1.  What is a good (or best) sound card that will capture professional instrument voices from my keyboards and then play them back from the computer?    The sound card that came with my computer is not acceptable for making demos, nor to use in live performance.
   2.  Can anyone suggest a laptop or notebook, other than an Apple product, that can be used to record and produce music with good results?  
 
   Currently I have SONAR Producer 8.5 running on an HP desktop with Windows 7 O/S.  I cannot afford to invest further in a computer recording system until I am a lot more knowledgeable about what existing components will let me achieve the pro quality output that I'm attempting to record into the system.  A few years ago I was advised to purchase an Edirol audio interface.  I could never get that device to work.  What I learned was this:  Putting together a computer recording studio can cost a lot more money than is necessary unless you know exactly what you need.  Without the necessary knowledge needed to put together an efficient, functioning system, one can rack up exorbitant expenditures and accomplish nothing but frustrating disappointment.
   I'm getting satisfactory results with recording hardware, i.e.: multi-tracks. They do not present any of the difficulties I've encountered with software.  As yet, I've not actually discovered, for myself, any benefits of utilizing recording software, except in theory.  Though I've asked a lot of questions, and tried different recording software, I'm not getting the answers I need to get any sort of computer recording system up and running.   
     At the moment, I'm taking a second look at the possibility of putting together a functioning computer recording system in hopes of getting a lot further, and without wasting resources.  If you have knowledge of the situation and can advise, I certainly appreciate assistance. 
 
Richard    
    

You already started a thread you didn't reply to, that's not a good way to get help with this. 

Firstly, what Cactus said, secondly..
 
What's your budget? If you move around 200-300 € price span, the stuff is good enough, I guess. But to get the best, you need to multiply that (depending on how many ins/outs you need).
 
The same goes with the laptop. Buy one as powerful as you can. HDD speed 7200 rpm minimum (if not SSD), at least 8 Gb RAM and connection options according to your needs.
 
 
 

Any outboard audio interface will be a significant step up from the built-in audio in your laptop. If you just need 2 inputs at a time, a perfectly acceptable USB interface will set you back about $150. If your primary concern is capturing the sound of outboard synths and ROMplers, and if those devices have S/PDIF support, then you can record them digitally with superb fidelity using any audio interface that has a S/PDIF port.