I've been using the Maguiars Polisher since November of last year.
It is the most usefull product you will buy for your car. We had a forum seminar at Maguiars and were trained in the process for caring for our vehicles. Yes the paint is soft, although as long as you use the products and machinery correctly you won't damage anything!!!!
You will never get the swirls out manually!!
Trust me get one!
The Maguiars polisher is Dual Action thus won't burn the paint. It rotates and oscillates to avoid being in contact with any one part of the bodywork. I save about 70% of my time polishing the car using the DA. I also save probably a third of my products as the polisher will distribute the polish and wax with a more even coating. I also noticed my wax lasts longer on the car also. I'd say 3 or 4 times longer.
There's nothing to be worried about, although don't skimp on the polisher, it's an investment, so don't purchase a polisher unless it has the dual action feature to avoid burning the paint.
Why not search on Youtube of the Maguiars Polisher - there's a number of tutorials from Maguiars themselves!