>>>The point isn't faster development. The point is faster and easier maintenance. That's were the bulk of the time (read cost) connected with almost any system is.
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>>Do well designed systems usually require maintenance? When was the last time a microsoft engineer came on site to perform maintenance on Word97?

Yes, well-designed systems require maintenance, because system requirements change, or errors in original implementation are detected, or a pointy-haired manager decides that it needs to be done differently because he's in charge now and things have to get done his way, even though there's nothing wrong with the current implementation. Or the whole thing needs to be written in Java because changing the implementation language will cure all the world's ills, just because it's the latest company buzzword...

I've yet to run into a piece of code that someone didn't think needed a rewrite!