//Did alot of my best recording on 4-track and I think theres a hell of a lot that you can learn from working with one too!

I think everyone who ventures into music should be forced to learn how to use a 4 track and have to do solo recording with one. Just to understand a bit more about how recording works and how to get the best out of the worst.

RE intuitive, totally- I was having a conversation about this with a mate the other day. I mean, it's a small, easy to use device whose sole function is to record sound. No waiting for your flatmate/significant other to finish with the internet, no glitches/bluescreens, no frills. Idea jumps in head, record it, no waiting around. Totally meets it's design brief, putting as little between imagination & reality as possible. What's with man's tendency to over-invent things that need to be kept simple?

//Software recorders aren't that much harder, it's just that there are a few more aspects that you need to consider when setting everything up.

Yeah and you've got more options for modifying the sounds after they've been recorded with a software solution - where as the 4-track forced you to actually learn to get the best sounds due to good mic placement, understanding of clipping and stuff like that before you pressed record! - ie the basics!

//You also really need a dedicated computer for audio recording.

Not true at all! I've done multitrack recordings on a PIII 400 in my time and they turned out fine - but yes it does make a huge difference if you've got a dedicated machine!