I am with German_Chris on this one, I wouldn't purchase a bike that wasn't disk brake or thru axles and I will also add to that list electronic shifting.
All these advancements enhance my cycling experience. This idea that manufacturers force us to buy new bikes is ludicrous. Consumers speak with their dollars, and if something that doesn't sell, then the bike companies stop making it. See a pair of Synergy wheels, or a Trimble mountain bike or the Buddy Bike lately? They are hundreds of examples of cycling products that just didn't work out and they die a slow death until something better comes along.