I know you're probably a died in the wool Mac guy (I was too a long time ago). You'd be surprised how much a Vista computer you can have for under a grand. I suspect it would run Vue close to a magnitude (10x) faster than what you have now. And, one of the best things about e-on (and least noticed) is the fact if you own a license to Vue, you can run it on any platform they support. Try doing that with SketchUp (you can't).

Anyway, I'm sure times are tough, but it's a thought as you make your plans on someday moving forward.

best,
Chipp