[sinclair_tm]

well, i'm not the pratical type, but i do have an opinion on the matter. as far as ram, if you can get 8gig ram, i would think that os x would use it before going to vm on the hard drive, so the more ram, the less you have to worry about vm file size on the hard drive, and the fast the mac will run. but the truth is, there is no real need for more than 4gig, which is what i'd get. as far as the lcd, get the 30. they are awsome, and i am always running out of desktop space, even when i had dual 17" monitors. if you are one that has lots of windows open, and find that they are at times in the background when you need them, then get a bigger monitor. but the best thing is to goto an apple retailer, and play with a mac with a 23, and one with a 30. open alot of windows like you would have, and see which one would best suit your need.