I was making a reference to the movie "Her" (where Johansson is an AI and thus only a voice). As interesting as the computer's voice is, I'd much rather have a "human" besides me saying, "Charging the Frameshift drive now" and other such things. Some occasional light banter would be fun, too, like "Oooh, that's a beautiful view!" I have a certain love / hate relationship with my very chatty companions in DD

A, but overall I very much enjoy their company.
Hahaha - Python. You mean that flying Christmas tree / Las Vegas night show that all the soccer moms drive? Nope, I have no interest in that gaudy freak of engineering. I'm still having way too much fun in my Keelback, Diamondback, and Humpback (Orca). I've got a Vulture when I need to do seriously scary combat; an engineered Keelback with fighter is pretty deadly but it can't run away when in trouble. I have my Type-7 for hauling cargo, and I actually enjoy the challenge of flying shieldless with no weapons. And I still have my incredibly tough Viper III for fun, high-speed dogfights. The galaxy already has too many Pythons in it, it doesn't need one more, LOL.
So, you need one ship build for Mining, one built for combat, one for exploring, one for passengers, one for cargo. Which except for the T's are all wedge shaped when view by their profile. But having one ship and items in storage is assine. Hmmm, five ships vs five reconfigurations. Both of which need to be shipped to one's destination to be of any usefulness. Though shipping mods is cheaper and faster, uninstalling and reinstalling make up the difference in time but not the cost.
It's not the ship that is a problem with one ability to do a variety of things; It's the pilot. Taking me out of the best combat equipt FDL and putting me in the best combat equipt Conda or Vette or even a capitol ship, would not improve my combat abilities. It's the pilot.
Having a Python for example can allow an experience combat pilot to do some other things if and when combat slows down. Just use the mods on has in storage and boom, it becomes a trade vessel, explore, miner and or bus. Giving the player a chance to make bank. Confining one to have to switch ships can do the same, but not very cost effective.
In the begging (launch), my first upgrade to a different ship was the T6. The vast majority of other player's near as I could tell based on retorts here, were they upgraded to combat type ships. And over the course of the next two or three weeks, while I was making bank, they were ranking up rebuys. In a month I had sufficent funds to do whatever I wished without any concern of cost. While other player were still trying to save up for an Asp X. And worring about having sufficent funds afterwards for a rebuy.
Almost three months in now, most player have establish a style of play that suits them so were all pretty much like we were orginally, well those that were really noobs and not cross over from the other platforms. Though you and I for example have played completly differently, I'd concur that we both are close to being in the same financial positon, though I may be incorrect, because I do have more time to invest.
The only reason I've finally giving up my python is the Conda and or Vette which ironically are shaped exactly the same, are considerably larger, thus, I can install a couple sets of mods to do at least two things simotaniously. I mean if it weren't for more slots and the ability to pick and choose what fills them. Everyone would still be in a Side Winder. Yes, one stock ship can go faster, further than another, but with the ability to engineer the componets. The bigger or larger craft can match that of the smaller craft, thus makeing those differences null and void. Astetics are cool and I've installed a couple but, it's boils down to the crafts over all ability that I've used when choosing a ship.
A stock Vette's range compared to a stock Python's range, sucks. But add in some engineering, and the Vette is a better choice. It has more slots!
I've managed to get as far in this game as I am without the use of any combat. And though there are still things to do that don't require it, thus keeping my interest longer. I'm at a point in time whereas I'm contimplating adding a weapon or two and learning how to do combat. The nice thing is, though I could have learned in a cheaper ship, becasue of my complete lack of experience, I'd spend most of my time doing rebuys. Small ships get destroyed faster in general that a Conda or Vette does. Thus, my schooling or class schedule would be of a longer duration, thus giving me a chance to actually learn to do it right rather than spend all my time at the rebuy screen. Not that I can't afford it, it's just time consumming and takes me out of the mind frame.
Just like you had to learn how to use the ship your in effectively, the same would go for a Python. But once you got use to it, you sing a different tune.