I found VB6 to be quite useful, and used VB since version 1. (I still have the original 5 1/4" disk but no machine to read it.) I used it extensively where I worked, tying into various databases the company used (Informix, SQL Server, Oracle). I was able to use the VB knowledge in VBA and VBScript as well. It's still a great language for quick-and-dirty stuff. That said, I refused to learn VB.Net, because I already knew C/C++ and C# was easier to learn and using both VB6 and VB.Net was confusing when the syntax changed so much.

I saw a nice setup with a cheap 39" TV that supported 4K resolution (3840x2160). It went for well under $1K. The user normally had lots of windows opened at once and didn't like looking around at various monitors to find what he wanted. Of course, going this route is not for everyone, and does require getting a video card that supports 4K. Still, it looked great. But it's not useful if one does 3-wide gaming. Personally, I use two 1920x1200 monitors, both in portrait mode, and have a connection to a 1080p 39" TV for watching movies, etc. It all depends on what one wants to do.

Don't worry. If you like your four-digit years, you can keep them. Period.