Yeah - it's horses for courses... modellers are great at what they do - model. I use a PODxt for some stuff (different rhythm sounds for recording mostly), but I've got a lead tone I'm happy with using pretty much my amp and a tube screamer for boost. I wouldn't play live with a multi effects box just because it would be another thing to go wrong, and the LCD screen isn't big enough to see standing up (for me anyway).

You're never going to get the flexibility you get with a modeller from 'real kit' unless you have a huge amount of space and money. It is possible to dial in some amazing sounds with a POD / GT8 etc....