Things change, that's a given. Sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse and sometimes just for the sake of change.
If we followed Grant Peterson's advice we'd be riding 26 pound steel lugged frames with 5-speed freewheels, steel cottered cranks and downtube friction shifters. BTW, all of those items were "revolutionary" at one time and the Grant Petersons of that day decried them as unnecessary too.
As to the specifics of your posting, the "integrated" headset has by no means become universaal and some manufacturers that adopted them have gone back to the former press-in cup type. Litespeed is a notable example.
And yes, your thinking is a sign of advancing age. Welcome to the club!
