[campbellcj]

Wow, I didn't really expect much response to what was admittedly a rant; however, it is interesting to hear that this is pretty standard behavior for Apple.

I currently have more than 20 computers of various types of sizes, and have been using the little (and big) suckers for 25 years now, but I have rarely had occassion to deal with manufacturer/dealer returns or even tech support. (Back in college I WAS a certified tech support rep for Apple, doing warranty repairs for the early Mac's and LaserWriters at UCSD.)

I certainly agree that it would've been ideal if my wife more precisely knew what she wanted before buying, but on the other hand, having a growing small-business owner (and iPod/iTunes user too) "eat" a >$2000 machine does not seem like good biz to me!

I've kinda taken a liking to the thing -- awesomely engineered even compared to my top-line Thinkpad w/ similar specs -- so we'll probably keep it as a home unit and get another for her office.

Thanks again for the comments; I'll post again if anything interesting happens with this story.