The 1982
727 accident report at page 12 indicates that a Cessna Citation crew considered the weather unacceptable and chose a more suitable runway for take-off. The accident aircraft crew was satisfied with the radar returns.
There was less concern with windshear in those days, but that lower understanding is no longer an issue. Nobody think that heavy metal is immune from the full affect of microbursts and windshear.
The reason for the 747 accident is yet to be determined, but no pilot can ignore the lessons of the past unless they are content to risk repeating them.