SoaringTheSkies:
Second, upon AT disconnect, the manual thrust setting matches the last AT thrust setting.
I may have to double-check, but I *think* this is what the AB system does also until the lever is moved for whatever reason.
Remember that the direct cable connection is considered a thing of the past, not just by AB, new aircraft designs are predominantly FADEC throttle-controlled. Even with force-feedback supplied by software, such a system could transmit the *wrong* tactile information to the pilot.