boy the optical drives in those old Ti's really sucked. Other than that, they're great. And if it's all the same cash to you, the Ti offers lots of power and mobility.
Tho old Ti's and even the not so old ones have kinda weak graphics cards in them. Is that a concern for you?
As for other stuff, you can put a second monitor, external keyboard and mouse, external drives, etc. You can make the Ti just about everything the tower can be, so it's all good.
If you're not sure which way to go, I always recommend the portable to anyone who can afford it. you won't know how it empowers you until you live it for a while.