sampler vs. laptop....qu'est-ce que la differance?

[Scott Handley <thesubtlebody@xxxxxxxxx>]

Not being a practicing electronic musician, yet (I
play CDs with virtuosity), I thought I'd ask a
tech-oriented question to help me appreciate changes
in method out there:

Are laptops and available software making samplers
elite?  Sorry I don't know more about this, but I'd be
interested in perspectives on this.  Isn't there
plenty of shareware/freeware and other software that
can basically turn a laptop into a fully-functional
sampler and then some?  Is there something more
versatile, flexible about a sampler, maybe related to
its dedicated function and interface?  Are inexpensive
samplers (e.g., not the Akai MPC2k/3k) really capable
of things a modest laptop is not capable of?

Sorry for length of question; I think it's at least
marginally related to a pretty tough thread from last
month on performance, flexibility, and interaction (a
thread which somehow managed to focus itself around a
discussion of improvising in [traditional] meters).

Off-list replies are welcome if this is not germane or
interesting (esp. to you pro's!). 

Best,

-----s 

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