The real cost of vb.net programming

I’m doing some vb.net programming and really missing my dual screen capabilities that I used to have. I’m trying to follow MS’s online tutorial but its practically impossible to work with the help file and the ide on the screen at the same time and get some productive work done as the screen just isn’t big enough. I’m already running at 1280*1024 pixels – any larger and it would get really hard to read the text on the screen. Don’t think it will be long before I get a cheap graphics card and a second monitor (although this would will be a crt display). I’ll also need a proper computer desk to put the screen on (and some more memory would be nice)…..not forgetting the full cost of vb.net when it comes out of beta – ouch.