IO540, could not agree with you more.
The "traditionalists" are the people that will kill general avaiation in the end. Why is GPS "evil" why is the wheel at the "wrong" end on a tricycle gear aircraft why is a transponder interfering with civil liberties.
Because GA is riddled with people from before time was recorded who are unprepared to change. They sit in crew rooms and on forums like this telling others how it should be done the "proper way".
I have a friend who has just bought a C152, fantastic condition with a great engine. News seats and dash etc. He has just spent £10k on avionics including a GNS 430. Why? because he wants modern avionics that work properly and give him proper situational awareness. He is not prepared to put up with the crap placarded put of use avionics in a school aircraft but neither does he want a high speed "glass ship" to cross half the planet in. He wants to spend a couple of hours on a summers afternoon cruising his way to the channel Islands and north France enjoying the flight and having no worries of infringing air space or having controllers not hear him because of a crap radio.
It is time that GA understands that the customers with the money want the same gadgets in the aircraft they fly as the car they drove to the airport in. Who wants to sit and twiddle the knobs on an analouge King 170 or RT385.
Even an aging old spam can like a 152 with some good avionics and a decent interior are a pleasure to fly.
Give me a DA40 or SR22 with a glass cockpit and I would happily pay more to fly.