As many of you problem already know, since the creators of MovableType announced their pricing scheme, there has been a large rush to find a new blogging system, as powerful and easy to use as MT was. The obvious choice in this question is WordPress which I have been running on this site since the beginning. I made this choice for several reasons:
Clear Cut Message - There was no bull from the beginning, and you could feel from the way the documentation and founders explained their goals that they were realistic with each stable release, and felt a true feeling of duty by creating the software. At no time did feel that the WordPress team was drastically changing their goals, it has always been as they say "WordPress is a state-of-the-art semantic personal publishing platform with a focus on aesthetics, web standards, and usability." And the same applies today, as it did yesterday, and as it will in the future.
Wonderful Support - I have never been one to claim to know how to code PHP, or how to hack a CMS such as WordPress, and the fact that I could get my own layout setup within the WordPress structure was excellent. It wasn't hard, and if I ever had a question, or bug to report I know I could get a response within 24 hours from someone who knew exactly what they were speaking of. I can't tell you how many times I've bothered Matt at night looking for a solution to a relatively easy problem.
Dedication To Standards - I discovered WordPress just as I began to read my brand new Zeldman book, and became a new Web Standards convert. It was made clear as I installed WordPress that it was to take the former b2 into a new direction, including making sure the code and the site produced would have a priority on Web Standards. I always have appreciated this portion of the WordPress system, and will be one of the most important reasons I will continue to use and recommend WordPress to my associates and friends when they begin their adventure into the CMS world. (I mean, even Eric Meyer uses WordPress)
I really feel that WordPress has redefined the way a Weblog CMS should be, and as the features keep coming it looks like they will continue to push the standard and make sure they bring us the best product possible. I'm not the only one who feels this way, and if you are still using MovableType and want a solution that will not cost a pile of money, consider WordPress.