I use REAPER and am totally happy with it, but I got an email ad for MixPad and out of boredom, decided to try out the free version. To my suprise, it turned out to be a very capable and efficient little DAW. Not as sophisticated as REAPER, but gets the job done and has all the 'essential' features....plus, it's free.

I think it's main feature is that it is VERY easy to use; I was able to master it in about 30 minutes (helped by my long experience with REAPER). If you're looking for a very usable DAW (beginner to intermediate experience) for home studio use, this might be a good candidate for you. There might be some bugs or flaws but I didn't encounter any during my pretty thorough testing. If you've used it or are currently using it, I'd like to hear your thoughts about it.

chas