Hi RedSkwirrell, sorry for not getting back to your last reply sooner, but I wanted to comment on a couple of your points.

From things I have heard and read about the Terratec Axon system, it is far faster and more playable than the old Roland guitar synths. The pickups react to the transient when the pick hits the strings, and this is claimed to be more accurate and with no apparent time delay when playing cleanly. There are also other benefits of using an Axon, such as being able to split different sounds onto the strings, so you can play bass on 5th and 6th strings and a piano on the upper strings, and it is also possible to split the string length into 3 different sound zones as well. Its difficult describing all the features in this post, but look on their website for more info:
[URL]http://audioen.terratec.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=1[/URL]

I saw a good demo of the Axon at a music exhibition at Wembley last year, and the guy who did the demos (Burr Johnson) has done some videos which you might like to watch:

[URL]http://audioen.terratec.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=Sections&file=index&req=viewarticle&artid=66[/URL]

With the Axon pickup - it can be stuck on without doing any damage to the guitar, although many users apparently like to fit it inside the body. I was hoping to get a guitar with a pickup already fitted that was compatible with the Axon, but that will have to wait until I have some spare money.

All the best music packages have several versions to suit what you need, and they can be easily upgraded if you need more. For example, Cubase comes in 3 or 4 versions and the cheapest one in under £100. Cakewalk has the same option of various entry levels. However, I agree with you that it is confusing when so many new gizmos are constantly being brought out, but then there will never be a best time to buy this sort of thing. It's best just to get on the bandwagon and get used to using the software, then when something new does come along you will already be well-prepared to take on board some new features.