I made it to our only local bike store today and rode a Trex mid motor PAS with 9 speed derailleur and hyd discs. First bike ride in 25 years!! Starting without power then turning it on worked well for me. You could really feel the motor kink in! Stopping with hyd disc was very fast and smooth!! Derailleur with paddle shifters is a HUGE improvement over what was sold back in the day!

After reading your great information and talking to the sales rep, please see if I got this right.

Fact Check
PAS only works if you are pedaling at least a little.
PAS settings set the max speed without much pedal power.
Brake cutoff is not needed with PAS because motor goes off when you quit pedaling**********????
No throttle on a basic PAS system.
Systems with a throttle will provide power without pedaling**********
Today's derailleur systems shift smoothly without missing gears, are reliable, need little maintenance, and the chain stays on**********? (Compared to back in the dark ages)
Disc brakes (vs rim calipers) are really needed for an e bike

Thanks so much for your great information and help educating me in this great hobby!