> Reducing required operator skill level and training needed is absolutely major driver in commercial/industrial equipment development No, it is an imperative

> Reducing required operator skill level and training needed is absolutely major driver in commercial/industrial equipment development No, it is an imperative driven by capitalism. Employees don't want this. Tool users don't want this (because as you note, if the blade can cut everything it likely doesn't cut anything very well). The motivation for the kind of tool development you're referring to is not the development of improved tools, but reduced labor costs (and sometimes, possibly, tighter tolerances). That's not a model for tools explicitly marketed (by Jobs!) as tools for everyone.