I think the windows linux analogy is pretty apt. especially around the win95/98 days.
Getting some random laptop and figuring out what kernel mods to enable and hope that the specific chipset revision was supported, or maybe a patch available that might work was, in fact, a lot of bullsh*t to put up with to get, say, sound.
sympy will do a lot. but you're probably going to have to reach for a big book of integrals, or find a friendly mathematician to identify the equation and possible approaches. Mathematica as a paid product has a lot of time and effort spent avoiding resorting to asking for help. Much much more built in.
As an undergrad or a hobbyist you probably want to stay "lower" and slog through the calculations when you're stuck. This is part of the process of understanding. But as a professional, or a more advanced user, screwing around for a week looking for a solution is a waste of time and expertise. Spring the cash, and move forward immediately.
I'm not trying to put words in your mouth, but I think there is some nuance that this maybe helps people understand your point.
"Better" really really depends on where you are and what you're trying to do.
