@nikivi
They are simply more efficient at what they do, which, if you are satisfied with what they do, means less hassle for you(no boot time, no cooling, no performance issues etc.). And you can still use the software to do the other things that you might need occasionally.
Software offers flexibility and portability at the cost of efficiency/reliability. Could have been less of an issue if we had better computer/software infrastructure, lifting the burden of setup and maintenance from the shoulders of an average user, but we don't.