> > > > Tassilo, do you know what is the reason given by users to like the less > powerful built-in modes? Presumably they don't need preview-LaTeX, but > what else? >
There is some relevant discussion at https://www.reddit.com/r/emacs/comments/8wpatw/auctex_vs_texmode_or_giving_a_texmode_another/, which notes the slower load time of AUCTeX (once per session), some difference in the behavior of imenu (not an issue if you use consult-imenu, for instance), and some advantages of sexp-based navigation in tex-mode (not an issue for me, since I use https://github.com/ultronozm/tex-parens.el ). There's also some psychological comfort to knowing all the entry points to the software one uses, which is easier to do for tex-mode than for AUCTeX. When all else is equal, I generally prefer simpler software (or packages) that I understand completely over complicated software that I have trouble wrapping my mind around. I think this is essentially the "feature bloat" criticism noted elsewhere in this thread.
