I actually like the look of the tom tree. (not the one above lol) To me it says stability, solidarity. For me it's an important part of what makes a kit...a kit. I like the look of a mass of chrome, just like on old cars.
When the toms float over the bass drum, it has a disconnected look to me. I don't pull my bass drum out on a gig unless I have to change a head....which happened one time in the last 10 years. So the convenience part isn't worth it to me.
I kind of detest horizontal lines with a kit, so a rack is out. It would be overkill anyway for me.
Looks are very personal
Plus I LOVE my 17" crash cymbal centered between my rack toms. That's easily done with a dogbone cymbal arm on the tom tree. Otherwise, with no tom tree, I would have to get my center cymbal in place by awkwardly spanning the distance with a dogbone boom arm off the nearest cymbal stand.
In the studio, a virgin bass drum has a lot of merit. The convenience of tuning, head swaps, and whatever else, makes it well worth it in the studio. I don't have restrictive "looks" rules in the studio.