Here is essentially problem #2: I mistakenly asked my dealer to order the equipment from strand, I haven't paid for it yet, but i do not like asking her to cancel the order. I decided on the 200 Series after a recommendation from another tech. I used the board recently and i really don't like it... So... I am hoping that Strand will not kill me for cancelling the order...
Strand won't care, you should get what you want.
The Basic Palette is a nice desk, and chances are it will serve your purposes well. Also, it is a much better choice than the 200 because it gives you some element of future-proofing. You may not plan to use MLs or other DMX gear now, but you never know what you might want to do in the future.