I used to be pretty crusty re: vinyl vs. CD vs. whatever, but the bottom line is that I just want a set to make me dance. I don't give a shit if it's all gear (a la Mux's old rig) or a laptop set, but i do care if it motivates me in that dark corner and makes me move.

Technical wankery is good for turntablists and can't really be replaced by laptop rigs. But I have rarely seen a Techno/Trance/Breaks DJ use multiple decks to any great effect. It's usually a case of showing off, which I guess contributes to the vibe that something special is happening. But it can all be overdone - I remember all too well when mixers w/ effects came on the market and sets would get lost in this clingclongwaaaahswooshthumbshrang of delay and whatnot. It just made me sit down and get sleepy.

If you're a DJ and billed as as such, then what I expect is:

-No Trainwrecking (solved if you understand Ableton)
-Good EQing (not solved by Ableton)
-Good track selection (not solved by Ableton)
-Good sequencing (not solved by Ableton)
-Tasteful tricks (not solved by Ableton)
-An overall ability to let the music dictate mixes and progression (not solved by Ableton)

As you can see, only a small part of DJing is "solved" by using Ableton and the like. The rest still comes with either being naturally gifted or having lots of practice. Now, to people who are already satisfying the above list, there is still infinite room for expansion using something like Live. For someone on 2 decks, where do you go from there? Not every style of music benefits from the scratch.

If you're billed as a Live PA, all that means is that you are appearing in person to perform your own music. I have seen some huge acts over the years, using all sorts of hardware, and many did very little live. They would mostly play back a set and then add one live instrument on top and maybe live EQing.

The bigger problem is that taste and standards have eroded IMO. People don't really give a shit if music is skillfully made any longer, and acts like Deadmau5 get huge gigs playing 50% filler crap, largely because they do the LCD thing of wearing a costume. Likewise, I don't think there are very high standards for DJs. If promoters and punters don't hold acts to a high standard, there's nothing to be done. The natural tendency of humans is to reach for the low-hanging fruit, which means the simplest way to perform in front of a crowd and be called a "DJ' or "Live PA".

Shit, you can produce tracks on your iPhone now! And anyone who knows little of electronic music will consider that iPhone track to be the equal of a classic track from years gone by.

I think the whole model of what it means to be an artist is changing and it's the same situation as ever - Some people will choose to cry about it and do nothing while others will exploit the new technology and benefit.