As a frequent air traveller I often use Ryan Air and have absolutely no problem with them. The service is reliable, cheap and hassle free, and I can arrive at the airport less than an hour before the flight. I don't want to subsidise the people who have 20Kgs of luggage, want a personalised check in service, want to eat and drink the whole journey, and expect high tech entertainment on a 2 hour flight.
As far as the original thread is concerned, I sometimes fly with FinnAir with whom you can check in by mobile phone, and a text message is your boarding card. This works really well and you don't need access to a printer. You just show your phone at the security gate.