Here's the way I personally look at it. Besides the fact that those vials do not technically contain enough yeast for proper pitching rates, I like making starters because I'm actually doing something brewing related. Honestly, I can only brew once or twice a month, max. That's only two days worth of brewing... but making starters makes me feel like I'm being more "involved" in my hobby. Kinda gets the anticipation of the big brew day going too.
I'll start my starter up about 2 days prior to the brewdate. That's like a whole weekend of brewing related activities and sounds. (Ever had a stirplate put you to sleep?? I have!) And to top it off, I wash my yeast. That way I get a nice little project about 2 weeks after my big brew day. Plenty of stuff to do in between brewing. That's why I love starters and this hobby in general.