Just bought a MBP, help a noob out :)

[anonymous hippopotamus]

hello hello

first of all, i'd like to say i love the site and all the invaluable information that i've been finding on the forums.

now, i've been producing music (very casually) for uh... maybe 6 years now. just you know, messing around with fruity loops, reason, ableton live, etc. i've never got really hardcore into producing stuff, but its kind of been a dream of mine in the back of my mind

recently i bought a new Macbook Pro. It's my first laptop, and i'm very very pleased with it. i bought it mainly for graphic design/ web design stuff, and also because i just moved in to a new apartment with my girlfriend and one desktop between the both of us just isnt cutting it.

here's the basics, if it matters:

2.33ghz intel core 2 duo

2gb ram

100gb hdd

so far, producing on it is sooooo much more fun than doing stuff on my pc desktop. i can't really put my finger on it, but there's something about macs and OSX that makes me feel more productive and creative (im sure you mac owners know what i mean).

so, i've been thinking of upgrading it a bit to get more serious into producing. i'm kind of a noob when it comes to pro audio stuff; i know almost nothing about the hardware (MAYBE a bit about basic synths and stuff), and i know very little about software (only stuff learned from messing around with 3 or 4 apps in my free time for the last 5-6 years).

first off, i guess i should get a sound card or some type of audio interface. i can't get an internal one, because my MBP has one of those smaller pc card slots... i think it's kind of a new technology and its not supported yet by too many products.

after reading the 'what soundcard should i use?' thread, i'm thinking about getting this, with the microphone deal:

http://www.zzounds.com/item--NINAUDIOKONTROL

i dont really record live instruments much at all, but ive been meeting some musicians lately and i'd love to have the option to record some vocals or anything else, should the opportunity arise. regardless of if i go with this deal or not, i definitely would like to get a good quality mic.

the only problem with that particular interface is my budget. i was really hoping to get something more around $100-$120. is this possible or would it be a waste to upgrade with something in that price range?

also, what else would you suggest (hardware-wise) that i could buy to enhance my producing experience? right now all i have is an oxygen 8. and an internal microphone. haha. i've been thinking i want to get a bit more 'hands on' with making music, not just pointing and clicking for hours until something comes out.

one last thing!! so i don't bog you nice folks down with questions and noob crap, are there any educational resources i can check out for very beginner level producing/pro audio/mixing/synths/hardware and crap?

(eww, this might be too many questions for one post, if so i'm sorry)

thanks in advance