"Best" Recording Set-Up for +/-$2500?

[Brooks]

I'm stealing this thread from TGP, cause it had some great responses, but I'd like to get your opinions.

I'm interested in making a little project studio for myself at home. Nothing too fancy, this is not professional, yet; I just want to have a good setup for demos and personal editing/tooling around/whathaveyou.

I need a computer, monitors, audio interface, maybe an external HD... lets have room for expansion here!

Here's what JohnWesley of Porcupine Tree fame(?) reccomended, which was one of the better gearlists.

Mac Book 13" 1099.00
M Box Pro Firewire/ with 32 tracks of LE 799.00
Shure Sm 57 99.99( best all around guitar mic ever)
Firewire Drive, 120 gig 7200 RPM(speed to run Pro Tools) 125.00
Samson Resolv 50a- powered montitors 239.00
Reason Adapted comes with the Mbox Pro, you can run your loops off of The Dr Rex loop player right into Pro Tools LE
All in...under 2400.00
With a little bit of work and a small learning curve, an amazingly powerful recording setup. Have fun.

What do you guys recommend? And how about for a similar Logic powered setup... Macbook, some speakers+mics and an Apogee Duet, perhaps?