PT9 HD upgrade - hardware still required?

[serr]

OK, 1st I read this:
NEW: Works with Any Audio Interface - or Standalone
For the first time ever, you can choose your own audio interface to record into Pro Tools 9 - or mix on the go, using no interface at all. The hardware doors are wide open, giving you maximum flexibility to record the way you want.

That's perfect! Plans being made, gears turning...

but then I read this:
Pro Tools|HD Audio Interface Required
All Pro Tools|HD systems require the presence of at least one Pro Tools|HD audio interface (purchased separately). Additional interfaces can be added to extend your I/O capabilities.

Which is it?

I want to keep HD for the features and track count but I intended to upgrade to a Mac Pro without the PCI cards. Taking advantage of the new feature (any interface) and modern CPU speeds.

Does the HD 9 upgrade make you also upgrade to the PCIe cards (from the PCI-X cards in the older PPC system)?

[nst7]

Avid has not updated some of their literature.

HD9 will work fine without any HD card or interface hooked up. It's just like having regular PT9 with the Complete Toolkit.

I recently bought HD Native, but I don't yet have a Mac Pro to hook up the card. So I'm just running HD 9 on my 2007 Imac, and it works with my 003R, or through the Mac's built in output.

[noah330]

Yes. I have PT 9 HD Native and when I run on my MBP it's 9 HD and when I run on my Mac Pro (with hardware) it's 9 HD.

The tdm to hd Native exchange was cheaper then buying 9 and CPTK.