I think org mode is frankly over-rated but having said that I use it myself for two things: a daily work-log and some tabular timekeeping. Really? the mechanics of the indent model are pretty crap.

It is possible to move from org to Markdown and then do better for pdf, eg via pandoc or some other emacs mode. I've used that in the past, because Markdown mode was even more confusing to me as a non-native emacs user.

That vi never got an org mode before the great uplift to vim says a lot to me. Emacs had more modes than there are things in heaven, Horatio. (than are dreamt of in your philosophy of editors)