Jumping Off

Before I can go any further, I have to choose which of the 3 iMac models I want.

There is the 15" square screen, the 17" widescreen, and 20" widescreen. Here are my deciding criteria:

1. Looks - Forgive me for being shallow, but I'm doing this because I want a super beautiful computer. For my money, the 15" square screen isn't that appealing and the 20" screen is too big in proportion to the dome. The 17" wins out here
2. Price and availability - As of October 2009, 15" models run about $100-$200 and are everywhere. 17" models run about $200-$350 and are pretty easy to find. 20" models run anywhere from $300-$600 and are few and far between.
• Where to buy - If you live within 3 hours of a major city, I strongly recommend Craigslist. The prices are easily $50-$100 cheaper than ebay and you don't have to worry about the $50+ shipping fee if you can pick it up yourself. 

Now that you know which model you're going to get, you'll need to find an appropriate LCD display. As with the computers themselves, the bigger the screen, the more expensive they'll be (in general). However, 20" LCD monitors are really becoming the standard so they've come down in price a lot over the last few years. This also means many fewer companies are making 17" widescreen monitors and they're becoming harder to find.