Kasio is on the right track (no puns intended).
If you like the way tape recorders work -- push the red button and the green button together and go! -- and you tend to not edit or composite things much -- then a standalone HD recorder (like the Roland VS series, etc) with a built in mixer is a good way to go. Many of them allow 8 tracks or more of simultaneous recording so bands find these compact portable boxes good for informal recording.
On the other hand, if you're a typical studio rat one or two man band or producer, do a lot of overdubs, edits, composties, remixes, MIDI, synths, etc, then a PC or Mac centered system will almost certainly serve you best. And, of course, a well-chosen (and connected) laptop can take your show on the road. Also, if you already have a contemporary PC you're half the way there (of course, if you want more than two tracks of simultaneous recording you'll need to jump up to a multi-channel sound card or USB or Firewire audio converter).