Because of the bugs in the staff view on X3, X2 and X1, (X1 was a disaster, no doubt) I decided to buy Digital Performer 8 for Windows. I started the 3rd movement of my 9th symphony on Sonar, ported it over to DP and used it every day for 2 months.  Very recently, I brought the piece back into Sonar Platinum.  Here's why:
 
1.   Cakewalk came through and fixed the most egregious notation view bugs, including the snap bug, the screenset refresh issue, and the order of tracks in the staff view track pane that got jumbled. Hurray for Cakewalk!
 
2.  While DP's notation is better because it can properly display tied and dotted triplets and 64th notes, in reality Sonar's notation VIEW is better for me.  DP's notation editor simulates 8.5 x 11 manuscript paper. While this is good for songwriting and for pieces that have no more than around 6 instruments, once you're using 10, 20 or 30 instrument tracks, it becomes cumbersome because you can only see 4 or 5 measures on a page.  For playback this isn't an issue, but for composition, editing and orchestration it is, because you're constantly moving from one page to another, which I don't like.  With Sonar, the notation is laid across the entire width of the screen, and it has a scroll bar (DP does not) which for orchestrators and composers of large pieces, allows you to move around the score very easily and quickly.  Sure, you can use memory and markers to get to a specific measure, but when you have a composition with 200 or 300 measures, having the scroll bar and the notation spread across the entire screen is invaluable.  I didn't realize how important this is until diving into the program and spending 8-10 hours a day learning it and using it. 
 
3.  DP is a great program.  But the fonts are too small for me.  The event list in particular is so small that it really is hard on the eyes after working for 3 hours or so.  I have 20-20 vision with glasses, but still, I found some eyestrain due to the small fonts and the lack of color coding in the event list.  Checking for errors is more difficult and inserting controller and patch changes is a little bit more difficult on DP.  Sonar's ability to rename controllers and patches (MOTU had an editor that can do that, but not for Windows) also makes the event list easier to use to correct any MIDI programming errors.
 
All in all both are great programs, and there is nothing I can do in one that cannot be done in the other.  But for this composer, Sonar is simply easier and faster to use.  I am happy Cakewalk finally got around to staff view fixes.   Though the tied triplet issue is still around, since I export all my scores into Sibelius, it isn't too big of a deal because Sonar plays back these tied and dotted notes correctly.  If Sonar fixes that, no doubt many composers will see how far Sonar has evolved.
 
Jerry
http://www.jerrygerber.com
 

Jerry -
 
Thanks for posting this. I went out a got a demo of DP after you said you were going to start to use it. I couldn't get past the small fonts on the UI. I looked at Cubase too. But decided to stay with Sonar and I'm glad I did.
 
Glad your back. Your insights are really helpful to the community.
 
 - Dave

Jerry your timing is impeccable. Still going to try the DP demo though.
Thanks

Brando
Jerry your timing is impeccable. Still going to try the DP demo though.
Thanks

Why not?  DP is a fantastic program, as is Sonar.  You may find it better for your needs. 
 

I have been using Finale since 2009 with Sonar and enjoy the compatibility between the programs. 

Have you tried MuseScore, or Finale Notepad, or Finale, for notation?
 
Just curious - I routinely create midi tracks or entire compositions in Sonar, and then after exporting I open them up in Finale Notepad or MuseScore and print off copies for other musicians. Neither of those two is as good as Finale's full-blown version, but they are free.  Soooo, I am just curious as to whether or not any of you folks has used them.
 
Bob Bone
 

I'm still using Notion 5 and SPLAT with great results!

I'm planning to try MuseScore as soon as I finish my current project, an orchestral movement 14 minutes long. It is encouraging to hear that folks are routinely using notation software via the export-from-Sonar route. I'm planing to use Midi1 files, as I have Sonar 8.5, which doesn't have XML.
 
Also, good point about Sonar's staff view being better for composing (not actual notation), as you can indeed scroll up and down and forward and back infinitely. I routinely do this to navigate. I can quickly find a particular section and get there almost instantly. Must give credit where it is due. Please, Cakewalk, do improve staff view, but don't change the scrolling! I can't imagine being limited to DP's boxing me in on one page. Another example of Cakewalk getting the details right.
 
Jerry, glad you're back. Hopefully you can write off the DP adventure! Your experience there will benefit greatly many here, so thanks for sharing.

Oddly enough this is a little bittersweet for me because the people I know at MOTU are standup folks, and IMHO they got the shaft from Apple when, after supporting Apple through thick and thin, had the rug pulled out from under them when Apple took Logic off store shelves and sold it for $199. No way a small company like MOTU can compete with that. So I'd like them to succeed. Fortunately their interfaces do well, so they're not as dependent on the software.
 
However your comments are also gratifying after one person (obviously not you) stated as FACT that Cakewalk had not put staff view fixes on the to do list (they obviously had), no staff fixes would ever be made (they have been), and Studio One Pro 3 would integrate notation (it doesn't). 
 
Gotta admit, though, the MOTU guitar processors are pretty darn good. If you ever need to put your string section through a vintage fuzztone, I recommend exporting, processing in DP, and re-importing back into SONAR 

And something else about the Sonar/DP 8 issue.  I'm not sure what Orchestral Sample library Jerry is using,  but i use libraries with quite the load on the computer.  DP8 struggles here and you'd better have a 3rd party app like VEP to handle the work load.  Since Sonar went 64 bit (the 1st I believe)  I am able to have my work all on one computer and in one program...and mixing is quick and way easier.   That is a huge time saver,