1) 747 flights are survivable, and it's less than 12 hours. Check the thread in the United forum for "best" seats. E+ is not that much of an upgrade on the 747, although it does provide for some decent seats (e.g., row 45).
2) I would not check a bag full of electronics. I would either get your company to pay to ship that stuff, or put as much as you can in your carry-on (especially a camera etc.; you can always put chargers in checked luggage).
3) Bose headphones are really nice and do help