I can't say anything about the X-COM board game directly, but FFG makes solid games in general, so it'll probably be very good. Much like Master of Orion II, I've wasted countless hours on X-COM and Terror From The Deep when I was younger. The modern X-Box versions suck in comparison, but I'm half tempted to steal one of my wife's Windows Boxes so I can download and replay the X-COM series again. I'm pretty certain they're on Good Old Games right now, alongside Jagged Alliance, which is another great squad tactics game.
In all honesty, I like plug and play games. Modding and/or having to fiddle with a system to get a game to play aren't much fun. Plus, Dala has like three laptops. I'm sure she can spare one. :) As for Jagged Alliance, especially the first one, just keep in mind you're playing a game that's over 20 years old. There are some dated aspects, especially in the UI, but its bones are solid as hell. Shadowwatch is fun as hell too.