[gdubs]

I've often thought this. It's something Woz mentions in his book, iWoz. There's something to be said about having a wholistic appreciation of the machine, and there was a time when a somewhat ordinary individual could hold a mental model of all the components -- software and hardware -- of their machine.

It's also a bit reminiscent of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance -- the hero rides an older bike, while his buddy rides a newer BMW model that the buddy can't maintain himself. There's less of a connection between the technology and the user; less "feel".