Hi all - just re-read this thread & saw my posting of 6 years ago. Blimey time flies!
Anyway - here's an update:
When I posted back in '99 I was picking using first finger, middle finger & little finger (ring finger gone) - seemed to work ok. Over the past year my playing has changed completely, without any concious intention. I now pick with just the first and middle fingers only - and apparantly loads better than I did with three. Some friends have been completely freaked out watching, and apparantly it looks really wierd (in a "how the hell do you do that" sort of way). I still find it amazing how the body will adapt without concious thought....

Kris