John, what you say is all true (apart from the laser printer comment
) but you're missing out on a facet that does give pleasure to people and (to me at least) is the most important part of photography. If I were doing dozens of prints a week then I'd seriously consider outsourcing it but from a satisfaction point of view making your own prints is hard to beat. I've a disused darkroom in the basement and despite (or because of) the effort involved I miss that environment and workflow. Now I can almost replicate it but - and this is the awesome part - make amazing quality prints without the smells or fumbling in the dark. Each to their own, but I think there's a significant minority who really enjoy the printing element.