The whole idea of "cheating" really confuses me also. I am using a tool to get the result I want. My machine is a tool but I am still the one making the design decisions! Sometimes those decisions are not so good other times the are great. It would be the same if I decided to use another method or tool to do the job. So who am I cheating if I select one method or tool over another. Does the person I give the quilt to care? I haven't found one that did! If I use my computer on my longarm or my sewing machine it is not "just push the button and it goes" kind of thing! Even if it was who really cares? Other quilters? I create quilts for my own pleasure and creative process and each one is special to me. That is all that counts.
I prefer to make my own soap from scratch but that doesn't mean I am better than someone that buys theirs from the store! So if you don't like computerized quilting that is fine but I will never feel like it is cheating! I have worked hard to make the most out of it and it has took me a long time to get good at it! I still have lots to learn.
Also it is cracking me up that there are so many people who believe they can tell the difference between a computerized quilted quilt and one that was done free motion. Talking to other longarmers they get their quilting labled as computerized all the time when it is not. I have had people ask me if mine was when it wasn't. I am a longarmer and I can't even tell! Most quilts will have a combination of freehand and computer driven quilting anyway. The only way to really know is to ask me the quilter. There are people that quilt that good!