build myself i was screwd by xoticpc plus its more fun/ generally cheaper, i would imagine tho installing drivers/ programs would be a pain...my next 2 grand is going to make my new baby
I would rather build it myself.... I can only imagine the horror stories of haveing one built, to find out you got wrong hardware, and try to get it corrected.... http://www.hardocp.com has the BEST pre-built system reviews I have seen, because they make it look like joe customer is buying a PC, not some website buying a PC to do a review.
If I was an occaisional email / internet / word processor user, I would have to say I would go with one of Dell's $400 solutions.... EDIT: best bang for the bargain buck.
Not much that can go wrong, cept frying all your components, but thats why the cases are made out of metal and you can touch them to take the static off you.