I don't really think so.
Pushing complexity into the software layer means you need fewer options at the operating system layer. I'm specifically addressing the OS.
As far as taking things off the shelf, I'm referring to a 'server edition' vs a 'desktop edition' just being a difference of installed packages. There isn't a desktop version of Core for a good reason. These are two different workloads.
And totally agreed about systemd being a bit bleeding edge. It's a new thing, and there are definitely speedbumps to be had.
Thanks for commenting. I'm loving the dialogue that is happening here.