There are several ways of ejecting. Drag to trash. Select the disk icon and choose File->eject, or hit command-E. Use Disk Utility. Use the command line. If all else fails (such as if the screen is borked and you can't see what you're doing and you can't use the network to get in) the disk will eject if you hold down the mouse/trackpad button when the computer reboots. (Not sure how that works with bluetooth mice/trackpads.)
That said, yeah, stupid to not expose access to the eject button on the DVD mechanism.
Sounds like Linux/Windows. Apple is supposed to have one, consistent way to do something.
I think it's pretty clear someone dropped the ball when they decided that "drag the disk to the trash" was the best metaphor. Even if it reassures you that you know what you're doing at the last second as you hold the disc over the trash can.
For the most part things are consistent. In this case there are a few ways to do the same thing. I think that's a good thing in the case some people don't see one way right away.
I always thought the keyboard eject was pretty obvious. There's also the eject icon next to the disc in the Finder. And then the File menu.
I think people make too big a deal over the eject button. If youre used to something else you might bitch a little (especially if you're one of those who always likes to compare Windows and Mac) but generally its not like it happens all the time and the fix is easily available with a quick Google if you haven't heard of it before. I've had discs get stuck in my iMac before. Oh well, it happens on a rare occasion. I try the different methods and move on. Did they really drop the ball or is this just a petty excuse to imply another OS is better? What else could they do? There's like 5 ways to do it by mouse that I can think of, 3 on the keyboard, and on some Macs, the paper clip slot. Everyone needs to chill. It's not like people are ripping apart their computers on a wide scale to remove stuck discs. The whole post came off as a kind of smarmy way to say "oh, look at this bad thing that happened once to my Mac. Looks like Apple sucks now and other options are better because they have a physical eject button ". Really? Come off it.
If you've got to take apart a SuperDrive t get it out then I really feel for you and I can understand the complaint.
That said, yeah, stupid to not expose access to the eject button on the DVD mechanism.