I seem to fairly regularly get my X server locked up or otherwise unusable. In those circumstances, having the real terminal mode is a life-saver. Also, when

I seem to fairly regularly get my X server locked up or otherwise unusable. In those circumstances, having the real terminal mode is a life-saver. Also, when I was using a laptop to take class notes and such, I often booted into text mode because I didn't need the graphics, and they took longer to start than I wanted to wait.