Well, as "life would have it", I won't get to try it on the studio desktop until tomorrow, but I will report back. I do appreciate your comments RE which computer and the new driver being more stable, etc. Since my desktop is 4Ghz and currently has 16gb (I just bought 32 gb of G Skill DDR3, for it and can't wait for it to show up), I would expect some difference there. The laptop is an ASUS G74sx 2670QM (don't recall the DDR level)and at 2.2Ghz I would expect at least some noticeable difference between them.
 
Supposedly having an empty project lets you select the sample rate, though I don't know if having some 44.1 tracks will prevent me from tracking vocals at 48khz, or new acoustic guitar tracks, on my older projects.
Michael

OK I had no problem switching to 48. I did it in Sonar using a blank project. You cannot have 44.1 and 48 co existing. You have to convert the 44.1 into 48. 
Once you start a project in 44.1 it's impossible to change I think. Could be wrong.
 
If you make a blank project, set Sonar at 48 and import the tracks I'm pretty sure it converts them. But myself I use Wave lab (or any Wave editor)  first. Not sure how good Sonars conversion process is but I do trust Wave Lab to do the job properly. Sonar's process might be top shelf too, but I'm unaware of it's quality at this point, someone else might know better. 

Me too!!!! It drove me craaaaazy. Let it be.... I'm thinking a Focusrite 6i6 or Roland QuadCapture? That's all the mula I got. Anyone have a preference?

We had a 5 hour flash winter storm and no power, yesterday, so I hope to try some of these ideas out today.
I hadn't though of converting all my 44.1 tracks to 48ghz, but if that's the only way.....hmmm. I am pretty sure that Sonar can playback various rates, so I guess now I need to know if the I/O's I am looking at do.  Today, I feel like just selling it and getting something else! Like Venus, I was just looking at the 6i6.
Michael