtime, HMI, and safety you want up front from a menu and then you never worry about it again. Want to upgrade, just download a new version from the upgrade menu (no website searches needed) and select it in the menu, done. All the IO, drives, etc get their firmware updated or downgraded by the PLC automatically and all drive parameters come from the PLC at boot, including VFDs. The entire program is usually stored on a CF card with redundant partitions to prevent corruption, so if the PLC eats it (operator puts a screwdriver through the screen), you just put the card in a new one and you're on your way.
Their only real competitor is Beckhoff now that Elau is basically dying at the hands of Schneider and B&R is simply better than either anyway.
