My son just got an non-ebike, and we bought parts to convert it to an ebike (a better, a kit with a wheel/motor, control unit, screen, and pedal assist sensor). What I found is that the collection of parts was very much like building a PC. My friend just bought an ebike, and even though functionally it's basically the same, it's more like a Mac in that he can't really swap things out and tinker with it.

Also, not related, but your post sounds like someone who just discovered regular bikes after only having used an e-bike. For someone who only has a regular bike and has grown up with them, that view felt recognizably foreign to me. The world is a changing ...