Allen Rout wrote:
"I'm having difficulty figuring out why this still feels not-answered
to you."

Allen,
That statement, i.e. "...my dilemma", was more an justification of my
original post than a commentary on the answers I had received. The
simplest version of my question would have been, "What am I
missing?".  Answers from the list have been very helpful, on the whole.

Again, Allen:   
  "As for your last concern, it's not IBM's job to show you how you
might do the work better without their product."

Allen,
That's an odd statement. You don't need to defend TSM, but it's IBM's
job to teach best uses of TSM with current technology, not that of 1997.

Thank you for your other advice. It is very helpful.

Keith Arbogast
Indiana University