Swapping xorg.conf for xrandr isn't a big win for most users. It is getting better, but things still fall apart like a sand castle when something goes wrong.

Considering there are plenty of GUI frontends for xrandr, of course it is better for most (all?) users.

And even the command-line tool is far simpler than fiddling with xorg.conf. When I plug my laptop into its docking station, I run a little script to switch over to my two external monitors in portrait mode:

  #!/bin/sh
  xrandr --output LVDS1 --off
  xrandr --output VGA1 --mode 1920x1200 --rotate left
  xrandr --output HDMI1 --mode 1920x1200 --left-of VGA1 --rotate left

I could probably automate it, but this is easy enough that I don't care.