External Sound Card for Cakewalk Home Studio 2004 XL

I want to order a new external sound card for my laptop which is a Dell Latitude D830 which has Windows XP.  I have Cakewalk Home Studio 2004 XL.  Does anybody have a suggestion for the best model to buy to record with please.  I don't need to have lots of inputs as I will record the instruments one-by-one and the drums are Roland TD 8 so just need one input for these.
 
I see M-Audio Fast Track being recommended but I have concerns about compatability with Cakewalk, any suggestions from the experts?

Cakewalk isn't the problem, tho usually Roland stuff will be expected to work w/ SONAR.  The problem is usually system specific, since PCs are made with all kinds of different bits and pieces, and even vary within the same models.  A problem w/ the audio interface is usually because of hardware and some kind of conflict.  A person will have a problem getting an interface to work on their system and blame the interface or the software (Cake, in this forum).  The same interface will work fine w/ Cake on 99 other systems.  When you read such online, it is bad luck, bride of the bull.

As to actually recommendations ...  I use TC Konnect 48.  The TC Konnect 6 is about $200, has one preamp and is stereo in and out.  And has a cool volume knob (it is a desktop unit).  Martin Walker at SOS said the sound beat out all other lower-end units he tests and it works great for me.  The downside is a little more latency than some other drivers (but the drivers are now stable and TC still works on them since all their interfaces share the same drivers) and no midi on that unit (I think).  It is firewire, which might be a problem on a laptop if you dont' want to buy a FW card.  But until you get great monitors and develop the ear to appreciate the different shades of convertors and need to spend $1000s on convertors it should serve you well.

That being said, most interfaces today are good and not the problem for most people.  It is important to figure out how many inputs you need and how much money you have.  Then buy from a source you can return the interface if your computer is the one in a hundred that has a problem.  Choose your B choice and make music - that is more important than trying to get a balky system to work w/ an interface it don't like.  Unless you want to be your own IT department.

Beagle (on this forum) has a good site w/ a lot of interface suggestions.  Look him up and try that.  And do a search, as Johnny Cactus sez, there are plenty of threads on this subject.

@