QTR-Quadtone RIP

Hello all!

New to the group and hope to learn a thing or two. I've been printing 
with a 1280 for color and a 1200 for B&W for over three years and 
have always used the epson drivers. Not long ago, I purchased a 4800 
and started to look into RIP's, of which I know nothing about. At 
first I started looking at ImagePrint because of their Phatte Black 
option. Then StudioPrint, QImage and now QTR. The latter two I had 
read others discuss in other forums, such as the DigitalB&W fourm. 
The more I read about RIPs and the costs involved, and what I read 
about QI and QTR, I felt I needed to start asking questions. I have 
read very favorable things about QTR and hope everyone can put up 
with someone who is very interested in learning, and asks questions.  
I had been making scanner based profiles using Monacos EZColor. It 
was a good way to begin learning but I wanted to move up. I recently 
aquired PrintFixPro and want to know what I need to be aware of in 
making RGB profiles used for making B&W prints. As I said, I looked 
into IP and the Phatte option, but have decided to stick with the 3K 
set up that the 4800 utilizes. I still want to be able to print in 
both color and B&W, but I want to use just the one printer. I sold 
the 1280, and the 1200 is just to old.(I bought a refurbed unit 
almost 5 years ago!)I still am on the fence as to whether I want to 
stay with the Epson(expensive)K3 or the MIS(affordable)K4 inks 
however. Any opinions. Basicly at this point I'm just trying to get a 
feeling as to whether the QTR will give me the better B&W that I'm 
striving for, rather than just using Epsons ABW, and how do I start 
out to find out, besides downloading the program. Hope that makes 
sense.