I understand where you're coming from, but why not have more choice? Someone who's more familiar with IC2 or likes it better can have the option to use it, and someone who doesn't can just ignore it. I would argue that, at the current time, it's still a core part of the modded minecraft experience so it makes sense that any modpack with tech would have it.
Of course, with the new version coming out, it's always possible it will go the way of GregTech and become a niche mod, and in that case i'd be inclined to agree with you.
That's the thing, though. A lot of people feel that its already becoming a niche mod, with a few things (like crops and UU) that other mods don't really do, or don't do in quite the same way as IC2. Ore processing and power generation, the primary draw for many of IC2, is done by damn near every other tech mod out there today, and even some magic mods like Thaumcraft, in a way that many feel is superior to what you get out of modern IC2. Other comparable mods aren't as complicated in terms of crafting steps as IC2 is, meaning that you can get more done per unit of time than you can in IC2, meaning that there's less grind when you go to, say, Thermal Expansion for ore processing or other automation.
Automated, semi-targeted mining was also another draw of IC2, but you couldn't run a Miner with both an upgraded scanner
and a diamond drill. The power it required to run was greater than the power it could take before violently exploding. This niche has now been filled by the (much more expensive, but totally worth it) digital miner from Mekanism. It has the advantage of being able to target specific ores, replace what it mines (if you want it to), and only takes exactly what you tell it to. It can even dig things other than ores, giving it a great deal of utility for clearing large areas.
IC2 is part of the old guard, and like many of its breed, its trying to change to keep up with the newbies that are coming on to their particular scene. However, the ways in which it is changing are problematic for some people, resulting in a declining userbase. Whether or not IC2-experimental is a "diamond in the rough" remains to be seen. Remember: anything that has the capacity to become good also has the capacity to become shite.