Thinking about buying a 3d

1. Some of the prints seem to be very liney for lack of a better word.

The printer can be adjusted to print at finer resolutions. Some tweeks can be performed as well to reduce the "lineyness" that you might see. Finer resolutions can produce superior results but take longer to print. Fine tuning (adjusting flow rate, calibration, etc) can provide good results without too much effort. If you look at some of YSB's posts, you can see some spectacular results and I don't believe he is using much acetone smoothing. The key is how much time you want to put into fine tuning and adjusting.

2.  I planned on using google sketch up.

Many people use Google Sketchup to create their 3D models. You will need an STL export plugin to export your drawings to an STL format which is used by the printer software. You may also need cloud.netfabb.com to clean up your models before sl9icing them. I run all my models through this website prior to slicing just in case they have issues. Also, create your models in mm, not inches.

3. How much set up do you need? Is it plug and play?

If you follow the instructions on the Solidoodle Wiki, you should be able to set your printer/software up fairly quickly. Read the instructions first and install the software while you are waiting on your hardware. When your printer arrives, unboxing is fairly quick and it should just plug in to begin playing. I wouldn't call it truely plug and play because your first prints may not be acceptable until you fine tune your printer. My experience was great the first time. I was really impressed to see my first project print before my eyes. However, when I look back on that model, I've seen how far I've come wiht print quality. I haven't done a great deal of tuning, but my prints are fairly decent. I know I could make them better as well with a little more time and effort.

I was able to scan my daughter and her fiance using a Kinect and a PC, then print their heads for their wedding cake. I attached a picture of them as well as the printed scan, which I think came out great. This will show you some of the possibilities of the printer.