Agreed. The fact that they chose his style to incorporate into the UI is incredible... I wonder what artist would be his analog if this was created today.
Your reasons sound similar to those given for standardizing on in-line styles as much as possible. Both methods are ways to subvert or work around the cascade. I would like to hear from you why you think the cascade works the way it does, and what aspects should be preserved so as to not 'throw the baby out with the bathwater' while adopting these new methods. Thank you!
It is telling that the author of this article has not yet given up his MacBook. My own move from Macbook to Dell/Linux took years, and I still find myself saying "this would be easier on a Mac." The user experience is really the best their is. Good luck with the switch... your values will be tested.