LOL, you are showing your age! ;) I too remember life before hard drives. Upgrading from cassette tape to floppy disk was no less of a jump in convenience and technology. (or price LOL) My first floppy drive was $495. And my first 16KB was $180.. LOL, now I'm showing MY age!

cables and wires
 

I have few problems using technology once it is set up. But I have been struggling with getting the right equipment and connections now for three months. I finally have a new TV at work that has an S-Video port. I now have a fair (thought I'd like clearer) picture from the computer to the TV. But I don't like having to read a book to be able to work a TV...it is ridiculously complicated to me to have to program one's television. Also, I still don't have the right audio cord...have finally managed to get audio out of the tv, but it is very weak on some things, like the videos I have downloaded from iTunes...lower quality and not much more volume than the computer itself. The ones I make myself with Quicktime are much better. I've thought of just getting some speakers to hook up to the laptop. Since I teach music, the audio is especially important to me. Also, now I realize that most of my software won't work on my new Intel Mac, so I either need an Aver-Key to use the old G3 or update or get new software. As Roseann Roseanna Danna (sp) used to say, "It's always something!"

SVideo
 

S-video is worthless for carrying a cmputer signal, you need something that can support better than standard TV resolution (480 vertical lines). VGA od DVI/HDMI would be acceptable.

I thought VGA was for projectors. But what do I know? Not much. Can you tell me exactly what cord to buy? Maybe give me a link? Thanks.

Cables
 

Depends on what inputs the monitor accepts and what inputs the computer has out.

Best would be DVI at both ends. Simply buy a DVI cable. Should be about $20 online or $150 in a Best Buy-ish store.

Second best would be HDMI in on the monitor and DVI out on the PC. DVI and HDMI are the same thing video-wise, but the cable will be more expensive.

Third best would be VGA.

LOL, Cadenza, you are a Mac person so you are forgiven. :) VGA/SVGA were "PC" standards for many many years. now DVI is gaining ground.

As for a cord to buy, TV's normally have svideo but not SVGA. "Monitors" and projectors have SVGA. TV's typically aren't good as computer monitors, but DVI/HDMI is changing all that. From now on, everything I buy must have DVI or HDMI. (computer or TV) but your svideo connection might be as good as it gets if you must connect a tv to a computer. Projectors are much better for classroom work.