VCR tapes to DVD - Tell me what you think....

[marceggers]

For the past several months I've enjoyed reading the posts, but now I'd like to ask for some advice. Two years ago I bought a digital video camcorder and have been using my PC to download, edit, and burn the video I shoot onto DVD. I then got into putting my old VHS tapes onto the camcorder using my VCR and then editting them and burning them onto a DVD. ( I guess I should have bought a capture-card and put the VHS tapes directly onto my PC but I never got around to it.)
Soon friends and family were asking me to put their VHS memories onto a DVD. Now friends of friends want me to do it for them as well. A light bulb comes on and I see a side source of income at my doorstep!
Here's my question. I want to get a new computer just for video editting. I do not plan to connect it to the internet. I'm thinking 3 gigs of processor speed, at least 1 gig of RAM, and tons of harddrive storage. So:
1 - Almost 2 out of 3 people I talk to who are familiar with what I want to do say go with a Mac. But if I'm not going to be online and expose myself to all those nasty virus does it matter? (PCs cost less.)
2 - How much dedicated video memory will I need if I want to feed analog video directly into my system or should I use a capture card?
3 - Could you recommend a VCR that will be gentle to these old VHS tapes that are turning into dust.

Thanks.

[zacsg]

1)more people in video production and graphic design industry choose Mac because it's more stable, powerful and faster, compared with Windows. however there's not much difference nowadays. a pc will do well unless you run a production house.

2)suggest you get a good capture card

3)no idea

[researcher]

3 - Could you recommend a VCR that will be gentle to these old VHS tapes that are turning into dust.

Suggested S-VHS VCRs? Any one of these will do:
JVC HR-S9911U <- the current JVC model
JVC HR-S9900U
JVC HR-S9800U <- personal favorite
JVC HR-S9600U
JVC HR-S9500U <- only has TBC, not all the filters
JVC HR-S7900U
JVC HR-S7800U
JVC HR-S7600U
JVC SR-V10U

Note that S-video is the key to good output. I got this info from this web page which is very helpful: http://www.digitalfaq.com/dvdguides/capture/intro.htm
I read your other post--I'm also trying to figure out what hardware to get for converting analog to digital and making DVDs.