Your situation is what I imagine is the case for many users.
I think there is a still need for an easy general tool as well as something more specific/precise for the high end surfers.
My understanding is that the underlying code of loft couldn't deliver the results in particular ID people were asking for and they have redone it. Great but I hope they are not too ready to dispose of the old soln without considering the impact for un-demanding users.
The attraction of SW is that it is intuitive and easy to use. I wonder if the new soln, alone, wouldn't be introducing a 'steepness' in learning and use that users don't need and may not appreciate.
If they kept loft (with a bit of a clean up) and renamed it 'Simple loft' and made boundary 'Precision loft' , say, the two could coexist to the benefit of everyone and the intent would be clear.
Something like Deform belongs in the same easy basket with 'Simple loft' (I guess its just a variant of the same code anyway..) but I would re-promote that tool as being for live hinges etc. and whatever else you could think of to mangle things with.
Let other innovation deal with the surface elasticity that ID people may want to play with.
Coming from 2005 to 2008 has made me appreciate how much new capability has been put into surfacing and splines.
SW are to be thanked for that however they need to keep an eye on the big picture.
There are many types of work that people require CAD for. Some of the stuff is quite specific like sheetmetal or ID curvy stuff but also there are users who need only the basics done well ( although perhaps in large assys..)
If they cant code things to deliver both precision and simplicity in one tool they need do it in two tools focusing on the merits of each.