Glen:
I would agree with you on the excessive use of MDF and scarcity of parts, that's something that would make working on these tables a real challenge. On the occasional furniture repair that friends and family ask me to get involved in, I swear like a sailor when I encounter MDF -- it's like working with dried oatmeal.
But the metric thing I'll have to disagree with you. The USA is backwards-ass as all hell in still using the imperial system, when the world has moved on to the [significantly better, more accurate, and easier to remember] metric system. We Americans have to be fleet-footed in being able to switch between the imperial and metric systems, because the rest of the world has already moved on and left us behind. We're going to have to 100% convert at some point, but not while we Americans think the world still revolves around us.
-Sean
I think most things sold in the US, and even designed in the US, are already on the metric system. The consumer company I work at switched from inches to mm 10 years ago. I think all the automotive companies probably switched 20 years ago or earlier. Any power tool you buy will have metric fasteners.
Its mostly the "public signs" that are still in the standard system. Road signs, distances, common language type stuff.