I was right in not being optimistic

I find the Olympus PEN Super Control Panel as a "one button - one stop" menu for camera controls much more useful than strings of dials across the top or down the sides of a camera. This comes from decades of experience using Nikon SLRs and DSLRs (including the dial/button rich D200) before converting to MFT. I have the P2, PL3, and PM1 ... and find myself warming to the PM1 as my camera of choice. This surprised me. Hitting the "OK" or "Menu" gives you everything you need for camera control, and it is much faster than hunting and pecking for buttons and dials on a camera's physical real estate. The new PM2 is definitely on my buy list.

As for the lack of an integrated EVF and flash on the PENs, I find the VF-2 superior to an integrated view finder since it allows you to shoot "Rolleiflex" style at waist level. And an integrated flash usually has such a low guide number that I call them "wink" lights ... functionally useless except to fire slave flashes. I'm now carrying the small Olympus FL-14 flash in my kit in place of the "wink" lights that come with the new PENs. It's underrated with good reach and a much faster refresh than the FL-36R.

In short, the Olympus design philosophy exemplified in the PENs is well thought out and can grow on you.