I just don't get PC Audio

I have been doing a lot of reading on the pros and cons of hard drive systems versus traditional CD players. From what I gather a hard drive system can be configured with a great DAC to meet or beat (well, maybe) a high end CD player.

So I contemplated this and what would need to be purchased each way and wound up buying an Esoteric X03SE and couldn't be happier. The point of my post is, am I the only one here who thinks hard drive systems have serious drawbacks that should prohibit an educated buyer not to jump in yet??

Hard drive pros:
-Can meet or maybe exceed the sonics of a dedicated cd player or transport combo (when using tracks burned from a CD)
-The ultimate lazy man's solution....simply surf and hit play (no CDs to load)

Hard drive cons:
-Just as expensive, if not more so than a dedicated CD player by the time you get the hard drive, back up storage, cables, monitor, DAC.
-Many units have hard drive noise that necessitates placing the unit away from the listening area.
-Need back up storage: This means you need to continually back up your collection for the day it crashes.
-Noone knows how long drives will last.
-Need to spend the time to burn all your CDs
-If you use iTunes the quality of downloaded songs is not great, therefore this solution only really works if you burn CDs you have. I know there are some other higher res options, but they are not widely available yet.
-You need some type of monitor to view the collection adding the complexity and nuisance of mixing PCs and Audio
-It is rapidly changing and noone knows what the outcome will be
-If you download one song at a time you essentially throw out any experience the artist may have designed with listening to an entire album

I am just not getting it, other than the two (some may say only one) pros I listed above, why else would an audiopile get a computer audio front end??? It is certainly not cheaper, in fact it is most likely way more.