You don't need a lot of CPU power for audio unless you plan to use lots of digital effects plugins, software synths, samplers, etc. A simple setup with a reverb bus and some EQ won't tax the system. If that's all you need, almost any CPU, old or new, is up to the task of recording multi-track audio.
Check the RAM requirements of the software you plan to use. Again, you need more if you plan to load big sample libraries.
Mac and Apogee Duet is a great combination. The Duet is has very good pres - only two channels though.
I'd choose Mac over PC any day although, myself, I'm a linux guy. JACK gives you a solid, low-latency platform for audio work and there's a very good linux DAW: Ardour/Mixbus. Main drawback on linux is that you don't have so much choice for low to mid range interfaces. The M-Audio Delta cards work very well, as does the RME Multiface. If you're looking for something high-end, the RME AES card is supported.
If you're planning to do a lot of complicated (hardware) audio routing, RME monitoring mixer software, Totalmix, is maybe the best on offer on any platform.
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