If you NEEDED it, you would have already purchased it.
Personally, I don't own nor will I ever own any cordless/battery powered equipment. Mostly because I simply don't use it enough for battery to last. When I do use it, it's dead.
Wire is fine.....
I have a compressor and air tools but I hardly ever use it to be honest.
It all comes down to "how much you use it".
I'm kind of borderline on a lot of stuff. I use my cordless screwdrivers quite a bit. Not so much cordless drills but I use them enough where it makes sense for me to have at least one. I actually have 4, 3 that work. I have a corded Craftsman from the 1970's that still works, I've replaced it's keyed chuck. Could get an unkeyed chuck for it, I guess, haven't bothered. I use it for those tough jobs like drilling into metal. I think with a 12v Li-ion drill I may use the corded drill a lot less.
I'm hoping Li-ion batteries will make a difference. I used to shy away from them (when I could, e.g. my DSLR has AA NiCDs), but have never had any for cordless motor tools, figure I may like them in that application.
This is one reason I went to Lithium. Those old NiCad batteries were always dead when I grabbed mine as I would easily go weeks/months without touching the tool. But usually, when I do need it, I need it quite a bit and will use them heavily.
The lithium batteries don't self-discharge near so quickly so there is still power when I need it after they have been sitting for a while, and it only takes 30 minutes to charge from totally dead vs a good 1+ hours.
Exactly. This is a big reason that Porter-Cable 12v combo kit appeals to me, although I haven't seen/touched it, just researched online. I figure I'll order it.
My first cordless drill I bought in 1977 or so, a Skill with NiCD battery system, that I replaced at least once, probably more. I applied for a job on the docks working on sailboats and was told by the guy who hired me and was my boss that I'd need to get myself a cordless drill. I'd never heard of them, but bought it, I guess it was a very early one. I loved that sucker and after I stopped working on the docks found it very useful around the house. It was way less powerful than anything they sell now. I used the heck out of it and it eventually died from something and I got Dewalt and Panasonic. Their NiCD battery systems are their serious weak points. And it's very discouraging how much they charge for those things, I've replace my Versapak B&D batteries, never the Dewalt of Panasonic. Versapak batteries are a ripoff too, however.