Gentlemen:
I personally love the FBW system of the SA Airbus. Coincidentally, there is an active thread going on regarding simulator suggestions for the Bus. One says not to touch the stick. Generally, this is good advice for sim problems, but it should not be construed to mean that hand flying the Bus is a problem. In fact, the SA Airbus is a real joy to hand fly...especially the 320. (I fly the 319 and 321, as well.)
The replies from others in this thread are correct. FBW saves weight, it's more reliable, it offers protection (through computers), it offers stability, etc. Actually, none of the limitations (invoked by the flight computers) is an issue during normal regimes of flight. (Normally, you wouldn't want to do rolls in a transport category aircraft. In the Bus, the computers won't let you. I don't find this constraint overly restrictive.)
Of course, in many modern fighter aircraft, the computer flight control system is necessary for stability. In the Bus, it's not. The FBW system merely makes the plane easier and more enjoyable to fly. And, I find my flying is more precise with FBW...thanks to the Airbus system...certainly not due to flying proficiency on my part....
Anyway, that's my two cents on the subject....
PantLoad