@HK,
Okay bro, while I agree with you mostly, I would say that one shouldn't be down on cig-a-likes as a class. They won't work for me, and I assume they don't cut it for you. That said, I smoked a pipe at 1/2oz a day of tobacco (I have no idea how many packs of cigarettes that is). So for us, a cig-a-like isn't ever going to cut it (except as a fall back--for example I keep some Njoy Kings in my car and in my wife's car for those "just in case" situations).
That said, they can and do work for some people (primarily people who were/are lighter smokers). I have also found that cig-a-likes are a great introductory tool for smokers who would like to quit smoking but have a difficult time actually doing it (like I was--but I'm not a smoker any more in my mind). It takes some chutzpah to jump in with both feet and had the Njoy King not existed I never would have contemplated vaping. I have a rather interesting story about how I came to try those out but this thread is probably not the place for that.
Oh yeah don't misunderstand me I'm not downing cigalikes at all. I have gone through 2 brands of them (Blu, with less than favorable results but I still did quit cigs for about a month on it and it was a crap system) and the Halo G6 which has impressed me for sure for a cigalike.
If you're a heavier smoker though of a pack a day plus, most of the time those cigalikes just won't cut it. They still have their uses though, they're smaller and convenient. Great for on the go or in the car or whatever.
I bought my Halo G6 knowing it wasn't going to be the full answer, but I wanted to get off the analogs or at least cut down a lot. The Halo got me started, and for a lighter smoker it might be a perfectly excellent solution. For a heavier smoker, not so much. This of course is why there are so many varieties of ecigs out there, so that everyone can find their own sort of balance.
Cigalikes are a GREAT place to start and you kind of aptly put it that they're a nice intro to the e-cig world. For some folks, they might be perfectly content with that. For others, they need more. I'm just one of those folks who needed more.
Part of the addiction to tobacco lies in the ritual aspect of it. The habit of reaching toward the ashtray, or sparking up in the car. Or having one right after a meal, or smoking more when you drink coffee or alcohol. Smoking more when you're stressed, etc. It's a great first step to just change the delivery system from analogs to a cigalike, and then work on breaking the links to other things that kept you smoking without thinking about it, or things you associate with smoking.
However, if you can make the jump to something somewhat more powerful and you're a heavier smoker, you'll probably be more satisfied in the long run. That's all I was saying. My Halo kit wasn't a waste, but already it's a backup to my eGo's, and I've used it already this week to show a friend and let him try it out to see if he likes e-cigs.
