I think the reason we haven't heard many complaints about the doing away of physical media is exactly this. As long as power users can make their own offline media, there's nothing to complain about.

A bootable Mac OS X thumb drive comes in handy when you need to troubleshoot OS issues for yourself, your family, or your friends. It’s also extremely useful for keeping your basic setup consistent ...

How to create a bootable USB installer for macOS Sierra Your email has been sent Follow these steps to take to create a bootable USB installer drive for macOS Sierra ...

How to create a USB installer for macOS High Sierra Your email has been sent On June 5, 2017, Apple announced macOS High Sierra at its annual WWDC event. Version 10. ...