I tend to liken the variations in DAWs to the differences between paying $250 for MS Office, and paying $0 for OpenOffice. Loading a spreadsheet and calculating numbers will give the the same answers in both programs. The differences are in workflow, and other things that are sometimes never used. How many people actually write VBA macros in Excel? I have worked with dozens of people who used Excel and HAD TO HAVE Excel, yet they had no idea how to use the more esoteric portions. They could accomplish the exact same thing with OpenOffice if they would just learn the few differences in workflow between the two programs.
Likewise, any competent DAW should give the same "answer". Some people will want to have ProTools because that's what "the studios use". They may have never stepped into a studio, or sat down at a 48 channel mixing desk, and may never exchange a track with another ProTools user, but they feel comfortable because they have the "industry standard". Fine. If it's worth spending $360 a year to feel comfortable, that's good with me. I would rather spend that money on a new mic, or upgrading the computer, or buying strings for my guitar.