I've created a Visualforce page that overrides the standard task view.  It uses the standard task controller with a custom extension.  In addition to the basic task fields, it also displays key fields from the Contact, Account, Lead, Opportunity or Campaign Member record, depending on what the Task is linked to.  They are input fields, so we can make edits to the related objects without clicking around.  It's primarily a tool for telemarketing.

Anyway, the page works great, except in Console view, where the mini page layout does not update.  I would like it to show the mini page layout that is standard for a task. 

I know that if I add the apex:detail section for the task, the mini page layout will work.  But this is reduntant to fields I've already got on my page, and causes issues with buttons in the detail sections and buttons on my custom page being in separate places.

I tried rendered="false" on the detail section, but that will not allow the mini page layout to work.  Any suggestions on how to tell the page to call the task mini page layout?

Also, any way to make the pageblocksections on my custom page remember whether the user has collapsed them?  Right now they expand every time.

Thanks, all!