I started a thread (with a poor subject line) about this in 'new product suggestions' some time back. I do think it's time the industry considered getting out of the old 'switch-box w/ gain control' preamp paradigm and looked into a more 'task oriented' UI.

I'd like to see a pre/pro that came pre-set to common tasks but allowed me to add new things like 'Watch TiVo' or 'Listen to DVD-A', where each 'task' would include mode and signal routing / processing preferences. Also the ability to remove the default tasks is critical, since part of simplicity is removing options that are not applicable.

I'm not saying it would be easier for ME to set up, but that it would give me the tools I'd need to make it easier for others that use the system. In a way, on a day to day basis it would be easier for me too, but someone (me) would need to customize it to see the most benefit.