Does anyone know if the The Mackie Blackbird Firewire works with Win 10?   Also will my mother board (which claims to be thunderbolt ready) work for thunderbolt?  Or do I have to buy some kind of a card?

Your motherboard requires the ASRock Thunderbolt 2 AIC (add in card) to provide Thunderbolt.
The downside is that Microsoft isn't supporting "PCIe via Thunderbolt" with Thunderbolt 2 (only with Thunderbolt 3 via USB-C port).  Your Mackie Firewire unit should work fine under Win10.

Thanks Jim.  So I need a different motherboard to go thunderbolt.  Damn.   Oh well.  

So thunderbolt 2, as in this unit, (which doesn't work on the windows platform)http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Apollo8QBk  is not supported
for windows?  At least not for any audio interfaces.  I guess I am a bit confused 
on this whole thunderbolt thing.  I have been waiting for focustrite to issue windows drivers
but that looks like it will never happen. LOL     Are the MOTU drivers only for Thunderbolt 3?
Also; are usb 3 and Thunderbolt 3 one and the same?

HighAndDry
Thanks Jim.  So I need a different motherboard to go thunderbolt.  Damn.   Oh well.  

If you want full "PCIe via Thunderbolt" support:

• You've got to have one of the latest Z170x or X99p motherboards that offers Thunderbolt 3 via USB-C port
• You have to be running Win10

If you plan to run a Thunderbolt audio interface, you'll need a USB-C to Thunderbolt adapter.
There are several that are due out in May.
 
Right now, there are no audio interfaces that have "PCIe via Thunderbolt" drivers for Windows.
MOTU has announced these drivers for their AVB series... but they're not available (yet).

HighAndDry
So thunderbolt 2, as in this unit, (which doesn't work on the windows platform)http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Apollo8QBk  is not supported
for windows?  At least not for any audio interfaces.  I guess I am a bit confused 
on this whole thunderbolt thing.  I have been waiting for focustrite to issue windows drivers
but that looks like it will never happen. LOL     Are the MOTU drivers only for Thunderbolt 3?
Also; are usb 3 and Thunderbolt 3 one and the same?

It certainly can be confusing...  
I'll try to clarify 
 
The original Apollo can run connected to a PC via Firewire or Thunderbolt-2.
When connected via Thunderbolt-2, the Apollo is using Firewire protocol over Thunderbolt.
No different than connecting the unit via a Firewire controller
 
Correct, the Apollo 8 (linked to above) does not have drivers for Windows... and thus can't be used on a Windows machine.
 
Microsoft just officially added "PCIe via Thunderbolt" support under Win10.
This yields performance similar to using a PCIe audio interface.
Microsoft decided to skip ahead to Thunderbolt-3.
You have to be running one of the absolute latest Z170x or X99p motherboards that offer Thunderbolt-3 via USB-C port... and you have to be running Win10.
Microsoft claims "PCIe via Thunderbolt" support should be backward compatible With Thunderbolt-2 and Thunderbolt-1... but they don't guarantee it.
With a USB-C to Thunderbolt adapter (connected to one of the mentioned motherboards), your Thunderbolt-2 audio interface should work (if the audio interface manufacturer has released the proper drivers).
Right now, MOTU is the only company to officially announce Windows Thunderbolt (PCIe via Thunderbolt) support.
 
USB-C gets confusing.
USB-C was designed to be universal (can be used for Thunderbolt-3, USB-3.1, or USB-3)
 
Hope that helps!
 
 

thank you so much Jim  you  are the best!!
 

 I've got the same board.  I still run PCI cards.   There has been discussion about disadvantages of TBolt on Windows. TBolt is pricey and seems more Macentric.   Read some of the threads about USB 2.  It's got a lot of life left.

The reason Thunderbolt comes across Mac-centric:
There's no other means of accessing the PCIe bus on any current generation Mac.
 
If you have a nice USB2 audio interface, there's no reason to stop using it.
Thunderbolt will just bring the ability to achieve PCIe level performance in an external unit.