Not on a little box.
Put your new version of Sonar on a great big box.
Wait at least a year after the current version of Windows comes out. After Service Pack 1. Or risk trying to enjoy creativity on a foundation of Win 98.
 
ME.
 
Or Vista.
 
(INSERT BARFING SMILEY HERE)
 
Get a feel for how the current version of Cake is doing. Watch here to find out what's stable and what still has growing pains.
Once all the threads are about how to do this or that, not about fixing major problems, and the bug fix versionshave slowed to less than one in 4 or 5 months, look around at people who aren't complaining, and see what hardware they are using.
 
Add between 25 and 50 percent more RAM and processor power. If you time it right, you'll pay less for this hardware than the ginnee pigs did when it was cutting edge (and still fulla bugs).
 
If there's been major upgrades in interface hardware, pick out a new one of those too, again, something thats working stable for a LOT of people.
 
Decide what you're going to do with the DAW, and choose your plugs. No bridges or work arounds.
 
Aim for a machine you can feel comfortable with for at least 4 years. Patch the OS, protect it as you will, patch that to date, install the DAW, install the pkugs, and test it for functionality quickly, while you are still in your return/warranty/gimme my money back window.
 
If its working reasonably well, lock it down, back it up, image it. If the hardware/OS/DAW stars don't line up in 4 years, you might have to make it last 8. I still have my DOS box and it ran fine last time I hooked it up.Ditto Win98SE, ditto XP w Sonar 7.
 
Either get it off the net, or be very selective about how and when you do allow it online. On and off, unplug the cable and turn off wireless. You don't have to patch an OS or security software for a box thats offline. If it runs today it will run tomorrow if you don't change it. Barring hardware failure and you can find replacements in these kinds of timeframes.
 
Place your new DAW close to the old one. Play with it. Watch the videos and learn the basic functions. Videos on your smartphone, tablet, laptop, anything but the DAW. You can pick up a new net machine for $250 and useuse an old monitor or multi task one of the DAW monitors, this is actually useful in many ways.You can buy an old Galaxy S for $50 to $100, run it on wireless and use the HDMI out as yet anither option.
 
Run some test projects on your new DAW. Fly a less critical current project across on DVD and see how it impirts, translates, and even exports to the old DAW. BE SURE TO CHANGE FILENAMES WHEN EXPORTING BACK TO THE OLD DAW, OR RISK VERSION CORRUPTION.
 
If you can, cut over to the new DAW with new projects. If you have to bounce back and forth, the abovevtest preps you what to expect. Use hard copies for transfer, or, swap/clone/image data drives. If you have to transfer via network, disconnect BOTH from the net and move everything at once.
 
Plan a cutoff date for the old DAW. Keep it hot and viable till you can't remember the last time you accessed it. Then pack it carefully, with monitor, spare mouse and KB, interface, OS, DAW, and plug discs, plus several writable empties, in a safe place.
 
Treat it like an old tape machine you may need again soon. In reality, it is even more important than that.