Knowing the limitations of PCs, I would always look to specialized hardware for effects in realtime. I can understand the need for them in realtime. You wouldn't want to play metal licks with a clean tone and add the overdrive later, and like you said, a singer wouldn't want to hear a dry mix to sing over. Saving the dry signal has merit too - the GT-100 Boss pedal can do that.

Any post processing I do is EQ or some reverb - nothing fancy. I use my pedal for all of the guitar effects. I wouldn't rely on my PC to do that.

Anyway, I'll stop and wait until somebody that has actual Pro Tools experience chimes in.