Just presenting the data point of one very satisfied user (2 years in).
I find nothing lacking for my (meager) purposes. I don’t really know what a pick-up machine is supposed to do and wouldn’t have used it anyway, so maybe that would have been a factor if I cared.
I just did a label commissioned remix for Katy Perry featuring Snoop Dogg and Ace Hood using nothing but the OT (2Chains was not available).
Then I woke up in a new Bugatti. 
Then I really woke up and I had to go to work 
hehe
Maybe something coming Electron put this on Facebook :
I use my Octatrack as a simple looper (in a limited sense, just build up simple loops, then resample into slices and stuff) for drone and noise. It has worked well for so me so far, provided I practice regularly, with my PA speakers (to reduce the chance of being embarassed at band rehearsal or live performance due to cables goign bad) as well as headphones.
I am currently practicing with a project that Anders Bergdahl generously emailed to me - one of his “granular” projects. Our bandleader wanted each of us to contribute a drone idea, so I found that playing continuously into Track 2 (a pickup machine track) generated a monstrous drone.
I have not attempted to use the Octatrack to MIDI sequence external gear yet.
Most of the unhappiness comes from peeps who were hoping it would be a more sophisticated and stable looper than it turned out to be, or that it would be the ultimate sequencing hub. I know my own happiness with the OT was aided by buying it during the Back to School special, on top of Elektron’s temporary price drop; and the rest of my happiness comes from largely using it standalone (not integrated into a sophisticated rig).