[/b]You're right about the economics of it, but lets not kid ourselves that all chips are equal. And economics might factor in, but I am more concerned with potential equity.

I'd also like to point out the flipside...(I know, dead horse...) .if you're lucky enough to have such a car, then why wouldn't you just chip it for a hun or two? Nobodys saying that you can't, or shouldn't. If you want to talk economics, (realizing that it's impossible to control spending, of course) wouldn't most people spend $200 on a chip rather than $2000 on a standalone, (not to mention the time), if the standalone would either offer no extra, or very little extra HP? People will find the balance that suits them.

Then there are the people outside the group you consider the vast majority. Guys like Dave Gran and his Honda Prelude. He's found nothing easy for him short of becoming a chip level geek, but he HAS found piggybbacks (from my understanding of his situation, correct me if I am wrong, Dave) that he'd LOVE to buy as they are cheap and effective. But under the current rule, they are illegal. That probably makes NO sense to him. He looks around and sees guys spending boatloads of money installing standalone systems, but he can't legally plug in a piggback.
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As point out before Jake, Dave's car has more adjustment than a lot of cars with a curvable distributor and an adjustable fuel pressure regulator he shoudl eb able to extract as much HP from that engine as the original IT rules ever intended.
You keep saying your concern is that some can't take advantage yet that has been shot down several times. I have more concern that as an ADHOC person you are pushing a product that you have not fully researched and don't fully understand.