I perfectly agree with you. In general i believe that companies dont bother to refine and develop current systems and they prefer to invent or "invent" a new one replacing the older system. In most cases the new system is more complex and is only produced to give innovation credit to the company and ofcourse to justify a price increase. An ISIS bottom bracket with the quality of Hope or CK or Hadley or PhilWoods would in my opinion outperform and outlast the new XTR/Raceface thingy....but obviously both shimano and raceface decided to ditch octalink and isis in favor of the new external thing. I dont really care since i havent invested in isis...i am still using a crap taper crank. I dislike the idea of new standards popping out every 2-3years and i strongly dislike the idea of having standards that render your equipment unusable (for example a new bb-shell size standard or the 1.5 std).