Tracking MIDI drums

[DivideYourTime]

Let me start by saying I'm a sometimes-reader, first-time poster on these boards. I've toured and recorded with several different bands, so I've got familiarity with "the basics" in tracking an album from the engineer's perspective. Currently, I'm looking to get into some more extensive home demoing/recording and needed some advice, which is where the experts (you guys) hopefully come in. Here's the situation:

I am looking to record drum tracks direct into the computer from Roland V-Drums (TD-8 module) through a MIDI interface. From there, I'll do some sampling with Drum Kit From Hell to replace the MIDI values with digital samples. Eventually I'll track guitars/bass overtop by recording direct, but for now I'm focused on just the drums. My questions:

1. I'm buying a new computer soon. PC or Mac? I'm looking at a MacBook Pro, which I'd assume would have sufficient horsepower for the task of multitracking. Any thoughts on PC laptops that would have the sound-card horsepower to get the job done, or would I need to buy a new card? Obviously they're a lot cheaper than their Mac brethren.
2. Any preferences on programs to record with? I'm looking for cost-effectiveness, ease of use, and ability to use multiple plug-ins. I've used Cubase, Samplitude, and Cakewalk the most, but I'm curious as to the best alternative.
3. What's the most cost-effective MIDI interface to go with? I'm looking to obviously split the MIDI output from the TD-8 into discrete tracks so I can sample the drums. Would a USB or Firewire interface be sufficient, or am I going to have lag/sync issues if it's not PCI?
4. Anything else I should be aware of that I'm missing here?

Thanks in advance for any advice- I really appreciate helping me get the ball rolling here!

[kittonian]

A Mac Pro, Cubase, and a MOTU MIDIExpress 128 will get the job done perfectly for you.

[DivideYourTime]

Many thanks- just the type of response I was looking for.