Cheapest Way to Get Into Macs?

Alright, So I am 17 and have been a mac fan since about 2001. I religiously follow the rumor websites in hopes of one day being able to afford such expensive computers. Macrumors was for a short while even before Leopards release, my homepage.

Well three years ago, I bought an alienware computer with my brother...and right about now I have gotten really sick of it. It breaks down constantly I have had t replace nearly everything in it minus the processor and ram. So I have decided to blow what money I earn this summer on an apple computer. I already have a relatively nice new 24" dell monitor from dell, and I will be getting a laptop when I graduate from high school next year.

So really it isn't a question of portable versus desktop, but rather which desktop to get. I will earn roughly 2500 dollars from my two jobs this summer and school year. I don't do web designing, photoshop, gaming, or other gpu intensive tasks, so it sounds like the mac mini is a perfect fit for me (as well I would wait for the badly needed update to the mini).

However my question is this: should I spring for a top of the line mini, or get an older ibook/macbook and just attach it to the external monitor? Or should I get the least expensive quad core Mac Pro and future proof myself for the next 5 years?

 

I planned to go through the education (whether i qualified or not)
or once i have the money, wait for a suitable refurb
or use the developer discount option

either way, I don't plan to pay full price
would you guys think the mini could last me through college?