if you want to use the DMX controller only to control the Catalyst , I suggest you to buy the follows :
1 Mac Pro with ATI xt1900
2 Cinema Display 23"
1 HES dp2000
1 HES programmer wing
1 HES playback wing
1 Microsoft Windows XP SP2
1 HES USB dedicated Wholehog keyboard
1 Hog Pc software .
By buying this you will have the best ever Whole Hog Set up , I use to work with this set up , ( wingless actually ) and it's a way much faster then the consolle it self . Mouse And Keyboard it's much easy to control then the physical consolle it self .
Why a Mac ? It's the perfect spare for your catalyst server .
Costs ?
15 .000 euros maybe less if you go for USB super widget instead of Dp2000 .
May be you want touch screens instead of cinema display .... well you can having as much as you want ( using TH2G ) .
this is what I suggest .
If you don't want to do this ....
If you need to control only the catalyst server I'll say whole hog iPc .
In my opinion it's better don't don't buy a Hog 3 my personal opinion it's that it will be discontinued .
Why I'm telling you this ?
Hog3 it's based on linux , iPc , Pc and Road are based on Windows .
Think how difficult it's for the HES team to make two different version of the software, I'm not a software programmer but it's logical to think that it's easier working on one platform then 2 .
The Hog software , I mean the software you get from Hog3 , iPc , Hog Pc , RoadHog , in my experience it's the best ever light controller software around the industry , it's clean easy and intuitive , there is nothing more you could ask .
I might be wrong saying that Hog3 will not survive as much the windows based product will do , but this is what I think .
Hog 3 it's the best software ever for controlling lights , does not metter if it run on a Pc iPc or what ever for my experience to answer your question directly buy a Hog iPc .