Kloreep

Already got an Awakening & Origins Direct Download bundle for $30 with Stone Prisoner code. Assuming I don't buy every other single piece of DLC (and it sounds like there's plenty best left on the table), I'll still have come in cheaper than this $60 version. So, meh... as long as you wait for sales, it seems to me you're just as well off with the original version.

If you haven't mucked around inside a PC case before, you might want to orient yourself with some pics or videos. The video on this page over at PC Perspective is a pretty good run-down of putting all the parts together.

I've had success hooking my Wii up to a monitor via VGA cable through the Kworld 1440 Box. It's an overseas product, complete with amusingly translated manual, but works well once you figure out what all the buttons on the remote do. It looks like they have newer ones that can output in higher resolutions, including a new gamer-oriented box that supposedly plugs right into a Wii or Playstation. Can't speak to any model but the 1440 though, myself.
 
Since you're trying to convert analog to digital, or one kind of analog signal to another, there's no quick fix. Most monitors are not set up for analog-to-analog conversion from RCA-type cables, even if you buy the proper RCA-to-VGA cable. I'm afraid it's unlikely you'll find anything cheap that works well, but if you have money to spend, I'd recommend checking out some kind of TV Tuner box along the lines of the Kworld stuff. It looks like you should be able to find something that supports the Wii for $50 (after all, the Wii's outputting in 480p, so there's not all that much gain you'll see with it by getting a box with some kind of high-res output).
 
Edit: I didn't actually think to test 480i, that could be a problem unless the box supports it. I believe VC games output at whatever settings you have the console at, so I don't think they'd be a problem. But there are certain Gamecube games, even some Wii games, that don't support progressive scan, so there could be problems there.

I've heard the PS2 version is definitely inferior to the other versions - more slowdowns, and less shiny graphics.

I've also heard the XBox version is a little bit nicer than the GameCube version. But, the GameCube verison can be played on a Wii; the XBox version hasn't gotten compatibility with the 360. The PC version doesn't sound like a bad way to go, and is certainly the best graphically, but be prepared to do some fiddling if it doesn't like your system.

My only experience is with the GameCube version (played it all the way through, it was fine) and an attempt at the PC version (couldn't get the game timing right on my laptop's power-saving CPU).

I've been using my laptop for gaming for four years now (and so, it being an old laptop, I'm also in the position of being unable to play most new games). As Al3xand3r says, there's really no difference in comfort; you'll want to buy a mouse, and maybe a keyboard, and it's basically like a portable desktop at that point. If anything, it just makes it harder to adjust the monitor. And of course, it's tough to upgrade much beyond the hard drive & RAM.

If you're big on portability, go for a laptop. But if you're not going to need to lug your gaming machine around, I'd get a desktop. If you don't want to bother building it, you can always order a desktop just like you would a laptop, and it'll at least be upgradeable; and probably cheaper.

Not everyone hates KOTOR2. Much as I liked 1, I like 2 better.

I agree KOTOR 2 seemed more intelligent. That's not quite the right word, but I think I get what you mean. KOTOR1 had better plot twists, but KOTOR2 felt better throughout. I'm honestly not sure why people are so confused after playing the game; it's not as clear as 1, but I didn't have trouble following along and understanding what was happening with the characters. Although some of the force mechanics and such that justify it all are a bit unclear; as atejas says, it could have used some polish.

2 definitely had the better cast. In 1, there were only a few party members I actually cared about - Jolee and the "protocol" droid, and to some extent Bastila, were the only party members I actually cared about. In 2, just about every character was interesting.

The ending is definitely KOTOR 2's biggest problem. While it seems like it was always meant to be nebulous with regard to the PC, there was, as BreakfastKing and Gunner said, much more that was supposed to happen regarding your party members that would have brought them into the ending in meaningful ways.

I remember enjoying this game almost a decade ago, but also being terrible at it. I would either expand too quickly and die a slow death of bankruptcy, or expand too slowly and end up getting crushed by the neighboring military power. Did anyone ever manage to win scenarios without cheating?

Yeah, I tried the demo and I can actually play it - and I have an aging laptop with a Mobility Radeon x300 video card (1.5 Ghz Pentium M, 2 gigs RAM). No post-processing effects, of course, but the first level seemed to play smooth enough.

As you all play this, can you confirm the lack of the GC collection glitches? Having given up after two crashes on the Collector's Edition I'm a little wary of this version.

Skeletor, do you have a NVidia card? From what I've seen on the Bioware forums, GPFs often result from NVidia cards + certain fairly recent drivers. For most people, the only solution is to roll back drivers, though I've seen people post that getting some of the very latest drivers may solve it too.

See this: http://masseffect.bioware.com/forums/viewtopic.html?topic=659445&forum=127

And if that doesn't help here's a massive GPF thread: http://masseffect.bioware.com/forums/viewtopic.html?topic=631450&forum=127