Back in the day when the long XC for the private was 300 miles, not 150, I actually did a couple of them due to one not being endorsed properly. Both probably ended up being more than 400 miles total. My first was from South Expressway airport in Jonesboro GA which doesn't exist any more, to Eufaula, Panama City, Albany and back. The second was from Macon to Augusta, Columbia SC, Athens GA, then back to Macon. All done with paper sectionals and pilotage as taught.
But after a several year layoff, just getting back into flying and will the iPads now available and all this software, I'm going paperless. Could I do the other? Sure. But the electronic is much more convenient and less cluttering. Everything at your fingertips. But I couldn't care less how somebody else decides to do it. If they'd never do it without a magenta line, what do I care? I don't really care whether mine is bigger than yours or not, which basically seems what many of these threads seem to devolve into.