I started with IMAC and eventually ended up in Pattern. I agree, it's definitely less expensive to field a competitive Pattern airplane, but like anything else, you could go out and spend about as much on a 2M Pattern ship as a 40% IMAC plane if you really want to. It's just that you don't need to. But it's a hobby and if you like the result for the extra $$$, go for it. I"m not one to buy junk to save money either. You can use great equipment and still keep the costs reasonable.