"Dad threw the TV Out the Window"

He lifted up the television and skipped across the rug
He opened up the window, and then I screamed "Dad, NO!"
But he gave the thing a heave and I watched the TV go...
-- Bill Harley

Yes, but... what kind of window was it? Double-hung traditional, Double-hung tilt-in, Casement, Awning, Gliding, or Stationary?
Double-hung tilt-in.  Because then you can clean the outside pane without actually... having to go outside.  On a ladder.  In the blazing hot sun.  Because let's face it -- there's no point in washing windows in the rain.

Wood, extruded aluminum, vinyl, or some combination thereof?
Whatever has the best cost/performance based on energy efficiency and maintenance costs.

So not vinyl.  Anderson, Pella, or Marvin? 
This is like asking whether to rent a car from Hertz, Avis, or Enterprise.  When I'm renting a car, I want something that will get me to where I want to go.  When I'm picking windows, I want something I can see out of.  I'm not motivated by glitz or status.  So I really don't care.

The builder mentions Anderson in the spec sheet.  Well then.  100 Series, 200 Series, 400 Series, or A Series?
Good grief.

Well, the 100 series is "builder's grade."

Based on my reading, "builder's grade" components and appliances are the low-budget things a developer buys in bulk when they're building an affordable subdivision like the one we used to live next to. Something that will not break down during the home warranty period, but not much longer than that.  In other words, it's the window you end up taking out a loan to get replaced as soon as you get tired of the drafts and condensation.

The 400 series is the standard expensive Anderson Window that you've "come home to" for decades.  Only branded for use in new construction.

The 200 series is a cut-down version of the 400.  I expect they created this line because they were losing market share to people who wanted something cheaper but not something cheap.

The A-Series is for people who fall into the union of two categories: they have more money than sense, and/or they want their windows to make a profound Architectural statement.  It's for people living in a glass house on the beach or a mountaintop who want the outdoors to become part of their interior space.

Seeing how cleverly you imbued emotional content into the semantics of your description... you're going with 400 series.
Why, yes.  Yes, indeed.

Although...  I've seen some pretty darn impressive windows while researching.  We're replacing the fireplace in the Great Room with a picture window facing northeast. It will look over OUR SWAMP, and the realtor said that in the winter when the leaves are gone we're high enough on Miscoe Hill that there is a vista towards Boston.  So we may splurge on an A-series window for this.

So that's a summary of a week's worth of thinking, researching, and then researching some more.  My work here is done.  Time for me to go blow up some tanks...

Wait!  There are still more choices!  Glass coating.  What goes between the two panes.  Cladding options.  Grille styles!  Insect screens!! Hardware fixtures!!!  Oh my God, the decisions never end *sob*.
Calm down.

• We'll get the most expensive glass coating.  It reduces ultraviolet into the house and and reduces infrared transfer both in and out at the expense of a little less visible light.  
• State of the art is no longer a vacuum between panes but argon gas blend that is part of the 400 series premium.  
• The outside cladding (ie the window frame) will depend on what Trish decides for the siding.  Inside cladding is going to get painted by Trish within weeks of our moving in, so whatever is cheapest that will hold a finish.
• I have no interest in a "fake grille" -- a divider you put into the full window to make it look like little tiny window panes being held in by grout.  I view it like wooden paneling on station wagons: a nostalgic aesthetic reminder of a previous generation's functional necessity.
  
  
  
• New state of the art insect screens have a finer mesh, thinner wire, and block less light.  We'll pay extra.  But not for the full width, just half.  I have no issue with having to shove the screen if we want to open the top half of the window for some reason.
  
• Fixtures are totally decorative and thus Trish's area.  We'll probably go with something burnished rather than shiny.

Can I go school some young punks now?

One last question.  Any amusing stories about your window search?

We went to the local Home Depot to look at their floor models.  I wanted to see and touch the 200 series and the 400 series to validate paying an extra 30-50%.  Not to mention letting me condense for Trish all of the findings from the past week.  She agreed that there was a significant quality improvement and would go against our realtor's recommendation and upgrade to the 400 Series.

On the way out I said to the helpful orange-shirted employee, "Thanks for helping me to convince my wife to spend another $25,000!"  Which triggered her usual emotional reaction at the thought of spending this much money on anything...

Lucy's Scream, by Tom Everhart