If you want larger clumps of code then you have various options such as skeleton mode, but again that's something the user has to ensure happens - again they remain in control.
> But then again I wouldn't trust Apple or Microsoft to do it right
Oh hell yes!
For the sake of completeness, you can always make it automatic. All it takes is to add a function to post-self-insert-hook, and make it e.g. call dabbrev-expand if you pressed space twice. So you can have it any way you like - manual, automatic, semi-automatic. You're in full control.
> If you want larger clumps of code then you have various options such as skeleton mode
Yes. I currently use yasnippets for code. Still, my favourite yasnippet is one I use in comments - it expands "todo" into: "TODO: | -- [my name], 2019-10-29.", and similarly for "note", "hack" and "fixme". | is where the caret ends after expansion.
That's the kind of flexibility I wish my OS had. Unfortunately, it goes against the commercial interest of mainstream OS providers.