I think this link would be helpful.. cheers! http://composite.about.com/od/aboutcompositesplastics/l/aa000109.htm
paint is the only alternative if you plan to do it by yourself.. See a marine store that has prep/marine primer for aluminum and good quality...
I agree here, or you could always put a clock near your workspace, as annoying as that may be, to give you an idea how much you've already burned,...
Well, windows, although i've always had this hankering to use mac...
Many will say that having dual monitors will increase productivity by as much as 20%. The heck with percentages, I really get more work done...