[spaceatl]

If you are using windows, you can create a hardware profile. Call it DAW and within that profile you can disable services and hardware that you don't need when using the PC as a DAW (network interface, modems etc...)...This would allow you to disable your network, Anti-Virus, iTunes, automatic update, etc... and any other stuff you do not need as to optimize for a DAW...

In my DAW profile under XP Pro my total ram in use when I hit the desktop is 104 MBs...Under my normal profile that has network, Anti-Virus and other stuff turned on it is around 250 MB...

FYI: you have to reboot to select the profile and you can set whatever one you like as default and set the time to make the selection...