Reply to Specific questions on Behringer bcd3000 vs Hercules DJ Console Mk2

Hi

I am almost a total noob into the world of DJing, but being a musician, am fascinated by the DJing scene.

To just get a feel of the thing, I want to purchase one of the two above mentioned controllers, and since I am based in India (and these devices are not available here), I am unable to actually visit a store and see the two devices working. Obviously, before shelling out large sums on either of these, I wanted to make sure it is exactly what I want.

Hence, would appreciate answers to some of the questions below that would help me make my choice.

Thanks in advance for your help.

1. What attracts me to the bcd3000 is the number of controls directly accessible from the console. Am I right in understanding that it is not possible to access all of these controls (such as FX volumes, scratching, Master volume, Gain, Key matching, etc) directly from the Mk2 console?

2. The bcd3000 has only 1 set of outs, while the Mk2 has 2 sets of outs (booth monitor + audience?). How important is it to have the extra set of outs? Is it possible to work with just the one?

3. Is it true that the bundled Traktor LE is inflexible on looping (only 4 bar loops, to be specific)? I plan to use a lot of loops in my mixes, and if Traktor's not good for this, should I stick with the Mk2 with VDJ LE (again, I assume that this is flexible on looping)?

4. I run a laptop/PC with XP. Is it true that the bcd3000 shows glitches on XP and VDJ?

5. Are the rubber buttons and knobs on the Mk2 long lasting?

6. Is the bcd3000 USB powered?

7. I guess the audio output quality on both the machines is comparable, so that shouldn't be a differentiating factor, right?

8. The Mk2 comes with a cover and carry strap, which I guess is useful for storage and transportation. Is there something similar for the bcd3000 that I can buy? I don't want to be breaking off knobs lugging it around.

9. What would be your overall recommendation between the two? Thanks to some weird shipping rates, I am getting the Mk2 for about $30 cheaper than the bcd3000. Would that affect your recommendation?

I've been through similar threads on this community , but many people here seem to advise against getting either of these machines, and saving up for something better. Thanks for the advice, guys, but that is not an option for me right now. Also, would appreciate actual experience-based responses (as opposed to perception-based ones :-P).

Sorry for the flood of questions, but I really need to take a call on this in the next 10 hours or so (or I lose the best price on the Mk2 and it shoots up out of my league), and I couldn't get answers to these online.

Once again, thanks for your inputs.

Cheers
Sid