Dave,
Well, The LOD Reps aren't configurations either. Like design views, they don't alter the model. For example, they don't affect mass or the BOM. They provide levels of detail for display, export, and memory footprint. They allow engineers to slice up a huge assembly in different ways for working and documenting -- without affecting the design itself. R11 does provide iAssemblies too, which do provide design variations. Just clarifying!
Katrin Grunawalt /Autodesk/