I think that your best bet would be to do some research first... go to music stores, audio stores, etc... they will give you the spiel and let you test out the equipment, because they want to sell it... see what you like... and take what the music store people say seriously, they know what they are doing, but also with a grain of salt... they are trying to sell you stuff.
Software can usually be tried out as a demo from websites, and you can get a feel for what they can do by trying them out with the demo, but you can't save, so this often effects how you test the demo.
You could also get cracked versions of the software, but I only recommend this by saying a) these could carry viruses (I don't think crackz sites are the most reputable websites) and b) by promising yourself that you will buy this software in the future (being that you and I are both honest people
) There is some really really nice software out there, and being that I am sort of a programmer myself, I know the kind of work that goes in to creating software, and this software won't be available for use if people keep ripping it off... yada yada yada... attempted guilt trip... etc.
Talk to some musician friends... talk to people on this board, and any other forum... but I would have to disagree with the whole premise of the first reply... I don't think that you should buy that setup... it may be very very nice for you, but you need to find out for your self. Try stuff out... that's half the fun anyways...