thinking about switching to cakewalk..important questions

Do yourself a favor and get Platinum, preferably for life...
Our forum is extremely helpful... probably the best there is...
I can't imagine how some folks are able to spend so much time helping...
 
but they do.
 
It's an amazing platform... 

I'll add one more thing to what John said. In some ways the forum is great for support not because it's necessarily filled with thousands of MENSA members, but because the problems are often variations on a theme. 
 
The majority of SONAR issues deal with third-party plug-ins, audio interface drivers, and Windows. Over time the associated issues have become well known, to the point where if someone says "Hey, I'm having problem [x]" it will likely have the "scent" of a problem that's happened before. As a result people will start by offering recommendations of what worked in the past, and most of the time this does the job. Also, conscientious forumites indicate threads as [Solved] in the header if their question is answered, so if you scan the forum and see "[Solved] All of a Sudden Huge Latency," you can read it to see what solved the problem. This way if something happens to you or someone else in the future, you at least know where to start.
 
In the case of true SONAR issues like a bug, once it's identified it's fairly common that someone from Cakewalk comes in and acknowledges it so we can stop scratching our heads. 
 
Another way the forum excels is when someone does ask a question like "which compressor should I use on bass." That's something that Cakewalk support should not prioritize, but you'll get all kinds of useful opinions in the forum. 

eph221
Having so many useful (but complex) tools at your hands is worth it.

 
Even better, you can do perverse things with them that were never intended 

thanks...i have some nice AI.. great tip though.
 

In addition to interactive support in the forum, Sonar comes with a 58 page PDF User Guide to get one started and a 2,188 (!) page Reference Guide. Good way to get correct answers to many questions. That page count reflects the depth and strength of Sonar features. Online electronic help files are constantly updated and accessible from inside Sonar. 
 
From experience, I also highly recommend the educational videos available at Groove3.com. They have about 9 multi-part video courses covering various editions of Sonar, and there is much to learn even from the ones focusing on earlier versions. They are currently having a sale on their All Access annual pass, which, in my opinion, is the very best way to take advantage of their constantly updated offerings (covering quite a breadth of topics beyond Sonar).

rwheeler
In addition to interactive support in the forum, Sonar comes with a 58 page PDF User Guide to get one started and a 2,188 (!) page Reference Guide. 

OK Blood in the water. And another weakness of Cakewalk support. When was the Reference Guide last updated? New features are being continuously added, to the program but not to the Reference Guide. Before everyone piles on with how the web based documentation is up to date, tell me how to do a keyword search of the online format. or how to read it from a Kindle with no internet connection.. The general web search then filter to documentation seems to provide only a subset of the results from a word search of the pdf. The index to the web help is terrible, and the table of contents is only useful if you already know where to find something. 
 
edit: The pdf has been updated
http://forum.cakewalk.com/FindPost/3533029
 

In terms of users helping other users, this forum is the best. You will not only get help with setting up and tackling technical issues, but you will get lot of great advice on how to make music. I do think this is a special place in that regard.

Both DAWs are great. Cubase is a full and very complete DAW so is Sonar. Its a matter of DAW philosophies. They are different as to the approach to MIDI and audio. The outcome is the same. 
 
I used Cubase SX1 2 and 3 but I always came back to Sonar. When Cubase 4 came out I didn't upgrade to it. I stuck with Sonar only. Why you may ask? It is a simple reason Sonar is easier to use for 90 % of the things I do most often. It is also nondestructive in its approach. Its also modular even though this is never talked about. Take the best attributes of Samplitude and Cubase remove tedious and convoluted ways of doing something and you wind up with Sonar.  
 
Even though CW is going to offer a Mac version Sonar is Windows oriented. Its integrated into the Windows OS more than any other DAW. Also CW has a very good working relationship with MS. If you are used to Windows programs Sonar will seem logical and consistent with the Windows way of doing things. You'll feel at home.  

I have Cubase LE 5.  funny enough it came with my Tascam interface, now Tascam ships with Sonar. One of the big reasons I didn't upgrade Cubase is the user forum.. It's about 10% of this forum. 
Cubase does not include as many usable VST instruments. It's a solid piece of software but Sonar is defiantly more bang for the buck. 
I tried to down load the demo of Cubase 8 and the file was corrupted so never got a chance. It screwed my dongle up too. So they are far from perfect. 

Well, you ARE in the Sonar forum. If I were starting out I would demo or buy the cheapest software I could. I would give Sonar, Cubase, Studio One and Reaper a try. Chances are one if them will pop out as a favorite. At that point, you would have to be convinced that support, or lack thereof, may change your mind. I have found this forum invaluable, but there are mutterings that these forums may change( I.e the Bakery experiment).
As to support from Cakewalk itself, in spite of the glowing reports of hiring staff and reducing tickets, I have done a weekly or biweekly attempt to sign up for phone support since last May. I have never been able to schedule a time. Something happened at Cakewalk and my belief is that phone support is a thing of the past.
Anyway, try all the DAWs and then decide. Who cares about support for a product they won't use?
Good luck, really you can't go wrong these days.