I have to ask. Who the Hell is Buck-A-Beer Dougie?
As far as windows go, I replaced all the windows in my old house. They were vinyl Anderson using a Lowes contractor. The windows were great, the contractor(s) were not great. We actually ended up with 3 different guys doing the install. They kept quitting after a day of work. I swear one of them was a homeless guy. I won't go that route again.
In my new house, I've replaced 6 so far. My house is 140 yrs old, so I tried to get windows to match the house.
My advice is to get lots of quotes. I had quotes ranging from $3,000 to $12,000 for six windows and an entry door. Some of these guys wrote their quotes on a paper napkin, and other showed up in a $50k truck with a PowerPoint presentation, a lifetime warranty that extended to my kids, and a fancy sample suitcase. Guess who was the most expensive?
If you're looking for wood-look windows, I'd avoid the 'customer finishable' windows. They do not stain very well. I'd get them pre-finished if possible.
Overall, there are a lot of shady guys selling windows, so be careful and vet everyone.