nibblezz | New Desktop and Stuff

The days of using my Toshiba 17" laptop as my primary computing machine are coming to an end. I've decided to buy a high-end desktop + monitor for my design work and downsize to a 10" to 13" tablet/hybrid for school/general mobility. I'll probably end up selling my laptop to help finance this upgrade. A few things I've noticed since my search for the right equipment began--price and design. Considering the PC industry is struggling, I find it a bit tough to swallow a price of $900 to $1500 for a high-end desktop. If HP and Asus want to move PC units, then why not discount them? I can see laptops/Ultrabooks with high-end specs going for that much, but considering the lack of demand for desktops I can't see anyone really buying these things. Oh well, I'm sure if I keep looking/waiting I'll find a great deal.

Another thing that brothers me when I'm looking for desktop towers is design. I know desktops with high-end specs are generally marketed toward the hardcore gamer crowd and they definitely have their uh..."unique" design aesthetic to say the very least LOL, but do manufacturers have to make them so darn UGLY?! Outside of the Asus M51 and HP Pavillion lines, I've encountered designs that look like they were made by a 16-year old Star Trek:TNG fanboy from 1998 (I'm looking at you iBuyPower, CyberPowerPC, Alienware/Dell). Pure ugliness/trackiness. FYI, adding neon colored lights, bold angular shapes and tons of mesh/vent holes do not make your designs look futuristic/cool, instead it makes them look like infantile/out-dated crap.

Anyways that was my computer rant for the day. I've listed a few computer systems, monitors and tablets I have my eye on:

Monitors

~~Dell UltraSharp U3011 30" Monitor $1,129.99~~ - Too expensive, too grainy

~~Dell UltraSharp U2711 27" Monitor $629.99~~ - Too expensive, too grainy

Viewsonic VP2365 23" Monitor $245.99 - Great price and reviews. Smaller, but affordable. 2nd choice.

Viewsonic VX2770SMH-LED 27" Monitor $279.99 - Large size, 100% sRGB calibration. 1st choice

AOC i2367Fh 23" Monitor $159.99 Beautiful, but color calibration could be an issue without a quality HDMI cable.

Desktops

Asus M51AC $869.99 - Pricey but has awesome specs

HP Pavilion HPE h8-1210 $710 - For about $160 more I can get the Asus M51 with a better video card and more expandable memory.

I could build my own...but...I have no drive to do it and plus I'm sure it'll be cheaper if I just bought a nice discounted one :)

Tablets/Hybrids

Microsoft Surface Pro 10.6" 128GB - $999+ - Very pricey, the type cover is an additional $150. 1024 Pressure of sensitivity Wacom digitizer!!!! A bit on the small side. If I do decide to get it, it will be off of Craigslist or eBay.

Asus Eee Slate EP121 64 GB - $500. Older. Only 512 pressure of sensitivity :\ Wacom digitizer.

Wacom's mysterious "mobile tablet" I hope it's Windows 8 and NOT Android. Gotta be able to load Photoshop and Illustrator...

Desktop/Dedicated Tablets

Wacom Cintiq 21UX 21" $1,500 - Yeah it's been discounted but it's one of the more cheaper Cintiq's compared to the newer versions. I've seen them as low as $1000 on Craigslist.