Same search here, check my 'Digital Multi Tracker Search' thread.
No-one seems to reply on this forum at the moment.

I am leaning more towards the yamaha now, zooms are made pretty cheaply and are prone to going wrong after a while.
I was also looking at the Tascam 2488mk2 but I don't think it has a sampler built in?

thanks mate, I just replied to your post actually....weird. We are both looking for the same answers I guess, check the link I sent, might prove helpful.
If this is your first foray into home recording and you need any other advice give me a yell as I have been recording for eight years at home and it can be frustrating.

cheers

Well I know nothing about these but in general when I look to buy something I don't have much info on I try to search related user forums and manufacturer forums for problems that have cropped up with particular pieces of equipment. Other than that most of these units will probably perform about the same quality wise so it will be more of a feature thing. Like how easy are the menus to go through does it do xyz etc. You should go down to a music store that carries them and play around with them and see which one you like best.

I've used the Fostex VF160s and they work well and sound pretty good. It doesn't have any built-in guitar processing but it does have some build in effects. You can get a used one fairly cheap.