Finale is definitely the industry standard, although I've heard Sibelius is making serious inroads. They seem to be the two "pro" programs. I spent the $30 on a printed version of the Finale manual and haven't regretted it, but then I've always disliked on-screen help. The manual is very well indexed and I've always been able to find everything I need quickly.

There are several very good sequencing programs. What springs to mind immediately are Emagic Logic, Digital Performer (Mac only), Cakewalk (Windows only), and Cubase. I've only used the first two a bit, and found that they could do WAY more than I ever needed them to -- which is good, as being limited by your software is very frustrating.

John Peekstok