Actually, I would argue that the PSP is more an "expert kit".

The SOL is the bare minimum- Joe Average, equipped with those components and the instructions included (assume for the sake of argument that they are the same as the ones in the PSP without the data on the Sparklite- I haven't seen them yet) will be able to start a fire (maybe a second one, but with three matches I'm not sure), get shelter up, and stay warm over night. And unless Joe has suffered an injury that prevents him from moving, he can usually self rescue the next morning when he can see things. If Joe is incapacitated by injury, there could be a big debate over a small mirror vs the big orange panel that is the heat sheet- I'd love to see it tested for visability- but he will have audible and visual signals. The same holds true of people who are well and truly stuck due to terrain- they can get signals out (one that doesn't require you being conscious, to), trust in your safety person to report you as overdue, and sit tight.

On the other hand, the extra gear in the PSP is less intuitive, and I've always placed shelter much higher up the list than water. Joe Average is "better equipped" in the quantitative sense, but if he can't get shelter up he is not as well equipped in the qualitative sense. Making a shelter that is worth anything without the help of sheeting takes some skill, or luck. So next week, we find Joe next to a PSP, with a foil cup, and no fire becuase he couldn't figure out the Sparklite and thus froze to death before morning when the searchers got close enough to hear the whistle and the sun was up to use the mirror. I think a more minimal, more intuitive kit is better for someone who isn't trained.

A similiar way of looking at it is this parallel- who is safer on the road, a teenager with a brand new drivers license and a 10 year old Ford, or a teenager with a brand new license and a Ferrari? The Ferrari will get you out of more trouble if you know how to use it; the Ford can't get you into as much trouble if you don't know how to use it. It isn't a matter of how capable the gear is, but a question of how capable the user is. We've all seen someone who isn't as skilled, handed better equipment, think the gear makes up for that lack of skill. I think that is were the SOL is aimed. I haven't seen PSPs at any physical stores yet; I wonder when I'll see the SOL?