You don't have to spend a lot of $$$ to "go Macintosh". I bought my last Mac on Ebay for the kingly sum of $137 (I have since put a few hundred more $$$ into upgrading it).
You don't need to spend big bucks on an Apple-labeled monitor, either. I use SONY Trinitrons with my Macs. The 17" Trinitron I bought for the $137 PowerMac 9600 mentioned above cost me $99 (after $50 rebate) from Best Buy.
I picked up generic "PC" USB and Firewire cards for it (less than $20 each) and they went right in. I use a Microsoft "Blue" USB mouse which I got for $20.
Of course, I _enjoy_ buying stuff on the cheap and upgrading it. However, for someone getting into Mac for the first time, I would suggest buying nothing less than a "native" g3 or g4 model Mac. You can find a "beige" g3 tower model in the $250 price range, or a "blue & white" g3 (the first model to have built-in USB) for a little more.
Even Apple.com has some relatively good deals. I believe they're selling the 1.4gig g4 "dual boot" model (boots up in _both_ OS 9 and OS X) for $1,299. Just add a monitor and you're good to go.
It's possible to find similarly-equipped refurbished models for less. But if I was "buying new" today, I'd jump for the g4.
Yes, it's a little more expensive, but you'll definitely get what you pay for.
If what you perceive as "too pricey" is the only thing holding you back from the Mac, think again. You can put together a useful and surprisingly fast home workstation together for less than $500 if you select your components carefully.
- John
If your time is valuable, a Mac is probably more economical than Windows or Linux. Get one of those $795 eMacs and enjoy.