Have you tried Fruity Loops? You might like it. I think there is a demo you can download.
Garage band is pretty nifty but you need a mac.
For your MP3 stuff, I'd recommend Audacity and CDEX, both available from Sourceforge.net. You could also probably record your podcast from there.
Apple has tools for most of this stuff built into the OS, and you get it all with a Mac Mini - how much is this going to cost you in software for the PC side?
You need a Mac, my friend. It solved every one of my problems (which were all of your current problems).
"How could we possibly appreciate the Mona Lisa if Leonardo had written at the bottom of the canvas: 'The lady is smiling because she is hiding a secret from her lover.' This would shackle the viewer to reality, and I don't want this to happen to 2001." - Stanley Kubrick