Which is the better way to go, and why? - Thanks!

There is a new Cubase SX coming around that can be considered the best AUDIO/MIDI application ever. It is coming END of second quarter this year. It requires a good computer with XP OS (2K will do). In the mean time, do your research very carefully because I believe if buy Cubase 5.1 VST/32 AFTER certain date, you will be allowed to upgrade to CUBASE SX for free... if my memory serves me. If you are asking for now, I am a cubase user and I will recommend Cubase.

Well, most folk seem to prefer Cubase, but in the long term it can't be a good thing to have one company having a monopoly on the entire computer music scene, so for the sake of always supporting the underdog I say you should go for Calkwalk and Gigastudio.

Translate that as you will.

Go to there websites, find out which program serves your needs the best.
Read the instruction manuals, the best information is usually in the manuals.
For the record, I use cubase. Its alright, I haven't really tried a whole lot of other software but cubase was easy to figure out and use. I don't know if its my PC or what but anything i record with cubase sounds like shit. Probably my MIDIMAN soundcard, thing sucks, Or my 667mhz celeron walmart ****ing HP, but hey, i needed a sequencer and a word processor, whatya gonna do right? I not big into recording anyways, i just like to synthesize profound new waveforms.