Well, B2, a lot of the decision depends on what you want to be able to do with it. If all you want is surfing and email, you're probably good with regular updates until it croaks. I would definitely not sink any money into upgrades or even repairs at this juncture.

I'm a devoted Mac user, have been since 1985 and have never, ever wavered from that decision. It's very simple, much more simple than a PC environment.

You might benefit from visiting a couple computer stores, not the massive box stores where they change college kids every semester. If you're anywhere near an Apple store, definitely go visit, if only for the fun of it!