Whats the news on the switchblade 3? im looking at purchasing one.

would they be good for a beginner or are they more advanced?

If you search the forums for switchblade 3 or sb3 you'll find a few topics where experienced guys rave about the switchblades.

I'm not experienced, very much a beginner. I learnt on C kites, tried some others but now love my 14m Switchblade 3. I love it so much I want to get it a 10m friend but can't justify the expense while I have a Xbow2 with lots of life left.

I've got the 8 and a 6 and they rock. The 6 is very fast and fun to fly. The 8 is a far bit slower (i find) , but still fast, it's just that the 6 is a rocket.
They are easy to relaunch, and are durable, so they would suit a beginner fine. Maybe not the smaller ones, because of the speed of them they need a little more practice.
And because they are last years kites, you should be able to get good deals on them.