The reason I would go with Reaper if I was starting again is becuase of the price and the fact that it does everything Cubase and ProTools do. The prioce is...wait for it.... FREE. You can make a donation of about 30 or 40 dollars I think to the developers should you decide to keep it but it is free to download and is uncrippled with full functionality. Check out homerecording.com for info on it, lots of pros with their own studios are using it now too. Get it here: http://reaper.fm/download.php
Yeah, I spent a lot of cash getting to where I am now (traded in and up on E-Bay over the past two years) but my current setup is the skimmed down version (ditched the PODxt, stompboxes, amps, Mesa rig etc), I don't bother with the Marshall amp or Mesa Boogie rigs gear anymore, the Rocktron unit does it all for guitars now - it's the only purchase I've ever made that I am 100% satisfied with.
The only thing I may ever look at next would be some preamps or an upgreade from the Delta 1010.... maybe an Appogee AD8000.... better cut up the credit card, 'GAS' attack coming on! :p