yo, p
i am also a newbie & looking @ the same stuff for future purchase, but i have read about each of these (& some others) in a number of magazines and catalogs- the deal is this:
it kinda depends on what you wanna get out of it.
some of these workstations have relatively small storage space on them, forcing you to back up on other equipment.
that may or may not be an issue for you- look into it before purchase.
another thing to consider is whether or not you will be doing any midi work.
if so, the computer workstation is the way to go, because your editing abilities will be WWWAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYY BETTER!
also, some workstsations may have integral effects while others may not.
like i said, it kinda depends on what you wanna do.
also, there are user forums by BRAND on this site- you might spend some time reading those.
maybe someone else with more experience will also reply.