A few other notes:
1. I eliminated my GigaStudio WinXP slave in the process here... but I still have substantial Giga library. My solution:
G-Player $149
http://www.soundlib.com/gplayer/
Works nicely in VEPro. Also has a 32-bit "solo" standalone plug for a quick and dirty instance of a single .gig (in protools or VEpro).
I KNOW that Kontakt and other tools can convert .gig library, but who has time for that? And auditioning? Having to convert every patch just to audition? No thanks. $149 and an entire era of samples are preserved and brought back to full peformance. The ONLY thing missing here is reading .gsp files (performance full loads). The developer of G-player told me that .gsp was in his plans.
2. Multiple monitors. My GPU supports DVI @ 2560x1600, and has a 2nd DVI port -- not sure about the resolution though. The mobo has a DVI port and VGA. I think we can get onboard video working for a 2nd and/or 3rd display.
3. Onboard audio. I was told to forget about it. So the solution is to get a USB to optical/line out solution. Users in TonyMac forum have made this suggestion.
4. My ancient (1998?) Wacom USB tablet still works, but the driver doesn't stay loaded on restarts... I think it's time to look at a new tablet. It's given me many years of service and the drivers for the Graphire are not approved beyond OS 10.4 -- so running it on OS 10.7.4 is a bit of a stretch.
5. I'm gonna add another Accel card!