I haven't upgraded yet, it's past time for me to do so, I need a new license to load on my current computer so I'm still on EQ6 but I've had it since 2 or 4?? I love it and have spent a lot of time designing and changing basic stuff even though I haven't needed it for the more complex.
If you haven't already you should browse through the thread stickied on top
EQ7/EQ8 Tips, Q&A here!
Electric Quilt (and similar programs) allows you to do quick and easy "let's see what happens" when you switch out colors or values. The yardage estimates have gotten better -- originally they were way off in the too-much direction, if you had a square set on point, it would calculate it as a diamond with the extra triangles still on, instead of as a square.
One of the best things it does is it allows you to size a block in any size you want. That can be hard to cut, so you can print it as a paper pieced pattern if you wish.
My friend in Arizona does a lot of photo quilt processes, she loves the latest release for that.
Typically I print out my quilt layout and either stick it on the bulletin board in my sewing room or these last couple of years I put everything in a 1" 3 ring binder that already contains graph paper, depending on how much I'm doing a notebook might be 1-3 years. I write what notes I need to for myself (sometimes it is quite a bit, as much as for a magazine pattern!) to do what I'm doing. Keeping it in the notebook gives me sort of a time line when I do it. You can buy pouches or just punch holes in baggies to keep templates or fabric scraps or whatever as well. Those make the notebook difficult to work with, so that's sort of my close-out step before starting a new one. It's about time for me to take two smaller notebooks and combine them into a larger one along with their fabric samples.