I agree that EVA Air's online reservations system need improvement. It is definitely below normal standards with many other Asian, European, and North American airlines.
I definitely think its a cultural thing. I don't think E-Tickets are very prominent in Taiwan.
However, EVA deserves some credit. They have been working diligently these past couple years. Their online services have dramatically improved since 2002, and the features continue to grow.
I think if we give them some time, we'll see some decent services.