There's been quite a few extensions that have tried to tackle a 'simple' profile system for Joomla. We even, earlier this year, were on a long discussion with another prominent developer who wanted to make just such a system, but it never materialized.
The problem is that it's difficult to do a 'simple' system well because once it's implemented, it's usually too simple and more features are requested. JomSocial started out, at v1.0 as a great profile system with minor other features. Now it's huge and profiles are just a small part of overall functionality. We still recommend JomSocial, but agree there's room for more.
Unfortunately, we won't be building such a system while we focus on our core strengths. However, there are always rumors and hopes of avatar support being added to the built-in Joomla profile system. It takes a lot of work to support avatars though.
Hope that helps explain our position, and if you find an extension that fits your needs, let us know.. we'll gladly look into supporting it!
Thanks,
Alex