Actually 2012 is more representative of the end of a time period that was within their understanding .. not the end of the world but the end of a cycle of time.
2012 is also when we will begin to pass through the galactic spiral as a planetary system. They expect all kinds of "side effects" from that.
Yes, I'm familiar with the concepts and it's mostly a matter of interpretation. There are no Mayan left to ask, are there? My own take is that the Mayan who was doing the calculations died before training his replacement.
"A casual stroll through the lunatic asylum shows that faith does not prove anything." - Friedrich Nietzsche