sharke
I'm still not sure I understand the need to keep a machine disconnected from the internet. I understand the issue with wi-fi and spikes, but a cable hookup doesn't cause any problems and you're not going to infect your machine just by having it plugged in. The only virus I've ever had was because I opened an .exe from an untrusted source, and boy did I learn my lesson. Unless you're being wantonly careless then there is absolutely no trouble at all. 
 
I hear people say "the DAW is my living therefore I'm not taking any risks with it," but I also know people who work in other fields like 3D animation, video production, photography and design whose livelihoods also depend upon a fully working machine crammed with powerful software, yet they're very much connected to (and using) the internet on those machines every day. Music producers are the only people I ever hear express fear of connecting their machines. It's weird. 

This is the thing...

1) If you don't ever update any software of any sort fine, go ahead stay off the internet. It will probably work forever.

2) What generally happens is people do update their software (Sonar/plugins etc) then one day they wonder why it doesn't work (mainly because their dependencies are too old e.g. firmware, drivers, libraries, windows update etc).

3) Updates contain more bugfixes than new bugs. Also more often than not performance is improved (yup in the past it often would be the opposite!). On the RARE occasion there is a problem you can rollback and one would hope you have backups (although with Sonar itself not so rare, sorry to say that).

If you are updating any of your software you are best staying completely up to to date, otherwise you may end of experiencing strange and mysterious bugs that nobody else is getting..

Otherwise freeze your PC, take it off the internet. Don't mess with it at all. Don't install or update anything.

Anderton
 
I've thought about this a lot, and would love to see SONAR have "levels" like a video game. So the first level would be "I want to record stuff and mix it." The second would be "I want to edit what I recorded and add processing when I mix it." And so on.

 
That is a great idea!   Brilliant.  But with some modification, though, please, recognizing that different people have different backgrounds, needs, and goals: some DAW tutorials begin with assumptions that just do not fit some people.   eg. "Ready to start?  Let's make a drum loop. "  NO - not for everyone.   Or "Ready to start?  Plug in your guitar."  NO - not for everyone.  But there are not that many necessary paths .. more than 2, certainly, but maybe less than 7.
 
[edit to be less provocative]

williamcopper
That said, I noticed that immediately nearly everyone pounced on the OP, and either assigned him/her troll status, or trogdolyte status, or some other negative thing.    At this point I know Sonar pretty well, and I still don't really like it that much. 

No they did freaking not. That only started happening after OP didn't reply for half a day (and still hasn't) indicating they could quite possibly be a drive by troll until another user said they knew the person and explained the situation (and even themselves admitted some frustration at the OP). At which point a bunch of people jumped up at the ready to help, again.
 
But of course let's make this all about how you've been persistently persecuted here on the forum... again... as you trash the product... again... for no reason... again... and will still likely be given any help you need... again... and again... and again.
 
Yup, yer real hard done by, willie. Makes ya wonder why you even stick around such an awful, hateful place.

[edit - who cares - comment deleted]

williamcopper
I went and re-read post #2 by Beepster.  Ok, no assigning trollship to the OP.  But it was still subtlely pretty harsh.    Sit on your fingers, Beep.  And lest there be any doubt, I have rarely, maybe never, complained about personal attacks on me ... I don't even like to click on a button that innocuously says "SUBMIT".   (edit)  Evidence, if we needed any other, that in fact the Aliens have been here on earth and in power for a long time ... (end edit)
 

I have seen you constantly moan about how "mean" everyone is to you and anyone making the same type of ridiculous demands/complaints. You did it again here and you will no doubt continue doing it.
 
And if there was any mistake as to why I'M so mean to you it's because I am almost positive you are a long term user using an alternate handle just to stir up crap for teh lulz.
 
Same posting style. Same bullcrap. Same victim complex... blah freaking blah. I only point it out so others can see the pattern and make their own decisions as to what you are. 
 
You can similarly use this post as PROOF that Beepster is mean... because I AM mean... but only to those who deserve it.
 
And WTF are you on about with the aliens crap?! lulz

[edit - comment deleted]

Anderton
 
I've thought about this a lot, and would love to see SONAR have "levels" like a video game. So the first level would be "I want to record stuff and mix it." The second would be "I want to edit what I recorded and add processing when I mix it." And so on.

Sounds great, but isn't that already realized as versions? Music Creator 7 is simple and straightforward, so is Sonar Artist. Or are you talking about so called "wizards", like workspaces in Samplitude Music Studio?

@williamcopper, Beepster, get a room?

Before this gets out of hand please ignore one another Beep and William. 

Anderton
I've thought about this a lot, and would love to see SONAR have "levels" like a video game. So the first level would be "I want to record stuff and mix it." The second would be "I want to edit what I recorded and add processing when I mix it." And so on.

Not a bad idea at all. Apple give away Garageband with OS X and iOS and as a "first DAW" it's presumably not as mind-blowing for beginners as finding yourself facing a full-blown "everything's possible" DAW that has to start by assuming you know something. That Garageband is useful as a leader to persuade people who've outgrown it to get Logic Pro is probably as coincidental as many pre-configured Windows machines coming with "MS Works", an all in one office application that lets you do basic stuff and points you in the direction of Office when you outgrow it. Though MS not including Works import filters in Word and Excel was a bit of a faux pas. :-/

Logic even has a default mode on installation that hides most of the more involved (though necessary to do most things) functions and looks just like Garageband. Which then results in posts on Logic forums by baffled people wondering why the new version of Logic has taken away most of Logic's "pro" functions.

Maybe there's a place for a very, very cut down version of Sonar. Simpler than the most basic Sonar version, that lets you track and mix and do a bit of processing, e.g. eq, one basic compressor, a delay or two, basic reverb, a simple synth or two, that sells for a much lower price tag and outputs projects that are easily imported into Sonar. The catch is that PCs being what they are the new customer will still probably find they have to dig around in the more arcane bits of Windows just to get latency down to a usuable level. Not sure what the answer is to that other than to pressure MS to develop a Core MIDI/Audio equivalent, and then there's still the wifi etc. driver writers to deal with.