I personally liked Oblivion's way of doing ore veins, looking at it and being able to search it like if it were a chest. I find it almost ridiculous that people, or at least some people I have met, complained about having seperate curiasses and pants weighing down their inventory. But people are okay with a weight 10 woodcutters or pick axe for a mindless and boring animation of your character lightly tapping a rock.
But I came up with a magnificent solution. Instead they are my weapon of choice. No sword, no bow, just a pickaxe. hahaha.