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Hi Paul,
ah the uphill grind begins, LOL.
While I have a love/hate relationship with Maxim, I feel it is seriously the best out there. You can try CCDSoft et al, but I reckon you will be back.
My images show "as I would expect", and in the File/Settings there is somewhere I believe that allows you to determine how the image looks on the monitor, I don't believe it changes the actual image, just the way you view it. Like I said, mine look "normal", if you get my drift.
Dust motes/flats. Maybe your chip is clean, don't knock it, it will soon get crap on it. If you don't need them then be happy, but shoot them anyway.
I have just started back on the mono chip, so am the last to suggest advice, but I feel L is the one that makes or breaks the image, and many shoot L at 1x1, and then the RGB at 2x2, more sensitive, and the requirement for sharpness etc is dealt with by your perfect L shot.
I used to use Maxim for processing, and have tried a few times, but settled out a while back on CCDStack, and if I was to suggest any processing program, that would be it.
With Maxim though, I use the Stack Files, under Process (all this from an ageing memory).It allows you to "Group" the files you want, and auto-calibrate if you wish (as well as auto-colour if you are on a OSC camera).
The alignment menu allows you to change the method and even align each star manually.
In my PC case, it is a desktop which I use to capture and process, it is the only PC I own, hate them. It is older and not overly flash, and struggles with the 12MP Sony DSLR files, but the mono images will whistle through OK. No idea how long yours would/should but a matter of minutes I would have thought.
Once stacked etc in either maxim or CCDStack I tend to use CS3 for everything else, especially curves, I just find the P/S curves easier than the Maxim equivalent.
Keep at it.
Gary
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