Squeak,
Don't you see midi jacks on the same level as other dinasaur features like floppy drives? I'm sure the industry is all behind using a faster, more convienient jack that has "in & out" in the same jack.
Most kbs dropped the floppys, Yamaha tried the Smart Media card - now history too. As Mt Zimmermann said: "The times, they are a-changin'"

I don;t see it as stripping down as much as upgrading.