I can go either way. I definitely use my phone more than my laptop, so I'm used to that view, but do like the threaded posts when I'm on my laptop.
Regarding the necessity to "quote" more with the flat view, I think Mama's response was spot on, and I do that myself. When quoting someone, just delete everything except the sentence(s) that you want to directly respond/agree/disagree with. No need to repost the entire previous conversation.
On the subject of old software vs. new, lemme just say this- I work for a large company that just recently, within the last several years, moved to MS Office from friggin Lotus Notes. Anybody remember that, from like 1990??? Anyway, point being, old software is like an old dinosaur; it's gonna crap out sooner or later. If it's gotta be replaced sometime, wouldn't it be better to do it before the Admin team gets old, crotchety and cantankerous, unable to handle an upgrade??? JK...
Serious question, from a maintenance standpoint, is it difficult to keep the old software running? Would it be easier to maintain a new environment instead of using duct tape and prayers to keep the old one running?