Thanks for your opinion, Dick
Or do you prefer "Richard"? I disagree with you. While I think it would have been cool to have a microscope on board capable of finding micro fossils, I understand why NASA didn't want to go that route: Not finding anything would have killed any future missions. Set the goal to finding water and now it's a lock for future funding. Besides, the general public has shown much greater interest in the rovers than in the ISS or Shuttle.