mixmkr
and Win7pro won't be top dawg either...? 

Haha...while you've brought it up..... Does anyone have a preference between Windows 7 or 8 for their DAW?
I've been VERY pleased with the stability of Windows 7 so far, but didn't know if I should upgrade my OS while I'm doing everything else.

My thoughts about that:
 
Firewire is obsolete....Yes it does works well, but no laptop has it anymore.
So...usb is better choice since it will work on any computer to come.
 
Since you speak about 4 inputs at max,just go on with usb....I have a focusrite scarlett 2i2...Works very well.
Considering bandwidth, well, RME UFX is both firewire and USB2.0 and is a pro soundcard. It's advertised for 36 channels at 192k, so USB should be able to manage what you wanna do quite easily. Just plug your soundcard on a dedicated USB port.
 
For win8 or win7:
If you use firewire devices,stick to win7 (for legacy drivers availability)...Otherwise it should be irrelevant (sonar should support win8.1)

I upgraded to USB (Octa Capture) and got a laptop.  Runs fine for what I do.
 
Forgot my KRK Ergo was still firewire (for doing room analysis).....so if I ever want to re-do room analysis I will have to spark up one of the old PCs with a FW interface.  D'oh....
 
JR

Regarding Win 7/8, just be aware that some drivers are not Win 8 compatible and in Win 8.1 this problem is worse. Undoubtedly the drivers will get there in time.
 
Great comments in this thread.
 
Regards, 

Funny thing...Many mentions about FW becoming obsolete, oddly enough the new motherboard I will be installing has even omitted USB 2.0.
It has 6 USB inputs and they are all 3.0.  I realize Thanksgiving was last week, but I would like to give thanks right now for backwards compatibility. :)
 

CakeAlexS
The truth is there will be far less confusion in a year :)

Alex, you couldn't be more right!!

First step is to check if your audio interface manufacturer (and any other peripherals you use) have properly functioning Win 8 drivers.  If they  don't - Win 7 would be my choice.  If they do - I'd go Win 8.1 for a new DAW now. 
 
I currently run Win 7 x64 - it runs well and will be supported for many years to come, however the vast majority of Microsoft OS development resource focus is on Win 8 going forward.  Win 8 is the future and most people outlined it's working fine w/ Sonar and some have even outlined performance improvements over Win 7. 
 
Provided your peripheral / audio interface work properly with Win 8 - I guess I'd ask, what's the point in going with Win 7 at this stage of the game?  The 8.1 update now enables you to boot directly into the desktop, bypassing the Metro Tile start screen, so there's virtually no difference from an operational / learning curve perspective.
 
Russ

Sorry .. one additional point of clarity - you mentioned earlier you use this PC for both DAW and Home office functions - so in addition to checking peripherals & audio card manufactures for Win 8 compatibiltiy - also check all your key software programs as well.  I know that's belaboring the obvious a bit, but just wanted to be clear.
Russ
 

Mojo3432
Thanks for the input everyone. This has really turned into a VERY helpful discussion. You all make excellent points. Too excellent in fact. :)

The truth is that it all boils down to what works best for your particular system and preference. It will be different for all. So, I have to say I now feel much more educated after digesting all of your comments...however, I also feel quite dumb about my confusion over which format to go with. Haha.

This is one thing that makes PCs different from Macs. 

Regarding Win 7 versus Win 8(.1).
 
Thinking about obsolescence of hardware - don't forget about software obsolescence. Win 7 should be around for a long time but 8 will be out much longer as it is MS's road map to the future.
 
It is a new kernel and the OS thread scheduling algorithms seem much better for multi-core, multi-threaded applications.
 
I think Windows 8.1 is rather stable by now - it's had at least one major update fix. Another new version update is due out in early 2014.
 
Still, Windows 7 is a very fine release of stable software.
 
Eventually, I suppose Touch could take off much like the mouse did and we will soon find lots of different types of touch interfaces.
 
Why not have a keyboard controller that is touch-enabled? If the touch panel has pressure sensitivity so much the better.
 
However, all being said, we generally need only think about the next 5 years. That is about two software and hardware generations. Everything older than 5 years is blown away by the newer stuff - that is practically a universal fact.
 

arachnaut
Everything older than 5 years is blown away by the newer stuff - that is practically a universal fact.

 
Very true.  That's just the way of the tech world no matter what you're using it for.  We'd better embrace it - we sure can't fight it!! :)