Back in the day...? They still are. As are Audi, Lamborghini and Bentley. Which just makes you're point that much better. Comparing a VW to a Lamborghini is almost impossible,but still made by the same big corporation.
Gaming on 6 screens seems a bit ridiculous. I mean for PC gaming you're at most 5 feet away from your screen, if that. When I first upgraded to a 22" LCD monitor from my 15" I felt a bit overwhelmed. It almost made me nauseous playing games on it at first. I got used to it, but it still takes up most of my field of view at my desk. Anything over 24" just seems to be over the top.
Yes, I have. Disable Aero or upgrade RAM, and the problem is solved. Compiz Fusion works fine on my dell D420 with a GMA 950/Core Duo/2 GB RAM in it, so the intel chips aren't laking in the 3D model area.
Oh, if you are going to do CAD work or other visualizations then the "geared toward being portable market" isn't for you. Get a T60.