Stationary Sanders

Can someone educate me about the sanders that sit on your bench. I know some are disc, some are belt and then there's spindle. I know there are some contraptions that combine 2 or more of these in one machine.

I've been sanding by hand. And I also have an old B&D heavy as lead thing that vibrates. And I have an ROS too. While using the heavy thing the other day, I discovered that if I just rested it on its side on the bench, I could hold the workpiece up to it with less effort than moving the heavy thing around. So a light bulb went on, and I thought, this is what belt sanders are for. (I think).

So is it worth it to get a combo machine? Is a spindle better than a disc? Are the belt sandpapers easy to come by in different grits?

Thanks all.
 
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