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Your point is a fair one. I started with a circular saw and went to track saw when it didn't give me the repeatability I wanted. It seems like you've come out the far side of that, but I wouldn't say your ability to eyeball and freehand a straight line faster than setting up a rail assisted cut is universally applicable.
The thrill of a battery powered circular saw is definitely something though.
exteroceptive-
it didn't give me the repeatability I wanted
As I've already said decent circular saws can run on tracks in exactly the same way as a track saw can so are just as repeatable as a track saw.
Both rely on the user measuring accurately something that in my experience a surprisingly large number of people manage to not do repeatedly and something that is time consuming enough to be unacceptable in a production setting. This is what guys like Peter Millard use a MFT (and also what Festool developed it for) and everyone else uses a table saw for - repeatability.
I wouldn't say your ability to eyeball and freehand a straight line faster than setting up a rail assisted cut is universally applicable.
I wouldn't employ anyone who called themselves a chippy if they were not able to cut a straight line with a skilsaw. It's a pretty basic skill that should be mastered in the first year of an apprenticeship and therefore well within the grasp of any keen DIYer.
Bobbo
I've been trying to make this point on this thread for a while. Plunge saws are great in many ways but I advise lads starting out to always buy a circular saw first and I'd say the same to any DIYer.