I think that is more of a testament to the over complexity of some modern avionics than necessarily the fault of the FI community. With so many various systems out there, it's actually very difficult to become and to remain an expert on something as daftly complex as something like a G1000.
The little gotcha's on that such as the range rings that change with no real annuciation aren't obvious and to me defy logic.
I'm far more comfortable with FMS's in Boeings, they might have more buttons, but they are eminently easier to use.
As for an FI not knowing how to use an HSI, you must have met FI's who were trained in the 20's and never flown anything more modern than that!