wow everyone disses the table saw

I love mine. I use it all the time. I have a cheapie ~250-300 craftsman model. Acts as a great portable work table, it's light enough for me to haul around the house (I purchased it to install some laminating flooring). It's fantastic for clamping stuff too (control panels for instance).
Perfect height for putting a compound mitre saw (another essential tool in my book, especially if you are making frames).
another suggestion I would have, in addition to a powerful cordless drill - a nice corded drill. Having a second drill handy is helpful beyond belief; doesn't run out of juice, and saves time from swapping lots of bits.
my 2 cents,
-derek