XP seems to be on the way out, what else?

        I have come across a couple of articles discussing how XP is rarely used any more. The GM just decides its a good time to level based off story progression or because everyone is ready. While XP has been a mainstream staple for a long time, it seems like it's fading.
        I, personally, have never liked the way characters scaling within an XP system prevents characters of different tiers from working together in any meaningful way for very long. Then there is the idea that encounters are a means of XP, not battles for your life; I think this is a disconnect from the idea of danger.
        Some could argue that the XP system in a wheel in need of reinvention. How do you feel about XP and are there any other wooden wheels rolling around out there, in your opinion?