I haven't tried camping in a hammock, but I get very uncomfortable after 15-20 minutes in the backyard variety. Primarily, I need a bug-free space for me and my dog, and for that reason I need a tent--preferably a Tarptent with lots of ventilation and views out more than the door. My dog is part of my sleep system (keeps my feet warm), and if he were separated from me, both of us would whine all night! I may switch to a tarp for fall camping, once the bugs are all gone (they appear still to be lingering in the Cascades).

An insulated air pad takes care of the unpleasantness of sleeping on the ground. Food, I found your friends' "committee" (remember the one about the camel being a horse that was invented by a committee?) approach to putting up their tent really amusing. I can get my tent up in less than 5 minutes, including removing major sticks and stones from the tent site. No, I don't cook or eat in my tent and I recommend you not cook or eat in your hammock, either, unless you want a bear passing in the middle of the night to think you're a burrito.

In the end, each of us picks the style that suits us as individuals. HYOH, YMMV and all that.