It also, from what I have read, revokes any rights to repairs...

This is true. However, in the 2 years I ran my iBook this way, I had no issues at all. Also, you can undo the hack before it needs to be sent in if necessary for warrantee repairs.

Point being... Apple cripples the video card and "fixing" it voids your warranty... cause if you can't undo it because your computer doesn't start up, what are you going to do... It all leads to the need for something below $2000 but better than an iMac mini, and not having to go the used route. Why do you have to go to $2000 to get dual screen spanning support? That's crazy.

Mark, I see your point, and agree. I think it's silly to cripple the iMac and iBooks. Even lower level PC laptops allow desktop spanning when a 2nd display is connected. I think the rationale behind it is so that their consumer line won't eat into their pro line. But if you ask me, sales is sales! If they enabled the full feature set of the display processors in the iBook and iMac, maybe it would take away from some pro sales, but they would make a sale none the less.

I still believe that the Mac is far superior AND cheaper in the long run and an iMac with a 20" screen and a video monitor running through firewire is a more than suitable edit station.

Uh...no.....I didn't even know that it existed! Shoot, maybe I should dig up some info on it and make it up there for one of the meetings; I've been wanting to find other people in the local area--this would be a good way to do it.

Of course, I'm so freakin' up-to-my-eyeballs editing right now that it's not even funny--probably couldn't make any meetings anytime soon. I haven't seen daylight in weeks.

LOL!