Wannabe Mac User, seeks help! Options

[Calcaneus]

Hi, hope someone can help me out. I use to have a PC running Cubase5 , fruityloops and some MIDI equipment, but my PC exasperated me once too often and ended a little smashed up! Well, I haven't been making music for 9 months now and it's getting bad! I would love to get a mac, I have heard they are very reliable, but I really haven't a clue what I'm looking at. I would like to experiment with Reason and Ableton, as I had a go on a friends PC and I liked them. But I hear they don't have MIDI capabilities, which would make some precious hardware defunct . I also like the idea of making music on the fly, so I'm considering a laptop, but I also heard you need an external sound card for this? I wouldn't object to getting a stand alone if that was the best option for me, it's just the idea of being in bed and making beats is an attractive one! I have about £2300 to spend.

If anyone does help me out, please explain to me like I'm a dribbling imbecile, as I'm really fresh to all this.

Thanks

[Calcaneus]

Many thanks for the advice, it's been a great help. I've been doing some swotting up and am now understanding much better the plethora of information! I'm pretty much certain of what I want to get, that is a 15 " powerbook with ableton 4 and reason, but I'm undecided on the audio interface. You say that the Mbox has latency problems? I have read a number of bad things about M-Audio's stuff. Are there any other Firewire interfaces that you might recommend? I have been looking at the Edirol FA-66 and the Edirol FA101; they both look ok. There is also the PreSonus Firebox which looks kinda snazzy, but I can only find reviews on the FA101.

Thanks in advance,