Re:Well the top three questions I'd have (Score 1)

Regardless, new Cisco gear still calls it that and still does, or at least can operate in the mode I suggest. All our 6500 and 7200 gear on campus does. The routers have a seperate router and switch side you can log in to and administer. I do not know the reasons for such a configuration (they support a unified mode as well but it's not used) just that it is done that way.

You are digressing here.

Let's go back to your original statement.

Does it support layer-3 switching? That's where you in effect route the first packet of a flow and switch the rest.

As I previously pointed out -- the act of punting the first packet of a flow to a CPU is called flow-based switching and is used across multiple low-to-mid-end platforms.

leads to much lower impact on the router, and lower pings.

Lower impact than a CPU based router, yes. Lower than a FIB-based router, no. Large number of flows will kill a flow-based switching router.

Lower pings? No. All ICMP packets must be processed by a CPU (regardless whether linecards are using flow or FIB.)

Can't do it going from one media to another, but for internal routing it's the way to go.

No idea what you are trying to say here. FIB or flow-based architecure will work across different media.