All else being equal, do I want a Mac Mini + Apple Monitor or an iMac? Having it all integrated in an iMac seems cool. Wonder what the drawback is for that vs the Mac Mini + Apple Monitor.
Personally, I would get an iMac. If there are specific reasons for you needing a external monitor, I'd say get the Mac mini and apple monitor. I like to keep things simple and have as little connectivity issues as possible .
I have an iMac and love it. Fewer cables than with an external monitor (basically just a power cable and an ethernet cable from the router to the Mac). And it's blazing fast. I have no complaints at all with it.