What format are most people using, and why?

I'm entertaining the idea of getting into PC audio as a source. Having said that I believe at this point I would go with Apple Lossless.

The reasons being (1) I plan on purchasing a 60gb iPod to listen to while running, at the library, etc. I say 60gb because I believe that it is the only iPod with a 64 bit buffer (i.e. lot's of complaints form people using lossless on the 30gb (32 bit buffer) that they experience skips in the music.

Reason (2) is that I understand that the Squeezebox 3 is compatible with Apple Lossless. Ideally, I'd like to connect it via the DAC input on my Cary CD player.

I think that the only downside to using Apple Lossless is that I'm running a Windows XP environment, if that is a downside...

FLAC. lots of live music in FLAC format on dimeadozen.com.

I use macamp lite to playback on my Mac.

Wave files. 24/96 wave files for all my analog recordings.Hard drive space is cheap and getting cheaper. I want my recordings preserved in the best format.

FLAC. Foobar is awesome and I hate Apple products.

I don't understand why you feel 24/96 wave files are the best. Assuming you are ripping CDs, the data must be converted from it's native 16 bit to 24 bit. Wouldn't it be better to save bit perfect 16 bit copies than somehow converting it? If you feel that adding more bits somehow makes things sound better (I don't) then wouldn't it be better to store a perfect copy of the original and up convert on playback? Sooner or later an up-converter you like better will come along and you will be stuck with whatever your old converter produced.