I've only made 1-2 characters with Packs so far, and the process doesn't seem faster... Packs seem to give a better benefit than do it cold, with only the SR4A book. Just a gut instinct, with no real match to back it up, though.

So far, the kit's been worth it for the screen and reference cards alone. There are some cheat sheets I've been linked to before that I felt were better than that, but we don't always have laptops handy to get to those bookmarks, so the RK's been a blessing in those occasions.

What's the general consensus on Packs, specifically, and not the RK as a whole?

I used it twice for making up a more detailed NPC, and once to make a character.

Sometimes stats and ekeing out every single die gets old, and you just want to get straight to roleplaying. PACKS is great for that.

Never used the official PACKS or RK. But it is pretty.
I do like the PACKS that AH put together prior to his departure.

The PACKS that TJ mentioned is still floating around here somewhere, free of charge. It's alright, although I do prefer creating my own NSCs.

Indeed... I use AH's PACKS for inspiration when I get stuck, more than anything else.

PACKS is not a good reason to get the kit, in and of itself. The other contents are more useful. It is useful for building quick NPCs, but for PCs, it is not as useful, except for some of the gear kits. It is probably more useful for new players.

PACKS are nice in concept and I think they are really useful for newer players. This being said, I've never used them at all.
The kit is still a great product