Hey, after rethinking the 8 track that I purchased, I am now looking into getting a Firewire audio interface and I'm just wondering

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Recording/Computer/Hardware?sku=184131

this says it has up to 10 inputs, 8 analong mic/ line inputs, would those inputs take XLR inputs? I think yes, after reading the description, but what doesPhantom Power in multiples of 4 really mean?

and correct me if im wrong but the line outs on the back go track by track to send it to another processor? i.e. a mixer maybe?

do you think that this looks good? oh and one last kind of unrelated question, Shure SM57's require phantom power correct?

Yes, the Firepod takes 8 analog inputs, XLR and 1/4 inch.
Phantom power in groups of four means that you can turn on the phantom power on channels 1-4 and/or 5-8. As opposed to just on individual channels.
The line outs can go to a mixer, yes. Comes in handy for monitor mixes or recording live sound.
The SM57 does not need phantom power, nor will it affect the quality of the signal from the mic.