Best Way To Multi-track On An Ibook?, mbox or emagic? or something better? Options

[moonmandala]

i'm about to buy a laptop. i'm pretty sure it will be a new ibook and not the powerbook...
i am a musician and basically want to be able to record electric guitar, vocals, keys, maybe some loops and effects
i don't need studio sound but i don't want crap.
it seems like the most popular route to go is an mbox...and i've read the most about that - but what is this emagic ? and is there anything else that works just as well?

my concerns are that the ibook won't have enough juice to do this...does anyone use it with an mbox?
is it going to take me a year to figure out how to multi-track in protools?

any advice or suggestions would be SO appreciated!!!

thank you!

[kolo]

The problem is that as the laptops get more powerful, the software becomes more demanding. I use cubase 4.1 which is like 4 years dated and needs a computer that boots OS9. But it works on my 700mhz ibook which was the last ibook to boot OS9. I have an Audiophile USB and an external mixer. I get lots of tracks (I've had 20 running). Virtual instruments start to put a strain but I use them, alot too. More than a few makes things pokey. So an ibook certainly the ones that come out these days (g4) should totally work.
I used emagic logic and I really liked the interface and that is my choice when I upgrade to a g4 or 5.
But the other poster is right. Get the best you can afford. Max out the ram for sure. With the Mbox your files have an upgrade path to protools the full version. And no, if you have a brain, it shouldn't take you a year to figure out software. Recording is an art though and only experience really will get you there.... good luck