OK well I did say I do like aluminum. But, the main points about steel is more road vibration absorption, the ability to re-bend it if it's a bit banged up, and the fact it's easier to find welders who can weld steel rather than aluminum.
As for the disc brakes, well someone commented on here that some people are not as good at adjusting V-brakes as they can with disc brakes. I remember on one bike I had super squealing that could shake the entire bike with the V-brakes. Then I learned how to adjust the brake pads at an angle (toe-in) with an elastic band or twist-tie. I don't think everyone knows how to do that. Besides, some V-brakes after a while loose their tension. I did find a trick for that on Youtube but again not everyone would know how to do that.
And the other point, about other people's opinions. I really think the way some bikes are configured that some companies are just not paying attention to what the consumer wants. Just look at the Marin Kentfield 1. When I saw someone driving one with an upright seating position on Youtube I was thinking this is great. When I noticed the weird gearing though it's a 1x drivetrain with 7 speeds in the rear. Who does that anyway? First, it's only seven speeds. Second, with 38T cranks and 11-32T cassette it only goes down to around 32 gear inches. And by the way, I read a hub for a 7 speed cassette is not compatible with an 8 or 9 speed cassette. So it's not easily modifiable. Does that mean they want to force you to get the Deore model? What if I wanted an Acera model (or minimum Altus)?