Take Mac's advice on slots - there is another thread somewhere I read today - someone made the same recommendation - more slots = better chance of avoiding IRQ conflicts (which can be a nightmare).

And don't get a nice compact space saving machine, get a big honking wide case. When you start adding HDD's and can't get the cables in (never mind your hands), you'll wish for a big case.

The case on my music machine is 8 3/4" wide, and having those plastic clip-in drive bays is nice too.

Every penny you save now will be spent later. Cheaping out on a DAW is not smart.

BTW, there are a number of posters popping up on various sites suggesting that the new W7 beta is better than Vista. By better I mean faster with fewer problems. Even on the photography forum I go to there is a user with Windows 7 beta running smoothly.