@Webecedarian it would help to know your actual intended use. By that I mean that in the absence of any internet connection, which would rule out a lot of older systems, what you wish for this computer to be used for, and with what peripherals.
The reason this is relevant is that if all you need is a writing workstation, perhaps with printer, a modern system with late-version Windows will not just be vastly overpowered, but be unlikely to run the easier-to-use applications which might be better suited to your needs.
I do agree with your general preference NOT to have a laptop. Many of the early-mid version Windows era laptops are truly horrid systems with dubious reliability. Their advantage would solely be in being portable enough that you could mail it to someone prepared to help set it up for you, which would be harder with a desktop.
However, just as with any computer, the best place to begin is with working out exactly what you are going to use it for, and then finding a system that matches those needs. Once you have a clear picture of the computer you need, then you can decide where it will come from, and what level of assistance and support you may need. One thing is almost invariably true, and that is that the simplest solution is usually the best one for any given need.
For example, if your need is the writing workstation, then your best option may be an old DOS computer, with WordPerfect and perhaps a few other applications. These are the easiest of systems to actually set up, though most are likely to be ready for use. Even if not, installing DOS and WordPerfect is simply a matter of having the right sets of floppy disks, and following very basic instructions which are not difficult to follow. As you move from DOS into Windows, and then through the Windows versions, systems get more and more complex to set up - and as important, troubleshoot as and when they go wrong.
If you are looking for something more complex than a writing workstation, and since you don't want to spend time meddling or messing around in the operating system tending to its needs, you might even be better off with a Mac. These can be tricky, but amongst my DOS systems, which I use regularly, the computer I use most frequently for writing is a Mac 630CD, running MacOS 8, and dating from around the mid 1990s. The hard drive is easily replaced with a cheap CF card and adapter, the system is simple to use and very robust, and MacOS itself from that era is very simple and intuitive to use. Early versions of Word, or MacWrite, are quite excellent (and simple), and once set up and running, the whole system can be very productive.
An alternative, just to show how wide a range of options you really have, would be something like a Raspberry Pi. These are very inexpensive, new, and run Linux rather than DOS, Windows or MacOS, but come ready to run. All you'd really need is someone with an internet connection to download and set up a MicroSD card (this is what a Raspberry Pi uses in place of a hard drive) with all the software you need, and then mail that to you. That's a task that someone with a Pi could do for you in an hour or so. All you then do when the MicroSD card arrives, is insert it into the card slot on the back of the Pi, and then power up. As long as you can connect up a few cables - and have a suitable monitor and mouse (for a Pi 400) or suitable monitor, mouse and keyboard (for a Pi 4b for example) - you'd be up and running in minutes.
The reason this is relevant is that if all you need is a writing workstation, perhaps with printer, a modern system with late-version Windows will not just be vastly overpowered, but be unlikely to run the easier-to-use applications which might be better suited to your needs.
I do agree with your general preference NOT to have a laptop. Many of the early-mid version Windows era laptops are truly horrid systems with dubious reliability. Their advantage would solely be in being portable enough that you could mail it to someone prepared to help set it up for you, which would be harder with a desktop.
However, just as with any computer, the best place to begin is with working out exactly what you are going to use it for, and then finding a system that matches those needs. Once you have a clear picture of the computer you need, then you can decide where it will come from, and what level of assistance and support you may need. One thing is almost invariably true, and that is that the simplest solution is usually the best one for any given need.
For example, if your need is the writing workstation, then your best option may be an old DOS computer, with WordPerfect and perhaps a few other applications. These are the easiest of systems to actually set up, though most are likely to be ready for use. Even if not, installing DOS and WordPerfect is simply a matter of having the right sets of floppy disks, and following very basic instructions which are not difficult to follow. As you move from DOS into Windows, and then through the Windows versions, systems get more and more complex to set up - and as important, troubleshoot as and when they go wrong.
If you are looking for something more complex than a writing workstation, and since you don't want to spend time meddling or messing around in the operating system tending to its needs, you might even be better off with a Mac. These can be tricky, but amongst my DOS systems, which I use regularly, the computer I use most frequently for writing is a Mac 630CD, running MacOS 8, and dating from around the mid 1990s. The hard drive is easily replaced with a cheap CF card and adapter, the system is simple to use and very robust, and MacOS itself from that era is very simple and intuitive to use. Early versions of Word, or MacWrite, are quite excellent (and simple), and once set up and running, the whole system can be very productive.
An alternative, just to show how wide a range of options you really have, would be something like a Raspberry Pi. These are very inexpensive, new, and run Linux rather than DOS, Windows or MacOS, but come ready to run. All you'd really need is someone with an internet connection to download and set up a MicroSD card (this is what a Raspberry Pi uses in place of a hard drive) with all the software you need, and then mail that to you. That's a task that someone with a Pi could do for you in an hour or so. All you then do when the MicroSD card arrives, is insert it into the card slot on the back of the Pi, and then power up. As long as you can connect up a few cables - and have a suitable monitor and mouse (for a Pi 400) or suitable monitor, mouse and keyboard (for a Pi 4b for example) - you'd be up and running in minutes.
