Reply to Advice on S4 vs. VCI-400 (or 4Trak) for beginner

I'm debating between getting an S4 and a VCI-400 (I'm signed up for the Ean Golden e-mail, but might just get the regular version and pay $59 for the firmware upgrade and mapping). I'd appreciate some advice as to which one of these best suits my needs.

My background: I am new to DJing, but have a musical background. I grew up playing guitar in various bands, and in the process became decent on the keyboards/piano, bass, and drums. I usually composed for all the instruments in the band, so I believe I would like to get into Ableton/producing, as well as DJing. I have played friends' parties using DJay for iPad, but have pushed that to its limits and am ready to play with some real gear .

Here are my considerations:

Price: The Vestax is $1000, plus $200 for Traktor 2 Pro, so that is $1200 total for the VCI 400. I can get a used S4 w/ Traktor 2 pro for $600 to $700. Then figure another $100-200 for midifighter or the F1 to get the same programmable triggers I'd have built in on the Vestax (since I want to get into producing and DJing with Ableton). So $700 to $900 for the S4, and you are talking a $300-500 price difference (enough to pay for Ableton).

Build Quality: The Vestax looks much nicer, but not sure that I need it? I would like to play out but that is very much down the road, so I don't know that I really need the build quality (and heck, I've seen Porter Robinson play with an S4 live so I know its doable).

Traktor Compatibility: I know Traktor has the inside track to their own software, so it maps better than anything else. As a beginner, how much does this matter to me? I really have no way to gauge this without any experience.

Intangibles: I just like the VCI 400 more based on looking at the units. I like the idea of having programmable trigger buttons built in vs. a separate component (like the F1). If they cost the same, I don't believe I'd question the decision to go for it. But, since I'm a beginner, I just don't know if I need what I'd be paying extra for with the VCI 400. Thoughts?

Oh yea, and I just noticed the 4Trak, which is priced the same as the VCI 400, but it seems like people are believeing the VCI 400 is the better alternative to the S4?