The thing is, the same people who dismiss robust carefully designed access databases, never see the parallel with allowing a proliferation of poorly designed mission critical excel spreadsheets within their businesses.
"do you want to open the spreadsheet read only?"
All they (ie MS) need to do with access is
a) improve the security model. Let Access have "access" to the backend database without the user needing full permissions on the folder.
b) find a way to run a multi user database over a WAN. eg Back end access database in the cloud.
Personally, I don't think access is about the "power-user" so much. That power user is likely to apply the same tools he uses for a spreadsheet, and then wonder why things are hard.
I think it's more about a competent, professional developer applying a carefully thought out design to the end database, and thereby creating a robust and friendly experience for the user.
A great deal of this is actually to restrict the user (including the designer) from using every tool that access provides. That's why you need a lot of code, defensive code, inside databases.