That's what I thought 5 years ago, too! It really is user issues now. Typically, everything is as easy as: download drivers and DAW, install, plug in interface, get settings correct in the DAW and record.
Is there a learning curve - sure, but there is one with any gear (including a stand-alone recorder), too. The ability to automate and be able to undo/redo in a DAW makes a recorder seem, well ... old-fashioned. I commend the folks in the old days who didn't have the digital world to help them, and anyone who produces good music and mixes today with a stand-alone recorder, too.