That's what appeals to me more about the Linux cnc is that it seems to be much more like a purpose built cnc control (as in Fanuc, Heidenhain, etc) rather than a cnc programme running on windows. I'll have to explore further I think.

Interesting. This is all the information that you need when deciding on what to buy!

I'll have to explore costings a bit more and explore Linux cnc a bit more I think.

Many thanks for all your help and advice, most useful and certainly a lot to think about