Hi David,
Yes I suppose it all depends upon how the individual likes to
design their gear.
Personally I like the all in one approach where ever possible.
I hate carrying box, batteries, cables, more accessories and
anything else with me, so I tend to go for the everything in the box
approach.
Although my current GPS intended for home use by default used a
waterproof gasket sealed plastic box simply because it was the
only box I could find that had the right size for the PSU + GPS
and output connectors (dual output to run both a U1 and a U2 at
the same time.
I'm now considering an old fashioned WOODEN box for a picnic
portable, just to be different ;-)
Happy building !
73 de Andy