I printed out the 99 page FMC manual and am studying it.  I have learned quite a bit already.  If you study it, it may or may not help out with some of the issues.

You are not going to get an approach that takes you all the way to the runway with many airports.  You are going to get dumped somewhere near and expect ATC to tell you what to do.  KMIA seems to be this way.  Same for SIDs.  There are some that give you radials to intercept and the like, right from the runway, and others that say "here's a fix.  Pay attention and we'll tell you how to get there."

I read some things that seem to suggest to me that making changes after VNAV descent has begun can change your speeds.  Still studying that.

I've noticed that I can download a procedure from AirNav and then not find it in the procedures database.  I agree that is not a CS issue.  I don't think Navigraph claims to be 100% complete on procedures.  Depending on what you are looking for, aren't there other people who do more for certain areas?

There are very few people I have been able to discuss this stuff with, Schmid.  Whether we agree on the utlimate worth of this airplane to each, at least it is really nice to work together with someone who is giving it an honest chance.  Elsewhere I have found people have pretty much made up their minds before they make their first post.  I am beginning to wonder if some of them actually even own it  ::)

Right now, I am still willing to give CS the benefit of the doubt based on what I've seen and what I know I don't know  :)  Reading the manual is essential though, actually studying it.

Heck, I did the Viru Viru approach to Runway 13R at Santa Cruz, Columbia. It is pretty complicated, involving a high cross over the airport and a loop back around to descend for the ILS.  No problem (although at that time I bailed on the autolanding becuase I hadn't done any yet).

But anyway, thanks for being able to work on this with a good will.  I haven't had time to do the flying I've wanted to.  There are so many things I am trying to nail down.  I got the freight package and had to spend some time playing with the loaders  8-)